KIDS EASTER EVENTS IN ORANGE COUNTY
If you’re looking for fun kids Easter Events in Orange County for the entire family to join in…. look no further. Below you will find a list provided by our readers of local Orange County Easter activities for kids of all ages. If you know of one that isn’t listed, please let us know, and we will add it. We hope you can attend one or more of these kids Easter events in Orange County and have a wonderful time while you’re there. And don’t forget to tell the organizers you found them on My Local OC. We don’t get compensated for these lists, and we don’t expect to. But a “shout out” would be great. This is just one more way that we @ My Local OC serve those who live, work, and play in Orange County. See You Around the OC and Happy Easter from the team @ My Local OC.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE EASTER EGG HUNT
Eggs have long been viewed as symbols of spring and new life. Early Christians embodied this belief and expanded it to signify the resurrection and the empty tomb (or shell in this case) as a metaphor for Jesus’ tomb.
During mid-evil times, eating eggs was forbidden during Lent, the 40-day period before Easter. On Easter Sunday the withholding of eggs ended with feasting and merriment, and eggs were considered an important part of these celebrations. This was especially true for poorer people who couldn’t afford meat. Eggs were also given to the church as Good Friday offerings, and villagers often gave eggs as gifts to the lord of the manor at Easter. Royals got involved with this tradition too – in 1290 Edward I purchased 450-eggs to be decorated with colors or gold leaf and then distributed to his household.
The custom of the Easter egg hunt seems to originate from Germany; some say as early as the 16th century. It is said that Martin Luther, a Protestant reformer organized the egg hunts for his congregation. The men would hide the eggs for the women and children to find. This was in recognition that it was women who discovered the empty tomb.
QUEEN VICTORIA MAY HAVE POPULARIZED THE EGG HUNT
Victoria, the future Queen of England, was said to have enjoyed Easter egg hunts at Kensington Palace. The events were put on by her mother, the German-born Duchess of Kent. On Sunday April 7, 1833, the 14-year-old Princess Victoria wrote in her diary: “Mama did some pretty painted & ornamented eggs, & we looked for them.”
Victoria and Albert continued this German tradition, hiding eggs for their own children to find on Maundy Thursday. Albert was responsible for hiding the eggs, concealing them in ‘little moss baskets’ and hiding them around the palace. Victoria made numerous references to these egg hunts in her journals, including in 1869 when she wrote: “After breakfast, the children, as usual on this day looked for Easter eggs.”
THE MODERN-DAY EASTER EGG HUNT
The custom of coloring, hiding, and finding eggs during Easter became part of mainstream England in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As the middle class began to expand, and people began to have a bit more money to spend on their families, the tradition expanded from a primarily religious celebration to be enjoyed at church festivities, to one centered more around the home. According to some sources, the tradition of the Easter egg hunt came to America with our German ancestors as they migrated to the United States around the 1700’s.
KIDS EASTER EVENTS IN ORANGE COUNTY
At the time of this posting, these events are planned. Please check before attending.
Aliso Viejo Floating Easter Egg Hunt 4/1/2023 2:00 – 4:00 pm Goldfish Swim School 24381 El Toro Rd. Website
Aliso Viejo SAVCA Spring Celebration 4/1/2023 9:00 – 11:30 6101 City Lights Dr. Website
Anaheim Easter Eggstravaganza 4/6/2023 11:00 – 3:00 pm 201 W. Center St. Promenade Website
Anaheim Easter Eggstravaganza @ Disneyland Now through 04/04/2023 – Disneyland @ dsignated areas around the Park Website
Brea Bunny Photos @ The Brea Mall 4/1/2023 – 4/8/2023 1065 Brea Mall Website
Buena Park Spring Eggstravaganza 04/08/2023 8:00 am Boisserance Park – 7520 Dale St. Website
Cerritos Easter Bunny Photos @ Los Cerritos Center Now through 04/08/2023 239 Los Cerritos Center
Cypress Spring Egg Hunt 04/08/2023 9:30 – 1:30 Oak Knoll Park 570 Orange Ave.
Dana Point Egg Hunt @ Pines Park 04/08/2023 34941 Camino Capistrano Website
Dana Point Egg Hunt @ Sea Canyon Park 04/08/2023 33093 Santiago Dr. Website
Fountain Valley Annual Egg Hunt 04/08/2023 8:30 – 11:30 Fountain Valley Sports Park – 16400 Brookhurst Website
Garden Grove Drive Thru Eggscavation 04/08/2023 2:00 – 5:00 pm Atlantis Play Center – 13630 Atlantis Way Website
Huntington Beach Easter Egg Hunt 04/08/2023 3:00 – 6:00 Old World Village – 7561 Center Ave.
Irvine Community Easter Egg Hunt 4/6/2022 Saddleback Church Irvine North 04/09/2023 9:00 – 10:30 – 18842 Teller Ave. Website
Irvine Easter Eggstravaganza Now through 04/08/2023 Irvine Regional Park Website
Irvine Easter Eggstravaganza 04/08/2023 3 – 5:30 Mariner’s Church – 5001 Newport Coast Dr. Website
Irvine Egg Hunt for Children w/Special Needs 04/01/2023 10:30 – 12:30 Grace City Church – Jeffrey Trail Middle School – 155 Visions Website
La Habra Spring Family Eggstravaganza 04/08/2023 8:00 am – 12:00 pm La Bonita Park – 1444 W. Whittier Blvd. Website
Laguna Hills Easter Egg Hunt 04/09/2023 8:00 am – 12:00pm Gallup Park, 25501 Gallup Cir.Laguna Hills, CA Website
Laguna Hills Eggstravaganza 04/07/2023 9:30 – 11:30 Laguna Hills Community Center – 25555 Alicia Pkwy Website
Laguna Niguel Bunny Bonanza 04/04/2023 10:00 am – 1:00 pm Chapparosa Park, 25191 Chapparosa Park Rd. Laguna Niguel, CA Website
Los Alamitos Spring Carnival 04/08/2023 9:30 – 12:00 Little Cottonwood Park – 4000 Farquhar Ave. Website
Mission Viejo Easter Pet Portraits & Egg Hunt 04/08/2023 10:00 – 3:00 pm Hala’s Paws, 27525 Puerta Real Suite 100 Mission Viejo, CA Website
Newport Beach Minnow Easter Egg Hunt ’23 04/02/2023 10:30 AM – 2:30 PM minnow at lido marina village, 3505 Via Oporto #103 Newport Beach, CA Website
Newport Beach Easter Eggstravaganza @ Once Upon An Island Now through Easter Sunday 2023 118 Agate Ave. Website
Orange Orange Easter Bunny Photos 2023 at The Village at Orange 04/02/2023 1:00 – 1:15 PM Village At Orange, 1500 E Village Way Orange, CA Website
Santa Ana Easter Egg Hunt 04/02/2023 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm Heritage Museum – 3101 W. Harvard Website
Santa Ana The Egg-Cellent Adventure Egg Hunt 04/08/2023 9:00 am – 1:00 pm Centenial Regional Park – 3000 W. Edinger Website
San Clemente Hop and Shop 04/04/2023 10:30 am Outlets @ San Clemente Website
San Clemente Sensational Springtacular 04/08/2023 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm Vista Hermosa Sports Park – 987 Avenida Vista Hermosa Website
Stanton Easter Egg Hunt 04/08/2023 9:00 am – 11:00 am Stanton Central Park Website
Tustin Easter Celebration 04/08/2023 9:00 am – 12:00 pm Tustin Sports Park Website
Yorba Linda Eggcitement Egg Hunt 04/07/2023 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm and 04/08/2023 10:00 am Hurless Barton Park Website
***We do our best to make sure all information is accurate.
However, we are not responsible for errors and/or ommissions.
Researched & Written by: Patricia Braun
