Hosting the Egg Hunt

My neighborhood is a mix of old and new - people that is. There are still original homeowners, and then there are those like us with young kids that have moved in. 

It's a really nice mix.

But, for all its friendly waving as you walk or drive by qualities, we don't often get to chat with any but the few we have gotten to know well. And, I think there is just as much need for friendships here as anywhere - there are needs ranging from baking ingredients in a pinch
to a kind word on a rough day.

Yet, it could be better. I could talk to more than the four neighbors that I know well.
I should know all the nearby kiddos names so that I can holler hello
as they bike by and wave. 

So, I decided to host an Easter Egg Hunt.

For the first time ever.

I calculated the possibility of 20 children ranging from 18 months to 13 years old.

Thankfully one of my neighbors pitched in too - it's good to have someone to bounce ideas back and forth with. Besides, she knows more neighbors than I do ... well, she lives on the corner and does use her vantage point to get to know more neighbors, and that is great!

The goals, how we did it, and what we learned:

Get the word out and neighbors to come - with a week's notice.

Walked the neighborhood and personally invited each family with small kiddos.

Printed fliers on pretty yellow card stock with pertinent info.
Choose a rain date for the next day - we needed it and had to walk the neighborhood to contact all the neighbors a second time!
Should also have put out a sheet on a clipboard during the hunt for names, telephone, email and Facebook contact info.

Have enough eggs for 20 children to hunt and end up with at least a dozen each.

Dug into our accumulated stashes, purchased at Dollar Store and accepted neighbor contributions. Some eggs were marked by the owner with a purple sharpie dot on the inside.
Not a bad idea!

Allow for about an hour for the whole thing from start to finish.

This just worked out perfect: it all was about 45 minutes including visiting afterwards. Having a play gym in the yard was invaluable for hiding eggs around and occupying kids.

Even up the hunting field for the littler searchers.

After considering a simultaneous scavenger hunt for the older ones, we opted to let them all hunt at the same time with the rule of no picking up
eggs below knee level for the older ones - 5 or so and up.
Next time, no co-host's kids helping to hide eggs.
They had the corner on the market during the hunt. :-)

Make sure each kiddo goes home with his or her items, not another kiddo's.

Provided brown bags with a Sharpie marker for writing names; even if just putting goodies back inside their own basket afterwards. The brown bags eliminated temptation. This was a good idea!

Reduce candy consumption.

Three words: Oriental Trading Company. And other inexpensive stores.

Stickers, bouncy balls, jumping frogs, silly bands, bubbles, mints, wacky lizards. Fun stuff. Scrounged our stashes for fun stuff and found all sort of little things. Thankfully we didn't spend much at all on this stuff.
What little candy was purchased for the event sure added up - that stuff is expensive!

Safety during the hunt and after.

Had a quick talk before hand: small items in eggs (bouncy balls that look like gumballs), gave boundaries in yard, no eggs in pool area (gate was locked, but best said anyway). Provided large blanket for kiddos to sit on and open eggs with parents after hunt.

Feed them!

Two words: finger foods. Rice krispie treats, deviled eggs, carrots and celery sticks with dip, some assorted candy (mainly for the adults), marshmallows in bunny shapes, jello with juice in little cups and jello jelly beans, pretzels, organic sandwich cookies, juice, water.
The kiddos often thought the jello cups were actually filled with drink.
It was like April Fool's all over again! 

Something fun for the adults and kiddo alike.

Guess the jelly beans inside a large egg, and win it!
But watch out - this jumbo filled egg got swiped as part of the egg hunt
and had to be hunted down from a kiddo!
Another activity was needed for the kiddos - an egg and basket toss,
pin the tail on the bunny... something.

Hippity-Hoppity!! It was a success!


Happy Easter!
He is risen!



For a peek into the planning of an egg hunt a following year,
hop on over to Planning The Egg Hunt.