Easter weekend planner

Using this page

Planning the long weekend

Fill in a row for each day, with meals, activities and who is visiting. Good Friday and Easter Monday are public holidays in Australia, and many shops close on Good Friday and Easter Sunday in some states, so shop early. Check the opening hours of the places you plan to visit.

Making it easy

List the ingredients for the main meals and who is bringing a dish. Plan the egg hunt for a time when children are not too tired, and keep a quiet activity ready. Check travel times if you are on the road, as the roads are busy at the start and the end of the weekend.

A simple checklist

Before the weekend, check the food and drink you need, the gifts and eggs, the clothes for any event and the travel plans. Decide who is cooking, who is hosting and who is travelling. Write each day's key times in the table, such as the meal time or the church service. For children, plan one quiet activity such as colouring or a movie, and keep the week after Easter free of big commitments so that everyone can rest.

Using the planner

Print the page in landscape and keep it on the fridge. Write the meal plans first, then add the visits and outings around them. Tick off tasks as they are done, and use the notes column for shopping, recipes and things to remember. If you are hosting, add the time guests arrive and what each person is bringing. After Easter, keep the sheet in a folder, so that next year's planning starts from this year's notes, including what worked well and what you would change.