The lure of hunting for Easter eggs is a strong one, appealing to the religious beliefs of some, the spring-is-finally-here mentality of others and the child inside all of us.

A children's egg hunt at the Robinson Nature Center, which opened in Columbia in 2010, attracted more than 200 parents and kids last week.

But the fun doesn't have to stop at the youngest generation. Egg hunts are increasingly popular for older “kids” too, from teens to adults to the senior set.

A flashlight egg hunt for parents with teenage children is scheduled at the center for April 22, and still has openings for registration.

An adults-only flashlight egg-hunt at the Cedar Lane facility — scheduled for May 13 — sold out on the third day of registration earlier this month. Most of the 60 people who signed up are in their 30s and 40s, said Meagan Downey, program manager at Robinson, but one registrant is 60 and another is 70.

Dozens of websites across the country are touting their adult egg hunts as a chance to “revisit your youth” and “hunt for eggs under the stars.”

Similar events were also scheduled by organizers in Annapolis and Baltimore.

“If you get on the Internet, adult flashlight egg hunts have become something of a phenomenon,” Downey said.

“People of all ages like the thrill of hunting for eggs outdoors, and to be able to go exploring at night, and without your kids, is not something that is available everywhere,” she said. “It brings back childhood memories.”

Liz Mulligan, who brought her two young daughters to the event for children at the nature center March 20, said she had heard friends discussing the trend for adults.

“Hunting eggs with a flashlight is all the rage, I hear,” said Mulligan, who lives in Highland with her husband, Martin, and their kids, Maeve, 3, and Madeleine, 1.

“The counselors there told me it's the craziest event,” she said.

Jessee Standbridge, a nature center facility leader, is one of the lucky ones who signed up early for the May adults-only event. She and her boyfriend, Chris Stevens, are both 28 and live in Columbia.

“It sounded like something really fun and really different,” she said.

“Yes, we're adults, but we still have a lot of childlike tendencies.”

Standbridge likened the event to a scavenger hunt, but with a twist.

“We'll be out on the trails past dark, and you usually can't do that,” she said of the visiting the property, which is located on 18.4 acres adjacent to the Middle Patuxent Environmental Area.

“Everyone will get to hear the nighttime sounds of the forest — like owls and spring peepers — and see many of the animals come out, like foxes and bats down by the Little Patuxent River,” she said.

Employees hide about 1,000 eggs for the adult hunt, so participants will tread nearly every square inch of the grounds in their quest for the elusive plastic cases, which contain raffle tickets that can be used to bid on 60 to 80 prizes donated by area businesses, Downey said.

Those prizes include gift certificates for restaurants, museums and other attractions; gift bags; admission passes; and even some hand-knitted scarves.

“We talk every year about holding more than one flashlight session for adults,” she said, “but we have to balance that with considering the damage these events can cause to our grounds and trails.”

Operated by the county's recreation and parks department, the Robinson Nature Center attracts about 50,000 visitors annually and strives to ensure that the land is well-preserved for all users, she said.

Standbridge said that the staff's prowess at hiding the eggs is a big draw.

“Our staff is notoriously good at hiding them, and that makes it more challenging,” she said,

Some are placed in nooks and crannies of the building and the rest outdoors in equally hard-to-find places.

She offered humorous proof of that claim.

“They do such a good job, in fact, that visitors to the center are always turning in leftover eggs they've found.”