Kiwi kids keen to be part of the PM's eggcellent egg hunt

Ashleigh Purcell, 2, is one of the thousands of Kiwi kids taking up the Prime Minister's call to keep the Easter spirit alive despite the national lockdown.

On Monday Jacinda Ardern urged our youngsters to join the Big New Zealand Easter Hunt; including publishing on Facebook a template of an Easter egg to colour in with their best design.

And Ashleigh is among those to have taken on the challenge, lovingly decorated her home-drawn Easter egg before running around the garden to find somewhere to put it.

The Auckland toddler lives down long a driveway, so when her parents told her to go and hang it up she found a tree to stick it on.

Ashleigh Purcell, 2, enjoyed decorating her easter egg for the PM's Big New Zealand Easter Egg Hunt. Photo / Dean Purcell

And because many households may not have printers or have run out of ink, today's NZ Herald has a copy of the PM's design that kids can decorate and stick on their windows that face the street for others to find.

Ardern told children earlier this week that the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy were essential services, but recognised they might be a bit busy looking after their own bunny family to make it to every house this year, and instead invited children to join her hunt to make Easter extra special.

Ashleigh Purcell is among thousands of children colouring in giant eggs for the Big New Zealand Easter Hunt. Photo / Dean Purcell

She asked kids to draw their own Easter egg or colour in and decorate her one and put it in their windows for other kids to find. They could also email her their pictures at primeminister@parliament.govt.nz or share them on social media using the hashtag #NZEggHunt.

Her suggestion has received praise from parents who thought it was a great idea while Kiwi families are forced to have staycations this Easter.