My sweet baby girl was just 2 months old on her first Easter. Of course, we took her to an Egg Hunt. Of course, she was sound asleep in my arms the entire time as I ran around grabbing plastic eggs off the grass. Of course, I handed my sleeping infant over to the Easter Bunny for a quick photo.
It was her first Easter.
But the next year was different. It was MUCH better.
She was a toddler! Walking! Running! Playing! It was so much more fun to take her to outings like an Easter Egg Hunt.
Looking back, though, I wish I’d done some prepwork. As a first time parent, I completely forgot those bright colored eggs would be filled with chocolate and hard candies that my 1 year old couldn’t have. Also, it broke my heart to see the other kids running around her picking up all the eggs, cleaning up all the loot. I know it’s not a contest, but I wanted her to
want to go after the eggs. I wanted her to know the joy of filling her basket to overflowing! Instead she would pick up an egg, examine it, sit down to open it, pick a flower, sniff it, hand it to Daddy to sniff it, pluck a blade of grass…all while the other kids were collecting all the eggs. She was having a great time, but she didn’t quite get the object of the hunt.
I would have done things a little differently. I would have had a strategy.
Toddler Easter Egg Hunt Strategy
- Practice! Hide a few eggs around the house at your child’s eye-level and then go around together looking for them. Use a basket to collect them. Don’t bother putting anything in the practice eggs – this practice is all about the hunt. Do a practice hunt in the front/back yard. Show lots of excitement when the child finds each egg. The child will love this new game and when it comes time for the real Easter egg hunt, she will be a pro! Use plastic eggs and keep track of how many you hide, otherwise the game could go on forever.
- Fill plastic eggs with something better! Going to an egg hunt or Easter party? Be kid-friendly and impress all the parents. Fill plastic eggs with HAPPYBABY Puffs, Cheerios, animal crackers or Goldfish. Tiny boxes of raisins fit perfectly. Or tuck in a coupon for baby food, diapers, wipes, the portrait studio, or babysitting. Stickers are great, too. Think: No candy and no choking hazards.
- Save a bag of filled plastic eggs for backup. Just in case your child still gets shorted, set aside a stash of extra eggs that are just for him. You can even use these as incentive treats and boredom busters. Plastic eggs are a lot of fun for little ones and I encourage you to stock up!
Now you have your strategy for egg hunting with a toddler.
Grab your Easter baskets and have fun!
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