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Easter is this Sunday which means the Easter bunny will be stopping by our house to hide some of those colorful plastic eggs. My little ones will wake up Sunday morning, go on the hunt to find all the plastic eggs, open them up and they will be empty. EMPTY, Oh-no! Why are the Easter eggs empty?
Growing up, it never failed. Our plastic eggs were filled with jelly beans, chocolates, peeps, skittles and even coins- my favorite! Our Easter Basket was filled with even more candy. Don't get me wrong, I loved all the candy I got at Easter time but looking back, it was way to much candy for a kid.
I currently have a one, three and four year old. My husband and I only allow candy on special occasions and even then we try to limit their sweet intake. My little ones love candy and get so excited at the thought of getting it so it is often used as a reward for sitting through a hair cut or behaving during a photoshoot.
Yes Easter is considered a special occasion since it is a holiday but the plastic Easter eggs will remain empty again this year. You may be wondering what the fun in that is, why would you deprive your kids from this holiday tradition? My kids still think it is fun to run around and fill their baskets to see who can get the most eggs plus who doesn't like a nice game of hide and seek? The magic is still there, just not the added candy. Plus they still receive an Easter basket filled with goodies.
Yes Easter is considered a special occasion since it is a holiday but the plastic Easter eggs will remain empty again this year. You may be wondering what the fun in that is, why would you deprive your kids from this holiday tradition? My kids still think it is fun to run around and fill their baskets to see who can get the most eggs plus who doesn't like a nice game of hide and seek? The magic is still there, just not the added candy. Plus they still receive an Easter basket filled with goodies.
Why my family's Easter eggs are empty:
1. My little ones are still little
I have three toddlers. They haven't experienced anything but empty Easter eggs. Even at our county Easter egg hunt, the eggs are all empty and they turn them in for a goody bag.
2. Candy is not good for you
Too much candy can lead to a sugar high which leads to a sugar crash and a tummy ache, health problems and even rotten teeth. Yes I know that my kids will be getting another set of teeth but that is beside the point. My kids can eat as much candy as they want when they are old enough to make that decision for themselves.
3. Candy = $$$
Candy is expensive, especially holiday candy. $4 for four Cadbury eggs, $3 for a bag of jelly beans, $6+ for a variety bag. That may not seem like a lot but it adds up quickly, especially when you are buying candy for several kids and filling tons of plastic eggs.
4. Time, Time, Time
It takes time to fill the Easter eggs. As a parent, I'm sure you know that you don't always have a ton of free time. Filling Easter eggs can be time consuming. You have to stay up late or fill them while your kids are at school all the while binge watching and snacking on the candy yourself. (I've played Easter bunny before for my younger siblings to help my mom out)
5. Easy Clean Up
If the eggs are empty to begin with, you won't have to sit there and open every single egg to make sure your kids got all the candy out of them.
6. Lost Eggs = Bugs
The eggs aren't always found which can result in candy sitting somewhere in your house all year which can lead to unwanted bugs. My mom always counted the eggs so she had an idea of how many were left but one year we found an egg from the previous year - yummy!
7. The True Meaning of Easter
Easter is about the resurrection of Jesus not the Easter bunny or the candy. The tomb was empty so your eggs should be empty too!
I'm not saying that I will never fill those colorful plastic eggs with candy but for the next few years they are staying empty.
When my husband and I do decide to fill the eggs, I mentioned filling them with coins instead. Use the money you would spend on candy and exchange it for some pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters. Fill the eggs and hide them. This way your kids can start saving money for something they may actually want.
When my husband and I do decide to fill the eggs, I mentioned filling them with coins instead. Use the money you would spend on candy and exchange it for some pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters. Fill the eggs and hide them. This way your kids can start saving money for something they may actually want.
The only down fall is that one kid may end up with more money than the other one but if that really worries you then you can color coordinate the eggs - your son can only find the blue eggs. This will also better suit their age so they don't take all the easy eggs left for the youngest.
If your kids are older it may be hard to make the switch to empty eggs but if you really like the idea then you can have the Easter Bunny write a note saying he has decided to change his ways. If you have younger kids now is the time to start. If you don't like the idea of empty Easter eggs then you can always look into candy alternatives.
Some candy alternatives include:
- Coins
- Stickers
- Temporary Tattoos
- Mini Nail Polish
- Jewelry - Rings, Necklaces, Bracelets, Charms
- Hair ties
- Chap Stick
- Bouncy Ball
- Bubbles
- Whistle
- Legos
- Foam Shapes
- Eraser
- Dice
- Marbles
- Keychain
- Plastic Figures - dinosaurs, army men, bugs, animals
- Grow Toys - grow wash rags
- Toy Car
- Socks
- Puzzle pieces
- Mini slinky
- Balloons
- Finger Puppets
- Nerf Darts
- Craft Supplies - beads, google eyes, ribbon, yarn
- Floss
- Cute Sayings/Words of Encouragement - check out my blog post HERE
There are tons of candy alternatives you can fill your Easter eggs with if you choose to, these are just a few off the top of my head. If you look in the party section at any store they will have a bunch of small goody bag toys. Also check out your local Dollar Tree for knick-knacks.
Whether you leave your Easter eggs empty, fill them with candy or fill them with toys, I hope you enjoy your family time together and cherish every moment, after all it's not what's inside the egg that matters. Feel free to comment below with your Easter egg family tradition.
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