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Unless you are one of the lucky ones that has an unusually amicable relationship with your ex-husband, it is an unfortunate fact of life that holiday traditions must be altered after a divorce to accommodate the parenting plan. It is important to remember that holiday celebrations don't necessarily have to be held on the actual holiday, however, and the kids will most likely enjoy stretching out the holiday as much as possible, anyway. Here are some ideas for celebrating Easter with the kids that can be enjoyed before or after the actual holiday, if necessary:
1) Plan an Easter egg hunt. Let the kids invite their friends, cousins and neighbors. Since the weather in Fort Collins can change rapidly, have a backup plan in the event of rain or snow.
2) Watch an Easter-themed film together. Two obvious choices are Easter Parade and Jesus of Nazareth (since the latter is over 6 hours long, you may choose to only watch the portion that applies to Easter and save the rest for later.) A few options for younger viewers are Winnie the Pooh - Springtime with Roo and Bugs Bunny's Easter Funnies .
Fun with confetti eggs
3) Make confetti-filled Easter eggs. These are a favorite at our house, and are also fun to make. Step-by-step instructions are as follows:
a) Hollow out eggs.
i) Insert a long needle into the large end of the egg to make a small hole.
ii) Twist the needle as you push it into the eggshell as far as you can while still grasping it.
iii) Use the needle to make a slightly larger hole in the small end.
iv) Push the needle into the center of the egg and move it around to break the yolk.
v) Hold the egg over a bowl with the small end down.
vi) Place your lips over the hole at the large end of the egg and blow firmly until all the egg comes out the hole at the small end.
vii) Rinse out the egg by running a thin stream of water into the larger hole.
viii) Blow out the water the same way that you blew out the egg.
ix) To dry the eggshell, prop it up in a dish drainer with the large end facing down.
Enjoying an Easter egg hunt
b) Enlarge the hole on one end of the egg by carefully breaking the shell away with your fingernail. The opening should be about the size of a dime.
c) Fill the hollow eggshell with confetti.
d) Pour white glue into a small plastic container.
e) Thin the glue slightly with water to a consistency that spreads easily with a paintbrush.
f) Cut or tear colored tissue paper into 1/2-inch to 1-inch squares.
g) Brush the thinned glue over the surface of the egg.
h) Press one tissue paper square over the hole at the end of the egg so that the confetti doesn't fall out.
i) Press tissue paper squares into the glue, covering the surface of the egg.
j) Allow the glue to dry.
k) After the eggs are completed, find somewhere to smash them on each other. Warning: although the smashing part is fun, cleaning up isn't quite as enjoyable!
4) Decorate hollowed out eggs with paint, glitter, sequins, etc.
Be creative, have fun, and remember - the most important thing is not that you spend every holiday with your kids, but that you spend quality time with them as often as possible.
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