Each child in my class was given a number and a color. The eggs were stuffed with candy, taped closed, and the math problems were attached to the eggs with labels and more tape. I had older students scatter the eggs on the field. The students have to hunt for their color eggs, then complete a math problem to see if the egg is theirs to keep. This way I was able to differentiate the math problems to suit the needs of each student in the class. For example I had 4 students assigned to the number 24, but each of the students was searching for a different color. There were addition problems, subtraction problems, base ten drawings, coins, word form, and more. I found that when students went looking for eggs with a partner looking for the same color, they were more successful and seemed to have even more fun!
We bought cute little Easter baskets with grass and an activity book from Oriental Trading Company. I used the activity book for early finisher activities, and the paper served as space to work out the problems during the hunt. I also wrote the students' numbers and color on the book so they would remember as they hunted for their eggs. I also matched their basket color with the color eggs they would be searching for during the hunt. These cute little baskets were perfect for fitting the 8 eggs each student found.
My class had a blast and we only had to abandon one purple egg, which was never found. Luckily I had an extra egg of each color as back-up in the classroom. We did have a few overeager students take eggs that belonged to others, but each color group would sit together and double check the problems to determine which eggs needed to be switched. It was not only great math practice, but problem solving as well!
Here are some links to the products I used for our hunt. Comment with any questions you may have!
