Easter is the perfect hopportunity (no regrets) to tweak the smart devices you may have around your home to prepare for egg hunts, hyper kids and spring feasts.Â
In addition to the classic activities, try these settings and changes if you're hosting for Easter this year, especially if you have a smart lock, a smart speaker, or any smart lights you can recruit for the fun day. They can even help you save a bit of time when things get chaotic.
Turn off autolocking doors and human alerts on cams
Yale's smart lock on a white door beside a white Nest video doorbellÂ
Home security technology can be super helpful when automating your home. Two of our favorite features are smart locks that can autolock the door if it is left unlocked by accident and video doorbells or other cams that can recognize humans and give you alerts if someone approaches the door.
But if you're having an outdoor Easter party, you should visit settings and turn these functions off. People, especially excited kids on egg hunts, tend to run inside and outside a lot if the weather is nice. You don't want the door constantly locking behind them or to be bombarded with endless alerts of people being spotted during Easter.
These features are easy to disable temporarily in your device app under the Settings section so everyone can enjoy the day without distractions.
Use home speakers to add spice to indoor egg hunts
A wireless speaker or cam can provide fun Easter hints to keep young ones entertained.
If the weather isn't conducive to being outside, you're probably planning an Easter egg hunt indoors, particularly if you have little kids who may need a more careful eye. However, little ones can sometimes get frustrated if there are eggs they can't find.
One fun way to fix these woes is to hide a small speaker near eggs or in a spot where you can whisper clues from a distance. Wireless security cameras work especially well for this because you can watch kids while giving them a bit of independence, while smart speakers can also be a good choice if there's a nearby outlet.
Set these up with audio app connections, and you can use your phone to whisper guidance, anything from "Hello, I'm over here!" to the classic hot/cold hints, depending on how children are reacting.
Give smart lighting a colorful Easter makeover
Smart holiday lights are now filled with possibilities.
Springtime colors mark almost every Easter party, and today's smart lights are the perfect option for you to celebrate in color, especially if you're having an evening Easter party. Color-changing smart lights allow you to switch to any shade of the rainbow that you want, from vivid hues to gentle pastels.
Color-setting works very well on smart holiday light strings, where you can choose an Easter palette from the internet and have the lights automatically adapt to the colors via app.
Bonus tip: Set lights for an evening Easter egg hunt if necessary
If you're doing one of the trendy glow-in-the-dark or starlight Easter egg hunts for kids who are a bit older, it's a good idea to turn off any motion-detection smart lights around your home, like those in security cameras. A sudden flash of bright LEDs can really ruin the experience. Most outdoor cams have night vision to keep an eye on things anyway.
For more information, stop by my guide to the best smart home devices and best smart plugs, too.Â