Excitable kids during the long school break followed by a four day bank holiday weekend, means the Easter holiday period can be tricky to plan for parents. Research released today by Sainsbury’s reveals that it’s uncomplicated, special time with family that is most treasured by children and parents, however parents worry they should be doing more.
Simple crafts and entertainment suggestions from Sainsbury’s
- An Easter egg hunt is a great way for the family to spend time together, and lots of fun, too! Go down to your Sainsbury’s store and pick up a free Eggscellent Egg Hunt leaflet, complete with stickers to make your own Easter egg hunt at home
- If you’re planning to cook up a storm this Easter then why not have fun decorating the table too? With just some coloured card, cake cases and sticky dots the whole family can make a pretty Easter flower table setting
- Whatever the weather this Easter, Sainsbury’s has lots of ideas for family time together, including print-and-go colouring sheets, and guides on how to make puppets and super cute Easter pompom bunnies
- If the sun shines this Easter Sainsbury’s has wooden games for family fun in the garden or park, including a cricket, rounders and croquet set, pop up tents and tunnels and children’s gardening and nature activity sets
- Enjoy the longer, lighter days with trips to the park or adventures further afield. Included in Sainsbury’s 43 ideas is a handy guide to bird spotting and how to name the different plants, trees and creepy crawlies you might see when you’re out and about.
The nationwide survey asked 1,000 children aged 5-12 to describe their perfect Easter and 1,000 parents to share the plans they’ve made. A third of kids (33%) ranked spending time with mum and dad at home above going away on holiday (21%), and hanging out with their friends (15%). In contrast, nearly six-in-ten parents (58%) are organising separate activities to keep their children and their friends entertained, with more than half (55%) opting for potentially expensive days out at UK attractions over family fun at home.
Busy parents are also juggling different demands on their time, which makes it harder to set aside quality time with family at home: two thirds (60%) report that they will need to spend time getting on top of jobs around the house and sorting out the garden (68%) during the Easter break.
When asked to name their top five wishes for the perfect Easter, kids would most enjoy a family picnic, followed by an Easter egg hunt at home and seeing baby Easter animals.
“All I want for a perfect Easter”, as voted for by kids:
- A family picnic outdoors
- An Easter egg hunt at home
- Seeing baby Easter animals
- Winning an Easter egg race
- Baking Easter cakes and biscuits
UK mums and dads find it hard to come up with activities for the whole family to enjoy together. While more than three quarters (77%) see Easter as important family time, nearly nine-in-ten (87%) say they struggle to find things to do that will appeal to both adults and children of differing ages.
If kids were to be granted a special wish this Easter, it would be to roll out the blanket and games for a picnic with their family, according to a survey released today by Sainsbury’s. This Easter, Sainsbury’s is helping parents create special time together with family by offering food and entertainment inspiration in store and on the Sainsbury’s Live Well For Less website.
Liz Fraser, family psychologist, commented: “Easter falls a lot later this year so both parents and children want a break to draw breath and relax more than ever. As this research shows they feel under pressure to juggle organising exciting days out for the children with the need to get things done at home. The psychological and restorative benefits of spending time together as a family are widely reported and quality time with immediate family is clearly something that children love too.
“It just goes to show that you don’t need to spend lots of money or even leave the house to create special Easter memories for children that will last a lifetime. In fact, it is by leaving a few afternoons free to enjoy simple activities like having a picnic in the garden together as a family that parents will feel revived, rested and relaxed ahead of the busy summer term.”
Clare Barton, toy buying manager at Sainsbury’s added: “The long Easter holiday can seem daunting for some parents with seemingly endless amounts of time to fill and squeezed budgets. However, it’s time together and simple celebrations with mum, dad, siblings and grandparents that children are looking forward to the most over the bank holiday weekend. We are delighted to inspire parents and kids alike to get active and be creative for a little less than they might have expected this Easter.”
