Everything Easter-The BEST Easter Games for Your Family

If your house is anything like ours, the next two days will be filled with Easter preparations. To help you with your prep, here are the best of Family Volley's Easter Games and Activities all in one place.

Let me help take the guess work out of how you will spend your family time together. (Ironically these posts are some of the most "pinned" posts from Family Volley.) They are winners, I promise.

The 12 Days of Easter-Teaching the Easter Story

The last month has been so busy around our house that I wasn't able to do the 12 Days of Easter like we have done in the past. So instead, Saturday night we are going to do the shortened version all in one night. It will be the perfect lead-in to Easter Sunday. 

Our children love helping me decorate for every holiday. We spent our Family Night this week dying Easter eggs and making Easter Egg Garland. The Garland is so simple, really colorful and makes a beautiful statement when hung in the house. Perfect last minute decoration. Even our 4 year old was able to do this one "all by herself."

Every year our family has a big Easter Egg Hunt. My husband hides about 200 eggs around the yard and we set the kids free. I am okay with some candy, but it is nice to fill the eggs with "non-candy" also. "Easter Egg Hunts-More Than Just Candy" will give you more than enough creative ideas for ways fill your Easter eggs. There are some fun and unique ideas for hiding them also. Make your egg hunt egg-stra special this year.

Did you know that Jelly Beans are for more than just eating. They can be used for some really fun family games also. Jelly Bean Games will give you two awesome games to play with your left over beans. The games are great conversation starters, time fillers, and the perfect way to entertain family and friends who come over for Easter dinner. They are also a good way to keep the conversation moving while you eat. 

Last but not least, you MUST Egg Wrestle. It will become your new favorite Easter Tradition and your kids will pass it on through the generations. No matter your age, this one is just good fun for everyone. It is the perfect way to use up your left over dyed easter eggs, and a great thing to play with family and friends while you are waiting for diner to cook. Be sure you have the camera ready because you will want to document this one. 

Easter is such a wonderful time of year. The weather is just starting to warm and color is popping up all around us. Make this Easter egg-stra special by spending time playing with your family.

What do you do for Easter?

Do you have any special Easter traditions?

Family Volley Photo Challenge-Week 14-"Easter"

Our family had a really nice Easter filled with extended family. When Easter dinner was over, our son pulled me aside and said "Mom, I wish we could all eat dinner together like that every night." He loves having everyone together just like I do. I can see the influence that being Intentional about family celebrations are having on our children. We are making memories as a family and it is wonderful.

These rabbits and Easter basket were the centerpiece on our table. They used to belong to my maternal Grandmother. She passed away nearly 8 years ago and I was the lucky recipient of a lot of her holiday decorations. She and my grandpa spent most holidays with us. I think of her often. She is apart of all of my wonderful holiday memories.

I can see her influence in all I do. Not only did she teach me, but she taught my mom, who taught me. He influence is spanning generations and I miss her.

These Easter decorations were always up in her house. They were part of my childhood. Now they sit on our table and are part of our children's childhood. I hope they feel the love and influence of their Great Grandma Clark too.

I hope you and your family had a beautiful Easter Sunday. Filled with family and love. 

Do you have a favorite Easter Tradition?

Next Weeks Challenge (April 11) - "Something I Made"

FAMILY FUN FRIDAY - Reverse Charades

Unlike regular charades where one person acts out a word or phrase for the group, in Reverse Charades, the group acts out for one person.

All you need to play are some strips of paper with clues to act out, written on them. You can do single words, phrases, inside family jokes, you can even do bible stories (like Daniel and the Lions Den) etc. Anything will work. Single words are usually the easiest. Once you have the clues, put them in a pile on the table, or in a basket.

Before we start this game, I give every family member (or every player) 10 strips of paper and a pen. Then, every person writes down 10 clues on their papers. In less than 5 minutes we have 50+ clues and we are ready to play. It is really easy to keep the old papers on hand for a quick Reverse Charades game when our family needs something to do.

Remember, no talking.

To Play:
Have one family member stand, facing the rest of the family. They are going to be the "guesser".

Set the timer for 1 minute. The rest of the family will then pull out a strip of paper and immediately begin to act out the clue for the "guesser".

Keep track of how many words each person guesses correctly. The person who guesses the most during their turn, wins.

Heather is Taking the Night Off!

Heather's Husband here. Today is her birthday and she is being forced to take the night off. She deserves it.

Thanks for understanding,

Billy

FAMILY FUN FRIDAY-Bouncer Ball

OBJECTIVE

Land the most Ping-Pong balls in a plastic cup with one bounce per ball.

Don't miss the variation at the bottom for smaller families and groups. 

MATERIALS

Ping Pong Balls

(One Per Person)

Plastic Cups 

(one per person)

HOW TO PLAY

1. Form teams of 2 players each.

2. One person sits 3 feet away from the cup, while the other person sits on the opposite side of the cup to retrieve the ping pong ball and count points. 

3. Everyone has 1 minute to get their ball into their cup as many times as possible. 

TO DO THIS: the ball has to bounce once on the ground and then land in the cup and stay there. If the ball bounces out of the cup, it does not count as a point. 

EVERY TIME THE BALL BOUNCES AND STAYS IN THE CUP, THAT TEAMS RECEIVES 1 POINT. 

4. Pairs switch who throws and retrieves, and the round is repeated. 

5. The points from both partner's turns are added up for a final team score. 

The team with the most points, WINS!

VARIATION

With smaller families and groups, pairing off into teams might not be what you want to do. Instead, set all the cups up in a straight line. Have each person take a turn trying to get a ping pong ball into every cup. You can time them to see how many they can get in a certain amount of time, or you can see how long it takes each person to get a ball in every cup. Have one person bouncing the balls, one person timing, and everyone else retrieving the "missed" ping pong balls. 

You can also set the cups up at different heights and distances to make the game harder or easier for different ages. 

What does your family have planned for the weekend?

I hope yours is sunny. It's rain and snow for us. 

FAMILY FUN FRIDAY-Jelly Bean Games!

I LOVE JELLY BEANS. 

Not just a little bit, A LOT bit. In fact, I choose Jelly Beans 

over chocolate. That is how much I love them. 

In college I joined the official Jelly Belly Club. I was the first (along with every other member of the club) to test out new flavors, and 4 times a year they sent me samples and newsletters. 

Our kids think it's really cool that I can tell them what every Jelly Belly Flavor is. Goofy, I know. My favorite flavor is Bubble Gum. They are the pink ones. Cotton Candy and Tutti Frutti are close seconds. Can't stand buttered popcorn.

You can imagine my excitement at Easter. A holiday full of Jelly Beans. Yum.

Here are TWO really easy and fun games with Jelly Beans that will fit right into your Easter Celebration.  

THE JELLY BEAN GAME

When we decorate for Easter dinner, we always spread jelly beans out down the middle of the table as part of the decorations. I guess you could say its tradition. For this game, you could just put the jelly beans into a bowl. Doesn't matter either way.

1. Prep your beans (any jelly beans will work, they don't have to be Jelly Belly jelly brand). Either in a bowl, or spread out on your table.

2. Assign a question OR direction for every COLOR. Write down the question/direction that goes with each question on a piece of paper.

3. Go around the table and have everyone CLOSE THEIR EYES and take turns choosing a Jelly Bean. 

4. Follow the directions for the jelly bean COLOR you choose. 

5. Once you fulfill the COLOR requirement, eat your jelly bean.

Here are some examples.

Purple-Hop around the room like a bunny.

Green-If you could invent your own jelly bean flavor, what would it be?

It doesn't have to be Easter related. For example,

Pink-Tell us about your most embarrassing moment.

Red-What is your biggest fear.

Yellow-If you could have any wish, what would it be?

This is a great game to play once everyone has eaten and you are sitting around the table chatting. AND it is perfect for kids and adults alike. You could even make two lists, one for adults and another for the kids.

WHAT FLAVOR IS IT?

Buy the giant box of Jelly Belly jelly beans OR if you can't find it, you can buy the assorted Jelly Belly beans from the bulk bin. I recommend the giant box though. Then you have the flavor guide listed on the back so you know which beans are which. (Unless you were a member of the Jelly Belly club and then you wouldn't need the flavor guide.) :)

1. Have each person close their eyes, or you could blindfold them.

2. Give everyone different Jelly Beans to taste test and try to guess the flavor. 

3. The person who gets the most correct, wins. 

You most likely already have jelly beans around the house this weekend. Why not use them to have lots of family fun. 

ANYONE ELSE LIKE JELLY BEANS MORE THAN CHOCOLATE?

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FLAVOR, OR BRAND?

Enjoy the holiday weekend with your family.

And So It Began...Our New Year

I really look forward to New Years. Our families New Year Tradition is one of my favorites. It is also one of the few times of the year I am really relaxed, less stressed and unplugged. This year was no different. 

If you are looking for a wonderful place to spend time with your family, let me suggest. 

The La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club

La Jolla, California

I grew up just a few miles from this magical place. Going back I am always flooded with memories. 

It is very family friendly. Kids are encouraged to be kids. Adults are encouraged to be kids.
Warning: There are lots of pictures in this post.

Let's talk amenities. 

Private Beach

Swimming Pool

Tennis Courts

On-site 3 par Golf Course

Restaurant

Great Gift Shop

Playground

Ping pong

Croquet

Library

Game Room

Work Our Room

Laundry Room (if you want to wash)

Spa services on Site
1-2-3 Bedroom Suites
Rooms with Kitchens

My Only Suggestion... If you are interested in staying at The La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club, you need to book about a year in advance, depending on what month of the year you are interested it.
Other suggestions, with no pictures...Don't forget to walk along Prospect, Eat Mexican at Alfonso's, and eat breakfast at Harry's

All of this said, I can't emphasis enough how accommodating the Club is. If ever their was a place for families, this is it.

Sounds good right, but lets get to some details.

The Club is a 15 minute drive from the San Diego Airport.

Your room is on the beach. Literally a few steps. You don't have to load up the car and drive to the beach. 

Situated on La Jolla shores (known as one of the shallowest and family friendly beaches in California), the club has its own beach. Each morning they clear it of seaweed and groom the sand. It is not crowded and as parents you don't have to be as nervous about keeping an eye on your kids like you would at a public beach. (I am not suggesting you don't watch them. :))

 They set up your beach chairs. Whatever you need, chairs, lounges, umbrellas, blankets, tables. Just let the "beach boys" know and they will set it all up. It makes things so much easier when the kids are already running into the water and you are trying to set up a spot.

They provide the towels. You don't have to pack them. Instead, You can sit on the beach all day and use as many towels as your family needs. Get them as sandy as you want. Leave them on your lounge chairs and they take care of the rest. Heck, take them to your room and they will take care of them also. As you will see in the pictures, the clubs towels are all white with blue strips.

You are perfectly situated to walk the beach. Miles of it. Consider it the best, most beautiful and relaxing, free entertainment your family could have. Run through the water, head to the pier, and don't forget the tide pools just steps away.

The swimming pool is heated. Need I say more. Again, towels provided. 

On New Years Eve we have the club set up a bonfire for us. We also have them set up a grill and a table and chairs. They supply plenty of wood and coals. We buy all the fixing for a BBQ at the local grocery store, complete with s'mores and head down to the beach. We spend the evening grilling and sitting around the fire. We finish with s'mores and more s'mores. If you don't want to go get your own food? No problem, the club will provide all your food. Don't want to cook, no biggie, they will even BBQ for you.

You are very close to everything. Sea World, The San Diego Zoo, Disneyland (and hour and 20 minutes), Legoland, Aquariums, Museums, The San Diego LDS Temple, shops, parks, malls, grocery stores and fantastic restaurants. This year we went to Legoland. The kids had a great time. So did the adults. 

 Replicas of famous cities in the U.S. Everything is mini. If you look close at the picture below you will see a black bird walking on the road. It gives you an idea of the size. Pretty amazing.

I wondered if there would be anything for adults to do at Legoland. There was. 

The San Diego LDS Temple

Tennis is a big deal here. There are courts for everyone. We bring our own racquets but you can rent them from the club if you want. All the courts are lit so you can play at night. 

Golf Course on the property. Kids are encouraged to play. We don't usually bring clubs, we use theirs.

Play ground right next to the tennis courts. My husband and I can play tennis while the kids play at the playground, play croquet, and ping pong. 

Every year my parents rent a big van that fits all of us (at least for now). It is really fun because we can all ride together. 

 The famous Tennis Club Palm Trees. 

Until Next Time...

Our youngest saying goodbye. 

What do you think? Conducive for your family?

Any questions, I would love to answer them?

 I didn't receive any compensation for writing this post. The La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club doesn't even know I wrote it. Our family loves this place and I wanted to share it with you.