I have been to exactly two ‘public’ Easter Egg Hunts in my entire 40 years of life. Once as a small child and once as an adult. Both have left me traumatized and I have vowed to never attend a public egg hunt again! My life and sanity is not worth a half dozen plastic eggs and a couple of tootsie rolls. In the words of my husband, “Nothing says ‘He is Risen’ like almost being trampled to death!”
The Diversion
My first experience at an egg hunt was when I was about three years old. Yes, I remember it. Don’t ask me what I ate for dinner last night, but I can share vivid details of an egg hunt at the age of three. Anyway, this egg hunt took place at a public pool. I remember the pool was empty but the patio around it was where the egg hunt was, and they had prizes! The BIG PRIZE was a new bike! The kid who found the most eggs won a bike! I remember I’d found a few but it was a bit hard. Then someone says, “there are more eggs around the back of the pool!” So, a couple of other kids and I walk all the way around it only to discover there were no eggs there. And when we got back around – the hunt was over. I was so upset that not only did I not win, I barely got any eggs. I cried and asked my mom why someone would say that if it wasn’t true. I was then taught the life lesson that sometimes people lie. I left my first egg hunt sad and a bit jaded.
The Blockade
Fast forward many years to my first public egg hunt as a parent. My almost two-year old baby girl was adorable in her dress and Easter basket. We went to an egg hunt that involved a helicopter drop! How cool is that? They divided up all the people into older kids and younger kids – thank goodness! We stood, for over an hour, with a toddler and an infant before we could even go line the field. That’s torture enough right there! When it was finally time they had the parents and kids line the field. And I mean a HUGE field. However, there were so many people we were lined up 2-3 families deep. Then came the helicopter! SO COOL! It flew over a few times and then dropped what looked like a million Easter eggs. This was going to be awesome!
Then the nightmare began. They blew the whistle and it was time to go. Only we don’t go. The first row of parents literally all bend over and help kids pick up eggs. Take a step and pick up more eggs. There was this HUGE field filled with eggs and we couldn’t get to them. All the first-row parents literally blockaded the entire area. We couldn’t go around them- they were side by side. We couldn’t go over them, trust me I contemplated it, but there were small children after all! I could see hundreds of eggs with absolutely no way to get to them. It blew my mind that no one in the first row thought to run to the middle of the field so those behind them could get some eggs. After several minutes of no eggs, I picked her up and ran over to the roped off area for special needs kids. There were very few kids there and we were towards the back. I plopped my one-year-old over the line and let her find a couple. We literally left with about 8 eggs. Over two hours at an event and about an hour in traffic for less than a dozen small squares of chocolate. It was then that I vowed to never go to a public egg hunt again.
Since then our egg hunts have been in backyards with family. They are much more fun. Yes, I’m spending time and money and effort making it happen. But getting to sit and watch my kids and their cousins giggle and run and collect a basket full of eggs is so worth it!
Here are a few tips for making the most of your egg hunts whether public or private:
- Be aware of those around you. In both of my stories, a bit of awareness would have gone a long way. Especially the one at the field. If at least one parent would have looked around then they would have seen what I saw and could have easily changed the outcome for so many people. This is good advice for family hunts as well. Reminding the older kids to be aware of the younger ones is a valuable lesson. They feel good for helping and the younger ones are excited to find more eggs.
- Be creative. A helicopter drop is super exciting! And the older kiddos that went really enjoyed it! (They didn’t have a bunch of adults in their way.) For our family hunts, I’ve come up with more ideas than just chocolate to fill the eggs with. Coins, stickers, bouncy balls are all enjoyed by the kiddos. One year my sister did one – with empty eggs! We’d done our own at home then had dinner with family. The younger ones still wanted to egg hunt. So, she scattered a few dozen eggs, gave them each a grocery bag and off they went! They had a blast!
- Involve everyone in the family. My husband and I actually enjoy staying up late to stuff eggs. It gives us quiet time to connect. The tweens in our family love to hide eggs for the little ones. The babies love all the colors and textures. The grandparents observing on the sidelines make great photographers. And if you’re going to a public event, well all those people can make awesome body guards!
What are your tips for making your egg hunts more memorable?
