I’ve always been a party pooper when it comes to Easter baskets. Why give toddlers a year’s supply of candy when Halloween is only six months away? My husband’s family is on the complete opposite end of the spectrum. His mom sent him Easter baskets full of candy in college, for Pete’s sake. She also still bought his clothes, but that’s a whole separate post.
We managed to postpone the Great Easter Basket Debate until last year, more than five years into parenthood. The Easter of reckoning came at his sister’s house. The eldest sister in a family of eight kids. The mini-matriarch. I’m the eldest too, but of three. I didn’t stand much of a chance.
My ace in the hole was the fact that we were driving home on Easter day and I couldn’t deal with having two sugared-up kids in the backseat. So Cindy came up with a compromise: Leave the basket-packing to her, and she promised the goodies would be an unparalleled success.
I did, and they were.
The boys barely noticed the candy amid the toy cars and coloring supplies and books and fun stuff. In fact, my 6-year-old still uses the "stinky" scented colored pencils from that Easter basket every time he does his homework. He LOVES them. And the distractions allowed the boys’ father to sneak most of the jellybeans and Peeps “before they dried out.”
My skepticism has been vanquished. Now when I see online tips like these from Super Kids Nutrition I don’t scoff at the idea of healthy Easter baskets. The trick, though, is to come up with things your kids will actually enjoy for more than two seconds – there’s not much financial sense in buying a bunch of random stuff. In our case, goodies includes toys that spin, Lego-type kits, Elephant and Piggie books by Mo Willems and flashlights.
Also consider the basket itself: Instead of an actual basket, fill something that can be used in active play. I’ve read about bike helmets, sandbox buckets, flower pots, dump trucks and even a fishing tackle box.
Here’s to a reduced-sugar Easter!
By Amy De La Hunt, Health Blogger for SmartParenting
Amy De La Hunt is a journalist and editor who lives in the St. Louis metro area and works across the country as a writer, copy editor, project manager and editorial consultant on everything from fiction books to monthly magazines to blog posts. When she's not chauffeuring her teenage sons to activities, Amy is an enthusiastic amateur cook, landscaper, Latin dancer and traveler. Follow Amy on Instagram @amy_in_words
See the Zoo's California sea lions perform acrobatic and athletic feats, including Olympic-style dives on a high-diving platform, flipper walks, frisbee tosses and plenty of surprises. While on stage with the sea lions, the Zoo's trainers explain sea lion behavior and positive-reinforcement training, in addition to the need for conserving the sea lion's ocean habitat.
Young visitors and their families are invited to the Energy Stage to enjoy interactive read-alouds of science-themed picture books. Story times are followed by a short demonstration or discussion connected to the book's main concepts.
Enjoy two hours of horse and pony rides at Castlewood Stables during Parent & Me Pony Rides. Your little ones will also get to interact with other farm animals, like mini potbelly pigs, bunnies, tortoises, a miniature donkey, a zebra and more.
Explore the Saint Louis Zoo in the evenings at the new Animals Aglow exhibit. Bring your family to experience the luminous glow of 50 towering lanterns depicting animals, plants and traditional Chinese elements. Don't miss this celebration of culture and art!
Dinoroarus is back for a limited time at the Saint Louis Zoo. This engaging attraction for all ages features 14 groupings of animatronic and stationary dinosaurs - colorful, prehistoric creatures that move realistically, some roaring and spiting or placidly munching on lush vegetation.