AIBU to consider not giving out Easter eggs at toddler group this year?

[BelfastSmile]

I run a toddler group (once a week, in a church hall, costs £1.50 per morning - just to give you an idea of how we operate, budget etc). At Easter we usually give all the children (aged 1-3, with an occasional 4-year-old) an Easter egg (babies get a small stuffed toy or something like that). We give them the smallest eggs we can get - usually Buttons or Smarties, but they're still fairly big for a small child. In the past a few parents have said things like "Oh, chocolate - well, you can have a little bit, since it's Easter" to their children - basically giving the impression that they don't really want their child to have that much chocolate.

No one has ever complained, though. However, I'm wondering whether it would be better to give out something else, like an Easter activity book or something. A single egg is probably OK, but most go to a different group every day, so are potentially getting 5 eggs just from toddler groups.

On the other hand, some people would feel they'd missed out if they didn't get an Easter egg from us.

What does everyone reckon? If you go to a toddler group, what would you prefer - an egg, or something else, like a book or toy? Would you feel you'd been hard done by if your child didn't get an Easter egg? Or would you be glad to have less chocolate in the house?

At £1.50 a session I'd be buying you an Easter egg not expecting one in return!!

Just stick with the Egg hunt ones -that will be fine.

Could you do the very old fashioned boiled eggs which the wee ones then decorate?

A local group to us has a hunt for eggs [the plastic kinder type] and they have to collect three to exchange for a proper egg. It's a paid for event though. I wouldn't expect a thing at a toddler group. Packet of choc buttons if you want to go mad. The little yellow chicks are a HUGE hit in my house though - my DD's play with them all year around.

Baker Ross will do lots of Easter crafts - might be a good place to start for ideas?

www.bakerross.co.uk/easter/easter-view-all

I think I'd just get a job lot of crème and caramel eggs and empty them into an Easter basket and offer them on the way out. You're charging £1.50, there's no way people can expect a whole egg!

ratspeaker With one to three year olds? That would be a nightmare!!! or it would with mine!.There would be boiled egg everywhere when they inevitably got smashed!

I'd stick with the egg - or do small ones like cream eggs (even though there are only 5 in a box now grrr). Although it's probably less easy to stop a child eating one small one there and then that it is a wrapped bigger one in a box.

But it's EASTER. Easter means chocolate!

Creme eggs sorry.

I run a babies/toddlers (birth to school-age) group too. We don't do Easter eggs for each child but we always do an Easter craft (which might include a few mini-eggs), and run an Easter raffle (including some chocolate) to raise funds for our annual children's charity, and at the end of the session, I would have a small Easter basket with extra mini-eggs/Easter Haribo packs/Easter marshmallow Peeps/Easter choc coins for everyone to take a treat, adults and children, as they leave the session. That way, not just the chocolate-eating-aged children get a chance to have a treat.

At Xmas each child gets a book from Santa to the value of £6, and leavers-for-school get a £5 book token at the last summer session.

Kids seem to be given eggs at every turn these days. I'd be happy for them not to get any eggs at all. Can do an egg hunt with decorated Eggs (group can decorate the week previous) and give everyone a little chick of something.

Giving out chocolate eggs at toddler group would be a reason for me NOT to go though I accept I will be in the minority there

I throw out chocolate eggs the dc didn't eat at Halloween and uneaten Halloween sweets at Easter.

Cadbury cream eggs are hardly small. More calories than a can of regular coke.

Just give out the eggs as normal...

..no doubt they'd complain if you stopped!

I'm towards buying them little activity books (eg colouring books or something like that), and then doing Easter craft to make baskets, which are then filled with the book and eggs from the egg hunt. We have an hour and a half or so to achieve all this (egg hunt takes up about half an hour of that). We don't do a lot of craft, so no idea how it would work out, but I guess there's one way to find out!

My ds got four full sized easter eggs from various family members for his first easter. He was 3.5 months old! I'm did the decent thing and ate then.

I wouldn't want my child to be given a creme egg or a smarties egg at toddler group. I'd skip that day if i knew it would happen. Chicks and crafts are a great idea!

I wouldn't want my child to be given a creme egg or a smarties egg at toddler group. I'd skip that day if i knew it would happen. Chicks and crafts are a great idea!

I run a toddler group. In previous years we've done biscuit decorating (egg shaped biscuit cutter was a fab 10p buy in tesco), Easter nest buns, made egg shaped cards, and made fluffy bunnies (cotton wool, evil stuff, never again!). We usually fill a bowl with mini eggs and those little lollies from Aldi and everyone gets to choose a treat if they want one.

Chocolate/sweets/crafts have always been optional.

Wow, that's super generous. A big egg wouldn't bother me but I'd eat most of it . An Easter craft or two and a selection of treats to nibble on, on the way out, would also be good. Plus eggs from the hunt, would be fine

I hate it when dds are unexpectedly given chocolate, I did not realise I was in such a minority either. Am on the parents comittee of a playgroup and it was unanimously decided that Santa would be bringing books at xmas not chocolate. But hey ho... I would waaaaaaaaay rather have little chicks or crafts or even the small soft toys mentioned for the babies...

The problem with small children creme eggs and other filled ones, are that why have to be eaten in one go. A hollow egg can at least be given in small bits over a period of time or 'shared' with parents. DS had his first Easter egg at 3 and a half; he didn't really have chocolate before then - it's not that uncommon for parents to avoid it at toddler age.

Do you give the eggs out in front of the kids? Maybe that's part of the problem for some parents.

My (almost) 2 year old would strongly and vocally oppose the idea of waiting until Easter Sunday if there was chocolate right in front of her, and these things can sometimes be more of a ballache than a treat.

Having said tho, it's clearly meant well. I wouldn't be muttering cunt at you under my breath or owt.

Yes, stick with the buttons eggs, ignore the "oh well, only a little bit because it's Easter", it's for show. If parents don't want one they'll say no. What a nice gesture.

My first sentence makes absolutely no sense: 'the problem with small children and creme eggs … are that they have to be eaten in one go'.

Those small eggs (same size and shape as a grape, really) and teeny chicks might not be great for very small children.

God, it's turning into a minefield! Basically, your gesture is a lovely one. Parents can remove chocolate from children, or allow them to have it. Whatever, they can decide.

You can get packs of little chicks at Easter. So like a mini soft toy for everyone.