Easter Family Fun

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Here comes Peter Cottontail
Hoppin' down the bunny trail
Hippity, Hoppity, Easter's on its way!

Welcome Easter! Welcome Spring!

For kids, Easter may be all about the treats and looking for hidden eggs, but for parents, it's the perfect time to celebrate friends and family, new life, and a chance to make your own traditions and rituals.

More Than Just Chocolate

• Tell your kids the story of Peter Cottontail and the Easter Bunny. Leave out carrots and water for the Easter Bunny the night before—just like cookies and milk for Santa Claus at Christmas.
• Go to the bookstore or library and you'll find many colorful books to get them excited about Easter and spring. Do you remember seeing all those cute little pictures of chicks and bunnies?
• Explain to your children that spring is when a lot of baby animals are born. Look for a petting farm near your home so your child can hold a baby chick in their hands. My family will be going to one of Canada's largest agricultural fairs held every year at this time, there will belots of baby animals there!

Egg-citing Easter!

The eggs, of course, are an important symbol of any spring celebration. There are so many ways to decorate eggs-ranging from very easy to quite elaborate. Make it a party and invite friends over, with each family bringing supplies. Here are some great egg decorating ideas for every age range.

Make it Simple

If your kids are very little or you have more than one to supervise at once, keeping it simple will help you ward off images of Marilyn Mason's offspring and their basket of black Easter eggs! For the kids in my family (ages one and a craftier four) this is the year! Peter Cottontail himself will be in awe of the works of art amongst the plastic shavings of Easter grass -- actually I'd be happy with any color of egg other than black! Here's a few tips to revel in the fun but keep messy disasters at bay:

• Use washable markers and stickers.
• Use only one color at a time. I picked up this tip at my daughter's daycare and my reaction was, eureka! This has changed my life.
• Save yourself a trip to the store and rummage through household supplies for stuff you can use. Non-toxic water colors, temperas, or food coloring are all viable options. Here's a recipe for using food coloring: add one teaspoon of vinegar to a ½ cup of boiling water and add about 20 drops of food coloring. The longer the egg is left in the color, the deeper the shade.
• For tiny tots, forget the jars and dipping, use a sponge and cotton swabs instead!
• Instead of real eggs, you can also use styrofoam egg shapes and decorate with ribbon, glitter glue, and push pins. These can be saved and used as Christmas decorations later.
• Cut cardboard tubes from paper towels or toilet paper into thick slices and use as egg display holders. These can be decorated as well.