sure everyone gets to experience the thrill of the hunt, yet still gets their fair share of eggs? For answers, we turned to Shelley Cronin, a mother of three and a former day care provider in Northampton, Massachusetts. For the past five years, on the Saturday before Easter, Shelley and her family have hosted a ragingly successful Easter egg hunt for 75 children. Needless to say, the Cronins have gotten the planning down to a science. Here's how they do it.
Because Shelley knows that every child needs to go home with a heap of treasure, she saturates the neighborhood with some 2,200 colorful plastic eggs. (Hint: She asks families to return the plastic shells when they're empty.) For your first hunt, allot at least five to ten eggs per child. A few weeks in advance, you can begin filling the eggs with small treats (one per egg), such as fuzzy chicks, temporary tattoos, stickers, small toys, friendship bracelets or bulk candy. Shelley orders candy from Oriental Trading Company for pennies apiece; call 800-875-8480 or log on to www.oriental.com.
Invitations
Although the Cronins' egg hunt is a highly
anticipated affair in the neighborhood, they still like to distribute a simple invitation. If you're hosting more than just immediate family, have your kids draw up a flyer or create one on your computer. The Cronins distribute five copies each to about 15 families, who pass them on to friends.
