Youth Activities: Five Ideas for Easter and Earth Day

Five Ideas for Easter and Earth Day

Here comes Peter Cottontail, hopping down the bunny trail…I hope he brings many goodies to you and yours. Peter is also bringing us to the end of our reporting year and the submission of our year end reports. I am very excited to see your final numbers and read about your final projects!!! Please send me your final reports by April 20 as I must have my results at National Headquarters on May 1!

Easter – April 16

Many Auxiliaries will be hosting Easter egg hunts and parties in their communities. A few tips and ideas for your fun-filled Easter event are below:

• If you’re hosting an egg hunt, be sure there are no insect nests or poison ivy/oak in the area the youth will be looking for eggs.
• If youth will be dyeing eggs, be sure to boil the eggs to a proper temperature to ensure they are hard-boiled. You don’t want yolk coming out of an egg!
• An egg toss is a fun game for all ages! Have two people stand on opposite sides and toss an egg (it can be hard-boiled or not – your choice!) back and forth. Have them take one step back after each toss and see who can keep the egg from cracking on the ground. Have a creation station where youth be creative and craft items such as flowers, rabbits, eggs, etc.
• Play a game of Bunny Bingo! Make large bingo cards and use bunny shaped figures or candy as the markers.

Earth Day – April 22

April showers bring May flowers. Don’t forget Earth Day is April 22.

• Invite youth groups to join Auxiliary members in planting trees, shrubs and flowers at your Post, or in local parks or areas in the community. Be sure to contact your local Parks & Recreation Department before planting in parks or on other city property!
• If you have room on your property, consider planting a community garden that youth can help cultivate. Extra produce can be donated to a local food pantry or sold at a farmers market with proceeds benefitting a youth project.
• Clean up your community! Grab a bag and pick up litter along a road in a park. Be sure to dress for the weather and wear reflective vests if picking up litter along a road.
• Start a recycling station at your Post Home. If your Post doesn’t recycle, now is a great time to start! Various national youth programs collect aluminum cans and newspapers to help fund youth activities.
• Make a work of art! I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” Ask youth to bring in “trash” and give them one or two hours to create a piece of art from items brought in.

Please keep sending in Youth Groups Supporting Our Veterans Citation requests to your Youth Activities Chairmen to sign and forward to National Headquarters. The citation requests will continue to be filled as they are received!

I am so proud of all our Auxiliary Brothers and Sisters for the fine work you have been doing with the youth of our country. You are all making a positive impact in the lives of the children and youth! Our nation’s future leaders are gaining valuable experience from you!