Easter Egg Hunts Abound Across St. Louis

Easter egg hunts are one of the childhood joys of springtime, and numerous hunts are scheduled across the St. Louis metro area over the next two weeks. Some are small neighborhood affairs; others are massive events where hundreds of kids swarm the field. (If your kids are very young or turn shy around crowds, look for a hunt with separate age groups.) Dress for the weather, because nearly all the hunts take place rain or shine.

Here’s a roundup of some of the larger events taking place:

•    Lake St. Louis – There's a free community hunt on Saturday, March 27, from 10 a.m. to noon at Lake Saint Louis Founders Park
 (7 Freymuth Road.)
 Ages 10 and under can participate in the hunt and hang around for fun activities afterward. Youngsters are invited to arrive with their baskets full of nonperishable foods to be donated to a local food pantry.

•    Belleville – The largest Easter egg hunts in southwestern Illinois take place at Eckert’s Belleville farm the weekends of March 27 and 28 and April 2 and 3 at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., noon, 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. each day. Eckert’s Annual Egg Hunt features baby chicks and bunnies, face painting and a visit with the Easter Bunny. Admission is $9 per child; no advance registration is required.  

•   Chesterfield — The annual Hare in the Air Egg Hunt returns to the Logan College of Chiropractic (1851 Schoettler Road) on Saturday, March 27. The event takes it's name from the highlight of the day - the arrival of the bunny by helicopter. Fredbird will also be on hand. The free hunt is divided into age groups, and other activities include balloon artists and a petting zoo. Registration begins at 10 a.m.

•    Ladue – Enjoy one of the area’s largest Easter egg hunts in Tilles Park (9551 Litzsinger Road), with 4,000 hidden eggs on Saturday, March 27, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. A $5 donation is requested; registration starts at 9:30 a.m., and the first 250 kids receive goodie bags. The event features hunts for various ages from 0 to 11, photos with Easter Bunny, raffle prizes (tickets cost $1), face painting and balloon animals. Special needs kids are welcome.

•    Des Peres – This free "egg scramble" begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 3, for kids ages 3 to 6 at the gorgeous Des Peres Park (12325 Manchester Road). No reservations are required.

•    Eureka – Kids ages 2 to 10 are invited to Six Flags St. Louis for an Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday, April 4, in the World’s Fair Catering Grove. Three age groups can track down 5,000 hidden eggs containing candy, free movie passes, Six Flags tickets and other goodies. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m; the first egg hunt begins at 2 p.m. Parents need to bring a signed waiver form, available online.

For more events listed by date, check out our Things To Do section.

By Amy Burger, Events Blogger for SmartParenting