My family and I experienced our first "Easter Egg Roll" yesterday. What fun! With the weather being so cold, the children rolled inside. The event was meant to resemble the special event held at the White House each year. Below is an article I found about this wonderful tradition. I have also included instructions for MORE Easter games children will enjoy playing during this holiday...
Annual White House Easter Egg Roll
circa 1998 (White House) (Library of Congress)
http://www.whitehousemuseum.org/grounds/south-lawn.htm
The south lawn is the site of one of the White House's most treasured traditions: the annual Easter egg roll. Rolling eggs on the Monday after Easter was a tradition observed by many Washington families in the 19th century, including those of the president. Public egg-rolling celebrations were originally held on the grounds of the Capitol at least as early as 1872. But in 1876 Congress passed the Turf Protection Law to prohibit the area from being used as a playground. After a rain-out in 1877, President Rutherford B Hayes opened the gates to the south lawn in 1878.
Easter egg rollers, 1889 (Library of Congress)
Over the years, the egg rolls have evolved and changed, with different games and amusements popular in different years. Near the end of the nineteenth century, children played "egg picking," "egg ball," "toss and catch," and "egg croquet." Soon the event evolved into a more elaborate affair, with bands, entertainers and food. John Phillip Souza and "The President's Own" Marine Band performed for the assembled crowd, while vendors of all kinds sold their goods in 1889. Forty years later, Lou Hoover, wife of President Herbert Hoover, briefly instituted folk dances and maypole dances.
At her first egg roll in 1933, Eleanor Roosevelt greeted White House visitors as well as listeners on the radio. She also introduced more organized games, but it was not until 1974 when the most famous event of modern Easter egg rolls, the egg-rolling race, was introduced. Subsequent celebrations included a circus and petting zoo in 1977 and exhibits of antique cars, Broadway shows, and giant balloons as well as egg hunt pits were introduced in 1981. Children would search straw pits for autographed wooden eggs
GAMES
Guess The Eggs
http://www.videojug.com/article/how-to-plan-easter-games-for-a-childrens-easter-party
1.This is fun filled number game. All you need is a glass jar, few chocolate eggs, paper pieces, pencil and an Easter Basket.
2.Hand out a piece of paper and a pencil to each of the participants.
3.Then ask them to write down their name and their guess as to how many chocolates the jar holds.
4.The one who comes closest or gives the exact count wins the jar!
Egg-Spoon Race:
1.You are lucky enough to have a yard and nice weather, so why not take your guests outdoors?
2.You will need one egg (raw or hard boiled) and one spoon for each person participating in the race.
3.Line the contestants up next to each other on a starting line.
4.Have your finish line visible and clear. It's no fun dropping your egg, thinking you've won, only to realize that the finish line is in fact several inches away.
5.Have your signal that the race should start. Everyone then begins to race towards the finish line.
6.The contestants have to keep their egg balanced in their spoon, without using their other hand for support. If the egg drops, but is not broken, the contestant can pick up the egg and resume the race.
7.The first contestant to make it to the finish line wins. Have second and third prizes, too.
Egg Haul
http://www.infobarrel.com/Easter_Games_for_Children
Create fun Easter games for kids that allow players to race across the yard or park while cradling plastic or hard-boiled eggs. Divide the group into teams and give the first player from each team six to eight eggs to carry. If a player drops an egg while running across the yard and back, he must start over from the beginning. Players hand the eggs off to the next teammate after crossing the finish line. Award prizes to the first team to complete the race. Make the game more challenging for adults or older children by giving them more eggs to carry.
Easter Egg Bowling
Color some boiled eggs and leave one white. Roll the white one into the center of a room. Take turns to see who can roll their egg closest to the white egg.
Easter Candy Toss
http://www.365kidsgames.com/documents/easter-games-for-young-children.html
Make a target with three circles, one inside the other.
The inner circle, the bull's eye, is 5 points.
The middle circle is 3 points.
The outer circle is 1 point.
Players take turns tossing wrapped candy. (Each player uses a different color candy.)
Add up points to see who wins.
Bunny Hop (younger children)
http://www.365kidsgames.com/documents/easter-games-for-young-children.html
Have kids bunny hop from one spot to another.
For young children, have a jellybean trail leading to an Easter basket.
Annual White House Easter Egg Roll
circa 1998 (White House) (Library of Congress)
http://www.whitehousemuseum.org/grounds/south-lawn.htm
The south lawn is the site of one of the White House's most treasured traditions: the annual Easter egg roll. Rolling eggs on the Monday after Easter was a tradition observed by many Washington families in the 19th century, including those of the president. Public egg-rolling celebrations were originally held on the grounds of the Capitol at least as early as 1872. But in 1876 Congress passed the Turf Protection Law to prohibit the area from being used as a playground. After a rain-out in 1877, President Rutherford B Hayes opened the gates to the south lawn in 1878.
Easter egg rollers, 1889 (Library of Congress)Over the years, the egg rolls have evolved and changed, with different games and amusements popular in different years. Near the end of the nineteenth century, children played "egg picking," "egg ball," "toss and catch," and "egg croquet." Soon the event evolved into a more elaborate affair, with bands, entertainers and food. John Phillip Souza and "The President's Own" Marine Band performed for the assembled crowd, while vendors of all kinds sold their goods in 1889. Forty years later, Lou Hoover, wife of President Herbert Hoover, briefly instituted folk dances and maypole dances.
At her first egg roll in 1933, Eleanor Roosevelt greeted White House visitors as well as listeners on the radio. She also introduced more organized games, but it was not until 1974 when the most famous event of modern Easter egg rolls, the egg-rolling race, was introduced. Subsequent celebrations included a circus and petting zoo in 1977 and exhibits of antique cars, Broadway shows, and giant balloons as well as egg hunt pits were introduced in 1981. Children would search straw pits for autographed wooden eggs
GAMES
Guess The Eggs
http://www.videojug.com/article/how-to-plan-easter-games-for-a-childrens-easter-party
1.This is fun filled number game. All you need is a glass jar, few chocolate eggs, paper pieces, pencil and an Easter Basket.
2.Hand out a piece of paper and a pencil to each of the participants.
3.Then ask them to write down their name and their guess as to how many chocolates the jar holds.
4.The one who comes closest or gives the exact count wins the jar!
Egg-Spoon Race:
1.You are lucky enough to have a yard and nice weather, so why not take your guests outdoors?
2.You will need one egg (raw or hard boiled) and one spoon for each person participating in the race.
3.Line the contestants up next to each other on a starting line.
4.Have your finish line visible and clear. It's no fun dropping your egg, thinking you've won, only to realize that the finish line is in fact several inches away.
5.Have your signal that the race should start. Everyone then begins to race towards the finish line.
6.The contestants have to keep their egg balanced in their spoon, without using their other hand for support. If the egg drops, but is not broken, the contestant can pick up the egg and resume the race.
7.The first contestant to make it to the finish line wins. Have second and third prizes, too.
Egg Haul
http://www.infobarrel.com/Easter_Games_for_Children
Create fun Easter games for kids that allow players to race across the yard or park while cradling plastic or hard-boiled eggs. Divide the group into teams and give the first player from each team six to eight eggs to carry. If a player drops an egg while running across the yard and back, he must start over from the beginning. Players hand the eggs off to the next teammate after crossing the finish line. Award prizes to the first team to complete the race. Make the game more challenging for adults or older children by giving them more eggs to carry.
Easter Egg Bowling
Color some boiled eggs and leave one white. Roll the white one into the center of a room. Take turns to see who can roll their egg closest to the white egg.
Easter Candy Toss
http://www.365kidsgames.com/documents/easter-games-for-young-children.html
Make a target with three circles, one inside the other.
The inner circle, the bull's eye, is 5 points.
The middle circle is 3 points.
The outer circle is 1 point.
Players take turns tossing wrapped candy. (Each player uses a different color candy.)
Add up points to see who wins.
Bunny Hop (younger children)
http://www.365kidsgames.com/documents/easter-games-for-young-children.html
Have kids bunny hop from one spot to another.
For young children, have a jellybean trail leading to an Easter basket.
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