Easter Sunday is quickly approaching. This is the time we celebrate our Savior’s resurrection and fulfillment of the prophecies and rejoice in Christ’s sacrifice for all of humanity. Younger members have another reason to look forward to this weekend’s activities - Easter Egg hunts. Simple steps can be taken to ensure both the participants and the ministry are protected against potentially harmful situations.
1. Proper Hygiene and Care
Wash your hands thoroughly with hot soapy water when handling edible or inedible eggs. For edible eggs, rinse them before handling the eggs when cooking, cooling, dyeing, and hiding them. Check the eggs for deformities and cracks. These could be evidence of dangerous bacteria within the egg that could be harmful to Easter Egg hunt participants. Keep all eggs and candy properly stored before the event. Eggs that are left more than 2 hours present a high risk of foodborne illness.
2. Hiding Places
Choose wisely when selecting hiding places for Easter eggs. Avoid areas where the eggs might come into contact with animals, whether domestic or wild, insects, or lawn chemicals. But where you hide your eggs doesn't determine where the kids will go. Kids will think there are eggs hidden everywhere, so communicating search areas is essential for children and parents. Rope off sensitive areas, like flower gardens, and properly secure equipment that kids could encounter as well.
Holes in your yard could be animal habitats. These animals could bite or sting your children as they hunt for their prizes. The foliage around your home could be poisonous or covered in pesticides. Avoid putting your eggs near this foliage and in holes.
3. Candy
The kids will love you forever and ever because of the sweet treats they find inside of some Easter eggs. This moment could be ruined by a choking incident. When choosing candy and filling Easter Eggs be mindful of the age groups and potential choking hazards. Color coding the eggs for age groups or conducting separate hunts for different age groups will help to reduce this risk. When stuffing your eggs, make sure to pick out an age-appropriate candy for your children and make sure they do not get something that could be a hazard.
4. Allergies
There are an estimated three million people who suffer from a peanut and tree nut allergy. But these aren’t the only types of allergies that could affect the kids. Latex allergies from gloves and allergies to certain types of fruits could cause reactions for participants if proper care isn’t used. Some common allergies include milk, food coloring, eggs, and soy, as well. Check with the parents of any children who are joining your hunt for allergies that you should be aware of before the event.
5. Supervision
The excitement for an Easter Egg hunt is hard to contain in most kids. Your children will run around hunting for their eggs and can easily trip over their own feet or eggs that are placed on the ground.
Enlisting the help of parents in the setup and oversight of the hunt will help to fully cover the Easter Egg hunt area. Even if go over your event area with a fine-tooth comb, that doesn't mean it's a good idea to let kids loose and sit back until all eggs are found. Keeping a watchful eye over the children as they search can be accomplished through a cooperative effort of staff and volunteers.
This fun activity can be a staple of your ministry’s Easter celebration for years to come, especially if you provide a safe environment for your participants and limit the opportunities for harmful incidents to occur.
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