Hey, Bunny Friends! I thought I’d use this love letter to offer you some Granny Bunny ideas which, depending on your tolerance for craziness, might find their way into your Easter celebration for the kids you love. It was a trip down Memory Lane for me to write this. I’m sending a host of activities we did when I used to host our family’s annual Easter Party, ranging from Baby Chick Juggling to the Chubby Bunny contest. I also touch on Easter food with my two favorite cakes (super easy and super yummy). I also give you the framework for a Bunny Breakfast. I share my top secret list of the Ten Best Easter Movies for kids and how to build parties around them. I give you the details on our dangerous Full Contact Easter Egg Hunt, visits from the Easter Bunny, and I share Bunny Tails, the simplest dessert ever (of course, there is also a Bunny Tail poem). And if you can’t celebrate Easter in person, I share the Virtual Easter Egg Hunt we invented that even circumvents the Covid plague. And, finally, before I say good-bye, I offer you a Bonus IQ Test and get a little preachy. I hope you feel the Easter magic coming your way. — Mary

OUR FABULOUS COLORING CONTEST

One of the delightful things about living with an artist is the never-ending creative entertainment. For each holiday party, Paw creates the start of a drawing inspired by a story line invented by Granny. For example, one that sticks out in my mind was his drawing of a tomb with a giant stone rolled back from the entrance. The story line was “Before Mary Magdelene and her friends got to the tomb, Jesus had already left and this is what they found.”

Then as our guests arrive, each are given a clipboard with the partial drawing, and a set of washable markers with their name printed on them to head off arguments over who’s hogging the pink. Everyone draws their most creative response to the story line. Then, all completed drawings are taped in a row on the big curtain rod over the bay window in our living room. They are on display until after dinner.

By judging the contest after dinner, we give time for people’s tummies to settle before embarking on the Egg Hunt (more on that later). Each person is called up from youngest to oldest to stand in front of the audience and give a little artist’s talk about their work. We always start with the youngest, that’s Lilly. She always talks the longest and is enthusiastic beyond words so she inspires everyone to give their best performance.

The judging is always done by Granny, and, although Paw always does an entry, she deems him ineligible. Everyone gets a prize and they vary from year to year and by the award itself. It might be a box of crayons, a chocolate bunny, a box of Peeps, or money, etc. There are winners of “Most Creative” and “Most Cosmological” and “Most Jelly Bean” and “Most Glitter” — whatever Granny makes up on the labels before the party. The Grand Prize is always spectacular and coveted by all. The favorite prize used to be one of those gigantic art kits with all the different art supplies, but for the past few years, everyone is pretty well saturated in art supplies, so it’s always a surprise.

Lesson: You can have kids practice public speaking with any activity.

BABY CHICK JUGGLING CONTEST

Eons ago, I found little stuffed animal Easter chicks for a buck a piece, so I bought a brood of them to use as basket stuffers. As I was unpacking my shopping bags, my husband grabbed the chicks and started juggling them. A party game was born! There’s a few things I really love about this game. First, my husband is an awesome juggler and every year it’s fun to watch the progeny take their turns trying to beat him. Second, it’s a great way to get people outside after the coloring contest. It’s especially a great warm-up game to get people laughing and in the mood for fun. There’s lots of cheering for the perennial champion and his challengers. And, finally, we all love being able to tell people we have a Baby Chick Juggling contest and watch the horrified reactions until we explain. I also try to make some sort of medals on a string for the winner and runners-up if my schedule allows.

Lesson: Party guests like to horrify other people by sharing off-beat activities.

I’M A CHUBBY BUNNY CONTEST

I learned this game from a group of friends/co-workers. It was used as a staff meeting icebreaker. Our family has upheld the original perilous instructions. Bunnies gather in a circle. One by one, they tuck one Peep or marshmallow in their cheek and say the phrase “I’m a Chubby Bunny.” This continues round after round as players are disqualified for failure to stuff another marshmallow in their kisser, or until their utterance is unintelligible. When you’re down to two players, they take their turn simultaneously until a tie or the winner is declared. The most entertaining (or disgusting part depending on your sensibilities) is when each player has to spit their huge wad of goop into the giant community bowl. Peeps make the prettiest glob. Pastel. The whole spectacle is hilarious to play and watch.

Lesson: Even though there’s no known deaths on record since 1959, when I assume this cartoon of Snoopy inspired the game, I personally think it’s important to have someone present who knows how to do an emergency tracheotomy or the ambulance part could put a damper on your party).

EASTER BONNET DECORATING

Although years have gone by since this photo, no one has since managed to top the elegant simplicity of my youngest grandson’s minimalist Easter Bonnet. Our decorating contest is one of my most favorite of our games. I have four giant gift bags with an Easter-ish motif. I fill them with millinary supplies. There is a big floppy hat, pastel ribbons and rick-rack, pipe cleaners, white electrician’s tape, colored eggs, easter trinkets, staplers, feathers, beads, easter grass, and whatever else I can find, all included in each bag.

Party guests are divided into four teams. Each team picks a hat model. It is important to pick someone who will be very theatrical on the runway walk and Easter Parade which follow this game segment. Armed with all these provisions, the team fashions a fabulous hat on their model’s head until the timer sounds.

Each year, the creations are more exotic, the models are more adult male and swishy, and the laughter is more raucous. But the best part is yet to come!

THE EASTER PARADE

Now, for the crazy part where the chosen models are required to walk the runway with flourish and style to model their Easter Bonnet creations, often wearing additional accessories their team fashioned, like boas, capes, or assorted jewelry. The models are often the person their team would most like to humiliate - which is Dad, or a new boyfriend for hazing purposes.

We play the song “In Your Easter Bonnet” from the classic film “Easter Parade” starring Judy Garland and Fred Astaire. Some of the more enthusiastic among us sing along (okay, okay, sometimes it’s just me).

By applause, cheering, and wolf whistles, the winner is crowned and given his or her trophy or prize. Then the kids abscond with the hats and make merry. I think you can see why it’s one of my favorites.

Lesson: Even the straightest of men will happily dress in drag in the right context. If they tell you different, don’t believe it.

SUNSHINE CAKE

If you’re looking for a delicious and easy cake to round out your dessert table, this is one of our favorites! We call it the Sunshine Cake. It’s near impossible not to love it. Bake this and with one little piece I guarantee you will be filled with sunshine!

INGREDIENTS
1 package (9 ounces) yellow cake mix
1-1/2 cups cold fat-free milk
1 package (1 ounce) sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix
1 package (8 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese
1 can (20 ounces) unsweetened crushed pineapple, well drained
1 carton (8 ounces) frozen reduced-fat whipped topping, thawed
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted

DIRECTIONS
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Grease 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, 15-20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
2) In a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand until soft-set (about 2 minutes).
3) In a small bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pudding mixture until blended. Spread evenly over cooled cake.
4) Sprinkle with pineapple; spread with whipped topping. Refrigerate until serving. Sprinkle with pecans (optional).

I have a flat plastic bunny head that came from a store-bought cake years ago that I set into the Cool Whip. Adorable.

Lesson: You can put a bunny face on anything and people love it.

Recipe and photo from Taste of Home

WAFFLE EASTER BUNNY

THE BUNNY BREAKFAST

Another fun food event is The Bunny Breakfast. I am partial to breakfast parties. They are inherently unusual in their timing, guests are fresh and hungry, and it feels like a naughty little breach of decorum and protocol. The simple decorated toaster waffle with a toppings bar carries an air of pastel cuteness. If you cut a second toaster waffle in half, it makes great ears just begging for a spray of whip cream. Add in a game, a craft, an Easter kid’s playlist, and a swag bag, and it’s The Bunny Breakfast!

Lesson: Planning a party for kids is a game in itself. Enjoy it!

MAW-MAW’S STRAWBERRY CAKE

Now this cake is a tiny bit more fuss than the Sunshine Cake, but well worth the effort. I am partial to strawberries anyway, but this is the Queen of Bakers’ Confections in my book.

Lesson: At some level, strawberries are the answer to everything.

The recipe and photo are from Taste of Home. You can find it HERE.

EASTER MOVIE PARTIES

One of the things I find that amps up the excitement ahead of Easter are the delightful holiday movies. If you can combine the movie with a related craft, Easter-themed treat, and a cuddly sleepover, it becomes a gratifying and memorable event. Here’s my two oldest grandchildren at a long ago party for Movie #10 below. They’re all tuckered out after playing the Chicken Run game we created for some post-movie fun. I’ve listed ten Easter movies for kids you might like to build a party around.

1) HOP (2011) - This live-action/animated movie tells the story of E.B., the teenage son of the Easter Bunny, who runs away to Hollywood to pursue his dream of becoming a drummer. It's a funny movie full of Easter magic and humor that kids will love.

2) PETER RABBIT (2018) - A live-action and animated movie based on Beatrix Potter’s classic tale of Peter and his family as they try to take over Mr. McGregor's vegetable garden. It's perfect for Easter.

3) RISE OF THE GUARDIANS (2012) - An animated fantasy-adventure movie that follows a group of legendary holiday figures, including the Easter Bunny, as they try to save the world from an evil spirit. It's a thrilling and action-packed movie that's perfect for older kids.

4) WINNIE THE POOH: SPRINGTIME WITH ROO (2004) - A heartwarming animated movie about Roo and his friends celebrating Easter in the Hundred Acre Wood.

5) THE DOG WHO SAVED EASTER (2014) - A family comedy about a dog who helps save Easter after the Easter Bunny gets injured.

6) ICE AGE: THE GREAT EGG-SCAPADE (2016) - This animated movie features the beloved characters from the Ice Age franchise as they try to save the Easter Egg Hunt from a mischievous bird and discover a mysterious new world. It's a fun adventure with plenty of laughs and Easter cheer.

7) THE FIRST EASTER RABBIT (1976) - An animated TV special about a stuffed rabbit who becomes the first Easter Bunny.

8) THE EASTER EGG ADVENTURE (2004) - This animated movie follows the adventures of a group of farm animals as they hunt for a golden Easter egg. It's a fun and colorful movie that kids will love.

9) IT’S THE EASTER BEAGLE, CHARLIE BROWN! (1974) - This classic Peanuts movie follows the gang as they prepare for Easter and wait for the Easter Beagle to bring them treats. It's a nostalgic movie that parents will enjoy sharing with their children, and a heartwarming story with a great message about the importance of friendship.

10) CHICKEN RUN (2000) - This stop-motion animated comedy is about a group of chickens who try to escape from their farm before they're turned into chicken pies for Easter dinner. It's a fun adventure that's perfect for the whole family.

Lesson: If you have Netflix, you don’t need a party planner.

EASTER BASKET SCAMPER

For this classic event, I make up the obligatory baskets for the kids filled with jelly beans, assorted candies, little toys, and colored eggs. Duh! When it’s time for The Scamper, their mom’s find great hiding spots in the yard. Kids all don their bunny ears, line up for the countdown, and run around scouring the yard until they find their treasure. There is nothing creative or quirky about this whatsoever. When you have a cultural anchor, you don’t mess with tradition. Some things are best preserved from generation to generation. It’s still a big hit every year.

Lesson: Trust things at face-value when they’ve been widely crowd-sourced over decades, unless there is an obvious disruptor.

BUNNY HOP DANCE CONTEST

The most important thing to remember about the Bunny Hop is to do this early enough that people are still sober and able to dance without falling on your coffee table and crushing one of the kids’ easter baskets. The second most important thing to remember about the Bunny Hop is to carefully avoid the likelihood of your guests vomiting. You do this by scheduling the hopping for when people’s food has had time to digest. I speak from experience.

So much of family time is adults watching kids play. Whenever I can get the adults to join in, I feel like it’s a victory. It’s always so much fun for the kids when parents play too.

We pass out Bunny Ear headbands to everyone so they release their inner bunny. We dance. When we’re done, we keep people on the dance floor for the Bunny Extermination Dance. Everyone breaks out their A Game. Keith is the judge, tapping one after the other on the shoulder to indicate they have been eliminated. Invariably, the kids all make it to the finals, but there’s always a spectacular dancing adult or two that manage to hang on. When we’re down to the Best Bunny Dancer, they get a fabulous prize and are envied by all.

Lesson: Not too soon for the food, Not too late for the liquor.

THE VIRTUAL EGG HUNT

Sometimes holiday parties happen much earlier, much later, or not at all. It depends on health, availability, conflicting commitments, or the quality of the weather. There was a time some years back when our family’s Easter celebration was cancelled/postponed to everyone’s disappointment. This virtual egg hunt idea works great for a remote Easter celebration with older kids when you can’t be together for a party. Feel free to adapt the idea for your family and friends.

As you just read a few sections up, I would normally sponsor a full-contact Easter Egg Hunt where countless plastic eggs are hidden throughout the yard. My three older grandchildren were the most disappointed at the missed opportunity for fortune and fun, so I created an online game for them called “The Order of the Purple Egg.”

It was played in a Facebook group of the same name which I created for this exclusive purpose. It lasted a week leading up to Easter. Each day I released a new riddle with progressive clues which were posted throughout the day until someone guessed the right answer and won that riddle’s prize. It was really fun and, more importantly, we actually felt like we were together.

Lesson: Yes, the metaverse is awesosme. Beware!

PURPLE EGG ORIGINS

You may be wondering about all this purple egg stuff. There once was a little boy named Bob May (my husband’s dad). Each Easter his family would dye eggs. Mother would hide them for her three sons (Bob and his two brothers Harold and Don).

Having hard-boiled eggs was treat enough, but these were colored pink, yellow, green, blue, and red. Best of all, there was always one special egg which was worth money: the solitary Purple Egg! We don’t know how much that egg was worth exactly. We guess maybe a nickel or a dime?

Years later, Bob grew up and had three sons of his own, Al, Keith, and Greg. He carried on the tradition and his wife Ada always made sure there was one purple egg which was worth a quarter to the lucky boy who found it.

Years after that, one of Bob’s sons, Keith, had two daughters, Maggie and Mollie. As soon as they were old enough to hunt for eggs, Keith told his wife Mary she needed to dye one egg purple and it was to be worth $1.00.

As time passed, the eggs became plastic, and the prize money became larger - as did the family. Maggie and Mollie soon had children of their own, and each year an egg hunt on Easter would always feature The Purple Egg as the most coveted of all.

We hope Bob’s great grandchildren will honor the tradition in their own families someday so yet a fifth generation of children can know the wonder and excitement shared by Great Grandpa Bob when he was a little boy over one hundred years ago.

Lesson: You never know which of the seeds you plant will bloom. One hundred years? A purple egg? Go figure.

FULL-CONTACT EASTER EGG HUNT

Our family’s insane Easter Egg Hunt has been the undisputed centerpiece of our Easter celebration games for decades. This is the one thing everyone in the family most anticipates due to its quirky savagery, exorbitant prize money, and seeing Aunt Maggie and Aunt Mollie wrestle on the ground over a plastic egg (happens every year). If you dare, you can read the rules above. The solitary purple egg is the Holy Grail of the game, as you may have read previously. This year we are increasing the prize money due to inflation. We have so many people in the family now and lots of wage earners who chip in, so it scales.

Lesson: Gentlemen, wear a cup.

A VISIT FROM THE EASTER BUNNY

One year after Halloween, fortune smiled on me. I was able to snag a giant bunny full-head mask on clearance at Walmart. The following year, I procured a pink fleece onesie to complete the ensemble. Coincidentally, that year was the first time the Easter Bunny was able to make it to our party. Each year, we look for a volunteer among the older grandchildren to play the role to the delight of their younger siblings and cousins who always figure it out. If there are no takers, the least sober adult can usually be recruited. The little kids lure the bunny to our home by placing carrots in our Fairy Garden. I try to buy the ones with the leafy greens still attached. When the Bunny arrives to collect, he passes out presents, gives bunny hugs, and then moves on to the next family with carrots. I am hoping at least one of my grandchildren might parlay this acting experience into a career as a sports mascot. Here I am preparing to play the Easter Bunny.

BUNNY TAIL COOKIES

There is no excuse to forego these lovely little Bunny Tail cookies. Only two ingredients, my friends! The best part of these Bunny Tails is that even the youngest child can make them with minimal supervision.

INGREDIENTS
1 c. white baking chips, melted
1 c. coconut

DIRECTIONS
Drop melted chocolate by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper or parchment. Sprinkle each generously with sweetened flaked coconut, and let stand until dry.

Lesson: The only thing cuter than bunnies is their tails.

Photo and recipe from Taste of Home.

COOKIE POEM

If you are a seasoned reader of this Love Letter, you know by now I believe cookies taste better with a poem. I wrote this one to pair with my 2023 Easter cookie.

BUNNY TAIL COOKIES
Oh, fluffy little bunny
with tail so white and funny
your tiny nose you wiggle so
as you hop across the snow

your ears flop down and then perk up
as you search for buttercup
your winter scamper almost done
now hop along, my little one

to your Granny's open arms
where you’re safe from every harm
granny's love is bunny true
she'll always be here just for you

By Granny

PASSING THE EASTER BATON

A few years ago, our family outgrew our dining tables and seating space. The time had finally come to nestle our holiday with the next generation. My daughter Maggie and her daughter Ada, shown here from last year in their Easter aprons, are hosting again. I simply bring a couple of dishes to pass and lead the games & activities. It is a joy to know some of our family’s cherished traditions will continue on, but even the traditions aren’t really all that important. Those smiles and love are the best legacy any granny can give her family.

So that’s a little peek at our Easter celebration and I would love to hear about yours. In the meantime, I will leave you with a few last thoughts to consider about pausing during the holiday bustle and stress.

Whether we are a practicing Christian or not, maybe we could pause during the secular joys of the Easter season to ponder that humble Nazarene who lived over 2,000 years ago, pause to consider his legacy of love and hope — and then maybe consider our own legacy.

Or maybe we could take a few moments to let all the blessings in our life sink deep and fill our awareness.

I also think it’s worth expressing the profound gratitude we feel for life and love, and most of all, for each other.

Please know Keith and I are grateful for you, and for blessing us with your love and friendship. I hope you make a beautiful Easter. — Mary

• • • GRANNY BUNNY ARCHIVE • • •
If you’re looking for other ideas in the back issues of these
Granny Bunny love letters, grab a cup of your favorite beverage,
sit back, and relax - then click HERE to find them all.

• • • BONUS IQ TEST • • •
Which apostle at the Last Supper doesn’t belong?