This weekend is Easter and while we will spend Sunday celebrating the Christian holiday, I don’t believe there is anything wrong with adding in a little fantasy and fun for my kids. We do the whole she-bang: dyed eggs, baskets from the Easter Bunny, and egg hunts. We’ve been really blessed the past few years to live in neighborhoods where one of my friends heads up an egg hunt for anyone who wants to participate. I haven’t had to do a whole lot except show up with my kids, but I have learned a thing or two. If you want to start your own neighborhood traditions, here are some great pointers:
1. Do it first thing in the morning. I honestly wouldn’t start any later than 9 am because it gets really hot here in Arizona at Easter time (the forecast says it’s going to be 93 on Sunday! Ouch!). One of the best parts of Easter is the chocolate, and you don’t want to end up with all melted chocolate inside those plastic eggs.
Kids on our street, lined up and ready to hunt!
2. Have your hunt on Friday or Saturday. Too many families want to spend Easter morning at church. Friday works out well because around here the kids get that day off school (“Spring Holiday”), but most dads have to work. If you want Dad involved, do it Saturday. One friend always has her egg hunt on Friday at the neighborhood park. My husband and another dad got to go help set up because they are both teachers so had that day off (and were used to getting up at the crack of dawn anyway). It was really handy.
3. Have anyone who wants to be involved provide enough eggs for their own kids. You can set a numbered amount (my current neighborhood is saying 12 per child), or just say “as many as you think your child will pick up”. That’s up to you. Know that all your eggs are going to get mixed up with the other donated ones, but you have to make sure there are enough donations for all the kids. There’s not much worse than a 5 year old who only has 3 eggs in their basket when everyone else has full baskets.
Parker is showing off his found eggs and his missing teeth!
4. Fill the eggs with fun stuff, not just candy. One friend puts spare change in some of the eggs and always has a $10 bill in one special egg. That one is hidden way up high and is hard to get to. The older kids always go for that one and leave the obvious eggs for the younger kids. I was also at an egg hunt once where all the eggs geared for toddlers were filled with cereal, like Fruit Loops. The toddlers loved it, and I loved that I didn’t have to worry about my 2 year old choking on a jelly bean.
Dallin is shaking the egg to hear it has money in it. He had to climb up high for this one!
5. Plan a small activity for afterward. Breakfast for the parents would be great (we all know the kids are only interested in eating their candy). Make it a pot luck: fresh fruit, muffins, OJ… it’s just fun to be able to mingle afterwards.
6. Relax and have fun! Let the kids hunt. Get to know the neighbors. It’s a win-win situation.
Do you have any other suggestions? Let me know in comments!
Hot But Happy 