I am originally from a small little townland in Wicklow called Talbotstown and I grew up on a sheep farm.
Easter would have been a really busy time, because we were lambing as well, but there were always lots of people around to help out.
We would have always celebrated Easter.
I suppose as a child celebrating, the Easter hunts were just so much excitement.
I would have always done the Easter hunts then in the same place with my niece and nephew and so it has continued
There is a woodland area on our farm and we used to have our Easter hunts down along there.
That’s where the Easter hunt box comes from; my childhood and all the happy memories that I would have had from Easter. Then obviously you grow out of that.
I would have always done the Easter hunts then in the same place with my niece and nephew and so it has continued. They’re too old now, but now I have my own kids.
Continuing a tradition
We are now living in Carlow town and have a farm down in Ballymurphy in Co Carlow. My husband is a farmer. We have mostly sheep, so we lamb and we have some heifers to calve as well.
We’re currently building a house across from the farm, which will make life so much easier.
It was funny actually, last year when I launched the Easter boxes, we did our own hunt on Easter Sunday with our daughter.
She was just over one year old and we were down on my husband’s farm. He said: “This is silly, Ana. She is going to have absolutely no interest.” Well, he was proved so wrong because she absolutely loved it!
Easter hunt boxes
The idea behind the Easter hunt boxes is that the kids have more to do than just eat chocolate; they’re being active. There’s so much crafts to do in the box and hours of entertainment, so you’re reducing screen time. The children also have so much more interaction with whoever is doing the Easter hunt with them creating family memories to remember for a long time.
I sell some boxes that have no sweets or chocolates in them and the parents can add those themselves instead
Absolutely everything is in the box for your Easter hunt – there are clues and instructions, all the parents need to do is take out the clues and hide them where they should be hidden.
Another thing I really wanted to do this year was cater for people with allergies. I sell some boxes that have no sweets or chocolates in them and the parents can add those themselves instead. But the standard boxes all have chocolates in them.
Clues
For the indoor clues there would be: “Your socks would get wet if you didn’t have these on your feet.” Outside then you might have: “You would hang your clothes up here to dry.”
The forest one is more of a scavenger hunt where they’re maybe looking for specific leaves with four corners or five corners or different colours of leaves.
Reactions
This year I did think about things or ways to improve the Easter hunt boxes. I did think of having it more mass produced and glossy and on glossy paper. But then I was like, “No, because that takes away from what it is about.”
Everything is hand cut and printed myself. I make the boxes in a spare room in the house where I go and just disappear into. I call it my “craft room”.
I felt that keeping it the way it was is better; that every bit of love is put into making it magical
One person said when you open the box you can actually feel the love and the time that’s gone into creating every little bit. I felt that keeping it the way it was is better; that every bit of love is put into making it magical. I suppose it’s for the kids and they don’t notice those things, like if it’s on glossy paper. They prefer it the simpler the better, for them to really enjoy it.
I love making up the boxes with different things for them to do
My favourite part about making the Easter hunt boxes is the thought of how magical it is for the kids when they’re going around on their Easter hunt.
I love making up the boxes with different things for them to do. I also know how hard it is as a parent to have time to go and arrange your Easter hunt for your kids, so I like helping out in that way as well.