— Jodie Fitzgerald
Our family:
Jodie and Keith Fitzgerald of Scotia, New York, and our kids, Cameron, age 17, Jonathan, 12, and Sydney, 7
Our tradition:
Each Easter, we host a spirited party called the Great Egg Drop for our kids and their friends. We serve a variety of cute Easter-themed snacks, but the main event is our egg drop challenge. To play, the kids construct protective coverings for raw eggs, then they stand on a ladder and drop the padded eggs onto a target below. Their goal is to hit the bull's eye or outer rings without breaking the eggs, racking up as many points as they can in the process.
How we got started:
We love our annual Easter egg hunt and were sad when our oldest, Cameron, outgrew it. To help him celebrate in a different way, we came up with the Great Egg Drop party. Jonathan graduated from our hunt to our drop when he was 10, and Sydney will invite friends to drop eggs for the first time this year.
Preparing the drop zone:
We usually set up in the driveway or garage, depending on the weather. We spread out a disposable splat mat, such as a painter's tarp or a plastic tablecloth, then we use spray paint or colored duct tape to create a target in the middle. The target is about 5 feet in diameter, marked with various points to be won: 100 for the bull's eye, then 75, 50, and 25 for the outer rings. At the edge, we prop a 6-foot ladder.
Cushioning the eggs:
At the start of the party, we empty a bag of items — cotton balls, craft foam, paper towel tubes, precut plastic bottles, pipe cleaners, scrap paper, and so on — onto a table, with scissors, glue, and tape. At "Go," the kids have 30 seconds to grab an egg and supplies, and three minutes to make a cushion using the materials they've chosen. We've seen eggs swaddled in layers of paper, taped into plastic cups, wrapped with pipe cleaners, and covered in cotton balls.
Playing the game:
Since we often play two or three rounds, we start the kids on the bottom rung of the ladder and have them climb a step or two after each egg drop. If an egg lands on the target unbroken, you get the designated number of points. If it cracks, you don't get any. The kids use a new egg each time, but the cushioning supplies dwindle as the game goes on. This makes each round increasingly challenging. How everyone wins: After the drop, we serve deviled eggs, bunny-shaped cakes, and decorated "egg" cookies. Winners take home bragging rights, and everyone leaves with a small prize basket.
Why we love it:
Jonathan: Everyone crowds in to see which eggs survive.Sydney: This year, it's my turn!
