Easter Sunday is this weekend and millions will gather with friends and family to celebrate the holiday. It’s traditional to dye chicken eggs for Easter but with bird-flu impacting the US chicken population and egg prices soaring, buying a few dozen eggs might be out of your budget.
Thankfully you have options, provided you are willing to dye or hide something other than real eggs.
Read also: If it’s your first time hosting Easter, check out our guide for preparing and cleaning up too.
Potatoes
When you think of alternative options to easter eggs, potatoes probably aren’t high on your list. However, they are actually a great option. While russet potatoes might be a bit large for what you need, fingerling or baby potatoes are actually the perfect size for many dyeing kits.
A bag of potatoes is much more affordable than eggs and even a big bag should cost only a few dollars. That makes it easy to dye as many as you need for your easter egg hunt and, depending on the color of the potato, they will easily change shade.
Rocks
The idea may seem a bit absurd but if you’re in a pinch for items to dye this year, rocks can be an excellent choice. You’ll want to find rocks that are smooth and fit well in your hand.
Turn the activity of finding the right rocks into part of the planning and prep for Easter dyeing by bringing the kids with you to find the best rocks for your hunt. Using rocks instead of organic options does require slightly more planning. Instead of using regular egg dye, you’ll want to spring for some paint to ensure it completely covers the surface of your rocks.
Marshmallows
If you want a delicious item to dye for Easter egg hunts, a fun option is marshmallows. They’re easy to dye thanks to their white color and they’re edible, which makes them a great treat for the holiday.
You can use dyeing kits to get the color you’re looking for. Basic dyeing kits will let you achieve pretty pastel colors, while adding a bit of vinegar to your dye will let you achieve a more vibrant color.
Plastic Eggs
Easter egg hunts are part of the tradition and if they’re non-negotiable for your family, then the right option might be to snag a bag of plastic eggs. These eggs come in bright colors and can be opened to fill with candy or other small treats.
One of the perks of using plastic eggs is that if they aren’t all spotted in the yard during the Easter egg hunt, you don’t have to worry about them decaying or attracting pests. Best of all, once the festivities are over, you can store them in a box and pull them back out next year.
While Easter might look a little bit different this year because of the prices of eggs, you don’t need to sacrifice your traditions. Instead, by thinking creatively you can adjust your traditions and still enjoy the day.
