By Rebecca Milner
Ready to trade the winter snow for some warm sunshine? We thought so… Well, great news! Easter is just around the corner, which means that lots of fun, family activities are popping up across Mid-Missouri.
Wondering what to do? We want to help!
Below you’ll find our list of ten Easter activities for families in Missouri (some of which can be done anywhere and are COVID-friendly!). So, get egg-cited and hop to it!
1. Enjoy Easter Brunch with Your Family.
The perfect complement to your Easter Sunday (without the hassle of cooking and cleaning!). Gather the family and enjoy a delicious Easter brunch at The Tiger Hotel in Columbia.
On Easter Sunday, April 4, 2021, from 9 AM to 4 PM, your family can have their fill of a four-course meal in the Tiger Hotel ballroom. A kids’ menu is also available! Or if you’re looking for something more casual, you can head over to Glenn’s Cafe for their regular brunch service.
Find more information and make your reservation here.
2. Hunt for Eggs at One of Columbia’s Parks.
This year, the Easter Bunny will be making his rounds to four Columbia parks! Kids can complete a scavenger hunt and search for secret clues, take a safe and socially-distanced photo with the Easter Bunny, and receive a goodie bag with Easter treats! Registration is required and limited.
Dates and locations:
- Saturday, March 27, 2021 at Douglass Park from 11 AM to 12 PM and 12 to 1 PM
- Saturday, March 27, 2021 at Albert Oakland Park from 2 to 3 PM and 3 to 4 PM
- Saturday, April 3, 2021 at Bonnie View Nature Sanctuary from 11 AM to 12 PM and 12 to 1PM
- Saturday, April 3, 2021 at Nifong Park from 2 to 3 PM and 3 to 4 PM
Learn more and register here.
3. Attend the Easter Eggstravaganza in Wentzville.
On Saturday, March 27, 2021, you’ll find lots of opportunities for fun at the Easter Eggstravaganza at Heartland Park in Wentzville, Missouri! Come early and participate in the annual Bunny Run. Choose between a 5K, a 10K, or the One-Mile Fun Run! All ages are welcome to participate and awards will be given for each age group.
Stick around afterward for the Egg Hunt, where kids can search for candy-filled (or prize-filled) eggs and snag a photo with the Easter Bunny. And don’t forget to bring your furry friends too! Dogs can join in on the fun at the Bone Hunt, where they’ll find all kinds of dog treats, bones, and toys, hidden just for them.
Find more information on all of these events and register here.
4. Grab an At-Home Easter Eggstravaganza Bag.
Looking for a more COVID-friendly way to participate in an Easter egg hunt? You can still celebrate safely with an Eggstravaganza Bag. This year, in light of the pandemic and the financial strain that this time has caused for so many, Columbia Parks and Recreation is providing free Easter Eggstravaganza bags to local families.
These bags will contain 25 candy-filled, plastic eggs, so you can have your own Easter egg hunts at home! Hide them inside or outside. The choice is yours! There will also be some Easter-themed items and candy included.
Pre-registration is required and one bag is available per household while supplies last.
Pickup will be at Armory Sports & Community Center (701 E. Ash) from March 3 to April 2, 2021, any time Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 6 PM.
For more information, call 573-874-7460 or email [email protected].
5. Download a Free Easter Family Activity Guide.
Take advantage of this free download to help prepare your family for Easter! In this Easter family activity guide, you’ll discover a fun way to help your family contemplate and celebrate King Jesus’s death and resurrection this Easter season. You’ll receive access to an Easter music playlist, finger puppets, an Easter recipe, a matching game, coloring pages, and more.
Find more information and download here.
6. Level Up Your Jelly Bean Game.
Ahh, jelly beans. An Easter staple. But this year, what if you made things more interesting?
This Easter, order some Jelly Belly Bean Boozled jelly beans instead. Treat yourself and your family to delicious flavors, like peach (or it could be barf), buttered popcorn (or maybe it’s rotten egg), or chocolate pudding (Woof! It’s actually canned dog food). This nerve-racking yet fun game will take your regular Easter activities to the next level and is a guaranteed good time for your whole family.
7. Visit Helmi’s Garden and Plant Spring Flowers.
What better way to welcome spring than with bright and cheery flowers? We recommend stopping by Helmi’s Gardens in Columbia, Missouri, where you’ll find an amazing selection of annuals, perennials, shrubs, trees, houseplants, tropicals, pots and planters, as well as unique décor and gifts.
Make it a family outing and find some fun things to plant or welcome into your home. Not sure what to get? Check out this list of flowers that are best to plant in April.
8. Help Donate Easter Baskets to Those in Need.
Bring more meaning to your family’s Easter this year by giving to others. One opportunity to do so is through Alleluia Baskets, an organization that provides fun-filled Easter baskets to children, ages 6 months through 18 years, who are living in shelters, temporary housing, or low economic communities in Missouri and Illinois.
There are a few ways you can help:
- Monetary donations are accepted via PayPal or Venmo (@alleluia-baskets).
- You can also find Alleluia Baskets’ Amazon wish list for socks here (a pair of socks is included in each basket).
- If you want to get crafty and are looking for a more hands-on opportunity to donate, Alleluia Baskets accepts lap and baby blankets (made by crocheting, quilting, or tying fleece blankets). If you’re interested in sending a blanket, you can message Alleluia Baskets on Facebook here for more information on this opportunity.
For even more ideas on ways to serve in Columbia, Missouri this spring, check out this blogpost.
9. Egg Your Neighbors
Start a fun trend in your neighborhood this year by “egging” your friends! Fill some Easter eggs with candy or other treats, sneak over to your neighbor’s house, and hide the eggs in their yard.
Make sure you leave a sign on their door telling them they’ve been egged and to pass on the prank to someone else in your neighborhood! You can save and print the image below or get crafty and create your own version.
10. Attend a Meaningful Easter Service with your Family.
Bring more meaning to your family’s Easter this year by attending an Easter service together. Whether you join in person in Columbia or online, you’re invited to attend The Crossing’s Easter service: Between Two Worlds: Easter 2021. Your family can expect to experience music and a hopeful and reflective message about the deeper meaning behind why we celebrate Easter.
No reservations are necessary to attend.
Find more information and learn more about our service options here.
Are you looking for more ways to make Easter meaningful this year? Visit our Easter page for more resources, downloads, and uplifting content.