One of the joys of parenthood is being able to mess around with your kids. In case you haven't noticed I like to joke around and have fun. (If you haven't noticed look at Random Thoughts)
This year I thought I'd share with you a list of some of the things I'm doing to have fun with the kids in our Easter Egg Hunt.
1. Seems pretty obvious, but pick fun hiding spots. Hiding things in the cracks of the couch, or on top of the ceiling fan can really spice things up. Especially when you can remember where the eggs are hidden. Sometimes I look up to places I know there are no eggs, just to see how inventive my kids can get.
2. Random candy amounts. I find an odd humor in watching my kids open a huge Easter egg just to find that it has a single jelly bean in it, then watch them cringe as one of the younger kids grabs a tiny egg that's bursting with candy.
3. Use the yellow jelly beans to their fullest potential. Nobody likes the yellow jelly beans, so use that to your advantage. Hide the yellow beans in easy to find places. Make an egg filled with only yellows. This makes the fun go far beyond just finding the eggs. It's like a whole new adventure to see if they got anything good.
4. Categorize eggs. This is a trick we have used for a while with our kids to help even the playing field. We sometimes mark eggs with the letter of the child's first name, or make them color coded (pink for the boys is fun), or have some rule about the older kids not taking anything below their waist. This makes it fun for the younger kids and slows down the older kids from just taking everything.
5. Save some for later. Pick some places that you know the kids won't look. Like in their sock drawer, or under their bed. Then six months down the line when they finally decide to clean up their room, they get a special treat. For this it's best to not use candy that can melt and make a mess. (I recommend yellow jelly beans)
6. Play tricks on mommy. One thing I've never done, but I encourage all of you to try then let me know how it goes is to hide some eggs in the oven. When mommy preheats it for dinner it'll be an amazing treat!
7. Be a socialist. Yup, redistribution of wealth is the way to go. We've seen some pretty aggressive egg hunts that end in blood and carnage. We've found that if you take time at the beginning, or end of the hunt and encourage the older kids to share, it goes a long way. You can even save back some of the really special treats and give them during the hunt for the kids who are being kind. When we do this, our kids aren't nearly so blood thirsty, and they have actually helped the younger ones. Unfortunately they usually share the yellow jelly beans, but who ever said socialism was a perfect system.
8. If the weather is nice go outside. I know it's more work, and if the kids miss an egg, the jelly bean will be ruined forever, but they have so much fun! Throw an egg down a woodchuck hole, or under the hood of your car. It can be all sorts of fun!
Have a wonderful Easter, and enjoy the hunt!