Easter morning can be a romp-stomping good time, especially for those of us with little ones running around. But it can also be dangerous. We hide the peanut butter cup eggs, the chocolate bunnies, and the pure-white-sugar-bubble-gum eggs all over the house—then we invite our children to partake in the world’s most toxic sugar high before trying to wrangle them into the minivan to get to church on time. It’s also dangerous for us parents who help take care of the leftovers.
But what’s the alternative? Will our children run all over the house in gleeful abandon for carrot sticks? Probably not. Here are a few ways to make the hunt a little bit less about candy. Scared of going cold turkey? Of course you can mix a little candy into the fun
- For little, little kids—hide 5 plastic eggs per kid. Warn them in advance that the eggs are in fact empty. When they find 5 eggs, they get to return to you and get their prize, which is something fun and awesome that won’t cause diabetes.
- For medium-sized kids—make it a math problem. Pick a number. Then make each color egg worth a set amount of points. They have to find enough points to redeem their prize. Or make it a treasure hunt. Hide the prizes and put clues inside the eggs. Each child can have his or her own color. So, Suzie’s clues will be in the purple eggs and they will lead her to her prize.
- For kids who think they are too old for an Easter egg hunt—fill their eggs with coupons. You know what would tickle your angry teen’s fancy. Make a coupon for “free pass from dishes,” “trip to favorite restaurant,” or “new soccer cleats.”
Remind them that the holiday isn’t really supposed to be about tooth decay and stomach aches and have fun! Besides, if you do go to church, there’s a good chance someone will give them candy there! Happy Easter!
Posted by Robin
