A Fun Easter Egg Hunt for Teens (That Actually Lasts More Than 5 Minutes)

Awesome game inspired by @playpartyplan. Check out the original game here, as well as all of Britni’s fun holiday family games and games for every occasion! 

If you’ve ever tried to plan an Easter egg hunt for older kids or teens, you know the usual version doesn’t really work. It’s over in a few minutes, and they’re not all that interested.

This version is a little different — and it ended up being one of the most fun things we’ve done.

It’s simple to set up, but it turns into a game that actually lasts and keeps everyone involved.

How to Set Up an Easter Egg Hunt for Teens

THE GOAL OF THE GAME: Spell the word to win the prize above it. Here’s how we set it up. 

1. Start by picking a word to spell. We used EASTER, but you can use any word you want. I do recommend the word have at least 6-7 letters to make it not too quick to spell.
2. Print multiple copies of the word in large block letters. I made a few extra copies — about four more than the number of prizes — so there were plenty of letters in play. We had 8 prizes for my 3 kids, so I printed 12 copies of the word EASTER on colored paper.
   • Question: Do you print different colors of letters for each kid? No, we just had all the letters printed on orange paper. The only reason for the color is to easily see when a letter of a prize word has already been placed down (see photo below). There is no color difference per kid, everyone is hunting for the same letters and racing to complete the same prize words. 
   • Question: Did you put the same word under every prize? Yes, EASTER was under every prize (see photo below) = as that made every letter they found usable for any prize. You never know which prize the teens will want, this leaves it very open ended. You could do a different word for each prize, but we liked it this way. 
3. Then cut the word into individual letters (E, A, S, T, E, R) and place one letter inside each plastic Easter egg.
4. Question: How many eggs do you hide?
   • One letter per egg, with I would recommend 1 EASTER word printed for every prize you have, plus a few extra.
   • For us, we had 8 prizes for my 3 kids, so I printed 8 copies + 4 extra of the word EASTER on colored paper.
   • That equals 12 copies of EASTER x 6 letters in the word EASTER = 72 eggs. 

I printed the letters on bright, colorful paper so they were easy to see, and printed the full word EASTER for the prizes on white paper so everything was clear at a glance (see photo below).

See the rules below for how to play the game. 

Screenshot

Set Up the Hunt

Hide the eggs really well. This is what makes it fun for teens.

Be clear about the area they’re allowed to search so things don’t get out of control.

Prize Ideas for a Teen Easter Egg Hunt

For prizes, I kept it simple:

• Cash ($5–$20)
• Gift cards to their favorite food places

Before the hunt begins, set up the prize table. For my three teen boys, I set up about eight prizes total. My kids, like many teens, are very motivated by cash and gift cards! 

Under each prize, place a full printed EASTER word on white paper. This is what they’ll be working to spell with the individual letters they find in the hidden Easter eggs.

Easter Egg Hunt Rules for Older Kids

This is where it gets fun:

• All the prizes are laid out on the same prize table and open to everyone. These are not per kid, and they are not hidden – they are just general prizes that anyone can earn. Everyone is competing for the same prizes at the same time. This motivates them to run and makes it a friendly competition ; ). 
• They can only find and bring back one egg at a time
• They can’t open the egg until they bring it back to the prize table
• Once opened, they must use the letter inside the egg immediately (no storing it for later)
• They use the letter to fill in one of the words under a prize
  • Question: If someone opens an egg with a letter they don’t need, do they return the egg to the spot they found it? No. You have to use the letter. So, if you got an R and the R for the prize you wanted (say the $20 big cash prize) was already placed, you still place the R down somewhere. It just may not help you get the prize you wanted if that prize already has the letter you are holding.
  • Exception: At the end of the game, there might only be one or two letters left, like R and S. If everyone keeps finding extra E’s and all the E’s on the prize table are filled, they just toss that letter on the ground and go back for another egg. 
• The letters of EASTER do not have to be spelled in order. They can put down R of EASTER even if no other letters have been put down under that prize. 
• Whoever places the final letter to complete a word wins the prize above it.

I also added one rule so it stayed fair:

• Each person could win a maximum of 3 prizes

That way, one person didn’t take everything.

Why This Easter Egg Hunt Works for Teens

This turned a quick egg hunt into about a 30-minute activity, which is a big win for this age group.

It added:

• A challenge (harder hiding spots)
• Strategy (which prize to work toward)
• Friendly competition
• Real motivation (cash and gift cards definitely helped)

Most importantly, everyone stayed engaged the whole time — and everyone walked away with something.

If you’re looking for an Easter activity that actually works for teens, this one is worth trying.

If you try it, let me know how it goes and if your family loved it!