Easter Egg Hunting...Not Just for Fun!

Hunting for Easter eggs is a fantastic tradition for millions of families. From dyeing, to hiding, to finding it is a fun whole family event! Encouraging your children to participate in this tradition also builds a foundation for their ability to boost behavior, deal with separations and improve hand eye coordination.

Here's how...

Decorating eggs is your opportunity to help your children practice their writing skills and ability to hold & touch something 'gently'! Skills they need for academic success and learning their own strength for social success, from petting animals to hugging their friends. So while you enjoy the fun of egg art tell your kids, "You know exactly how to draw & gently hold eggs".

As you watch kids hunt for eggs you'll notice that they run-stop-run. This is fabulous play to teach kids how to regulate their behavior. One of the hardest things kids have to learn is how to listen to that 'little voice' inside their heads that says, "I better not do that or I'll get into trouble".

Kids need lots of practice at stopping themselves in order to strengthen this 'little voice' for stopping. So as you send your kids out to go grab those eggs say something like this, "I'll be watching you stop when you find an egg and cannot wait to count how many times you stop"! Then when the hunt is over, talk to your kids about how good they are at stopping. The result is your conversations with your kids change from threatening them if they don't stop, to them reporting to you when they are stopping.

Lastly, when you talk about the Easter bunny hiding eggs use that teachable moment to tell your kids, "That hidden egg is just like when I don't see you because I am at work or on a trip or I drop you off at school, you cannot see me, just like that Easter egg, but I'll always find you"! This helps kids learn that you will always come back and find them, even if they cannot see you for a period of time.

Hope you have a wonderful Easter with your family, Dr. Ann