Since my son was diagnosed with an anaphylactic egg allergy in November, my household has been completely egg-free. Upon his first allergic reaction, I instantly grieved a number of “normal” kid activities. I imagined him secluded during birthday parties and “green eggs and ham day” at school and imagined tough conversations about avoiding his allergens with family and friends.
The one thing that didn’t cross my mind was Easter- that is until his older sister yelled at me for picking up a decorative egg at Hobby Lobby because “Brother is ‘energic’ to eggs, mom!”
My family doesn’t usually put too “much” into Easter- I typically like to reserve it as a reverent holiday- but something about suddenly NOT being able to color Easter eggs made me NEED to.
So, I went on the hunt (wink) for egg allergy-friendly Easter activities, and here’s what I found:
Painting plastic craft eggs
I was so pleasantly surprised by how realistic these eggs felt! I picked mine up from the craft section at Target, but they can also be found at craft stores. I was so excited to find these because I will be able to save as many as I want for next year’s decorations AND nobody is eating blue hard-boiled eggs for a week after Easter.
The eggs we chose were painted, but there are also craft eggs that are dyeable.
Rice Krispie “eggs”
Find the recipe for rice Krispies here. I also used:
- Food coloring
- Sprinkles
- White melting chocolate
- Food coloring
- Spray cooking oil
* If someone in your family has food allergies, be sure to check all labels!
I used plastic egg-hunt eggs to create an egg “mold” for the Rice Krispies. Be sure to spray your egg mold and hands with cooking spray, trust me! This activity lets you be as creative as you want and left us with tasty treats in the end.
Basket ideas:
I’d much rather give my kids toys and activities versus candy, to begin with, but it’s even more important to me now that my son has a diagnosed food allergy. Here are some non-food item alternatives for baby, toddler, and preschooler Easter baskets:
- Wrist rattles
- Finger puppets
- Shaky eggs
- Bubbles
- Playdough or slime (may the odds be ever in your favor)
- Sidewalk chalk
- Wikki stix
- Books
- Flashcards or travel games
- Bunny ears
- Water shoes
- Hair bows
- Beach toys
What special holiday traditions do you have if you have food allergies or dietary restrictions in your household?
