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Eco-Friendly Easter? - It's So Easy and It's Fun!
It’s Easter. It’s chocolate time. And it’s fun for the whole family. Whether you’re someone who plans a big brunch every year or hides the eggs for little ones, there are ways you can improve the eco-friendliness of Easter without hindering any of the fun. If you are also planning to green your Easter festivities, here are some eco-friendly Easter ideas that will keep your holiday firmly in the green zone
When it comes to shopping for your Easter festive meal, apply the usual rules of eco-friendly and healthy eating. Stick with local and in-season items for your menu (spring is officially here and you’ll likely be able to find some great items at your local farmer’s market) and buy organic whenever possible.
There’s plenty of time to get your green craft on with some eco-friendly gifts and decorations. Crafting is a great way to spend some quality time with kids, so embrace the opportunity and get crafty.
Let’s start with the eggs. If you're planning on colouring regular eggs for Easter, choose natural dyes over those nasty pellets that come with traditional decorating kits. Natural dyes, in fact, give you more colour possibilities: every shade from greenish-yellow and lavender to brown, blue and orange. Just boil your eggs in water with a bit of vinegar and one of these ingredients below, then let simmer for at least 15 minutes:
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Purple grape juice (for lavender)
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Red cabbage (for blue)
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Spinach (for green)
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Carrot tops, orange peels or lemon peels (for yellow)
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Coffee or black walnut shells (for brown)
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Yellow onion skins (for orange)
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Beets or cranberries (for pink)
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Red onion skins (for red)
And what about the eggs themselves? Choose free-range, organic eggs if possible. It's the only designation that ensures the hens were verifiably raised in a comfortable environment without any unnecessary antibiotics. If you're vegan, or just choose to skip real eggs, try making your own fake eggs with this neat pearly soda play clay made from cornstarch and baking soda. Once dry, this clay feels almost like porcelain. Or, you can choose to Paint Wooden Eggs. Just make sure you’re using nontoxic paints to create your wooden masterpieces. The bonus with a wooden egg? You’ve got a handmade treasure that will last for years, if you want it to. If you want to re-use your eggs, just paint them a solid colour next year, and you can decorate them all over again!
The basket
Your local thrift store is an excellent source for baskets that you can turn into Easter baskets. Re-use every year, so you save money, but it’s also eco-friendly. Once you've got your basket, fill it with real grass. It’s so natural and adds a fresh zest to your home.
Gifts
Skip the single-use disposable toys in favour of a small Bible, puzzles, books, jump ropes, crayons, egg-shaped chalk, bubbles, garden seeds (flowers, fruits and veggies), a small watering can for the garden, craft supplies etc.
GreenKiddie wishes you a very Happy Easter – enjoy the holiday with your kids and the whole family.
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