Alternative Easter gifts - what do you think?

[rachel(mumsnet)]

We?ve been asked by Hasbro to find out what you think about trading in the Easter eggs and giving your child a traditional board game this Easter instead. Apparently research has shown that the average child consumes around 3084 calories in chocolate over Easter and with childhood obesity tripling in the UK over the last two decades Hasbro are suggesting that perhaps now is the time to give 'chocolate the chop? and invest in some fun games for all the family. What are your thoughts? Do you worry about the amount of choc your child consumes over Easter? Would you consider board games as a substitute for eggs? Do you think you spend enough time playing together as a family?
Thanks in advance
MNHQ

That would be lovely for DS as he's getting into games and we think he gets enough chocolate (still rationing Christmas selection boxes). If there was a version for little ones (3 - 7) and another for older kids, it might be good. Only thing is i might not get played very often throughout the year.

Could be a board game that uses little chocolate eggs. I remember seeing chocolate monopoly and trivial pursuit.

We ask grandparents NOT to buy DD choclate for Easter, as she would just end up with too much.

My sister always buys her an egg, which is fine.

This year her greatgrandparents have sent her a beautiful dress. One set of grandparents is buying her a Lilo and Stitch DVD. And we have got her the new Peter Pan DVD.

I have never really thought of a board game - have generally suggested books, CDs or DVDs. But yes, would consider a board game now if I thought there was one DD would like.

Hmmmmm....they would have to have some sort of chocolate, otherwise I'd be in their bad books all holiday!!
I have decided to not get them all eggs however, I'm making easter cookies, and they are getting a book each too.

Never thought about a board game TBH, mine are a bit young at the moment for board games.

Completely agree with batters. Even a million calories at Easter wouldn't account for child obesity. Mind you, mine eat two eggs maxmimum so if the average is 3000 then I guess there may be children getting a million...Some kind of acceptable substitute to chocolate would be OK I guess, but I don't see board games as an obvious choice, much as I like them.

I personally want to celebrate the Christian aspect of Easter, not have another gift giving reason.

however to answer the question, I am not worried about too much choc - I control how much they have, DC are 7 and 5. Last year the DC had an egg hunt in the garden after church, and had small choc eggs in that, and egg shaped crayons, and tiny erasers in springtime shapes. Think they had 3 full size eggs from GPs and godparents, which they ate over at least the next month. we bought them a dvd between them, of THe Lion the Witch, as it can be seen as an allegory of the Easter story. I personally wouldn't buy a board game as an alternative to an egg, would try and get something that symbolises new life in some way.

bump

I think if you give chocolate eggs the chop you miss the point of eggs having sybolism to Easter (which maybe some people do anyway!). Although our family are not particularly religious, I'm not sure how HAsbro can justify linking buying a board game to Easter & its meaning??
Agree too much choc is a no-no but as others have said, its not just the choc at Easter thats to blame for obesity.
I will ration DSs easter eggs over a long period of time & to be honest, he won't get a huge number of eggs anyway

PS: I love chocolate AND board games & to answer the other question, we often all play various board games together

Since when was Easter about giving presents?

I'm sure the % of children who know the significance of the eggs is smaller than it should be and so if other types of gift are given instead Easter will lose its meaning even more. IMHO

Hmm what is all this two egg thing. My children who last year were aged 5 and 1 got 6 eggs each. Plus DH and I got another 2 each. That is 16 easter eggs in our house. A bit OTT IMO. But the thing is that if you start getting things like DVDs as hula suggested then that is bumping the price up compared with a £2.50 easter egg. I was thinking of getting my DC something instead but am genuinely struggling to think of something they would use. They both have books unread since Christmas, DVDs unwatched, clothes unworn.

My children would be very angry with me if I tried to give them a board game instead of chocolate eggs. To them Easter is all about chocolate eggs. (It was to me too if I'm honest.)

They only get the one each from us as their grandparents are remote and largley uncaring.

We like rolling eggs (hardboiled and painted) down hills in parks and also doing cream egg hunts.

Of course, my DC didn't eat all their eggs. But who do you think did? So I would like to cut down on the temptation.

No I would not consider giving board games as an alternative easter present.

Why does everyhting have to be so commercialised? Are Hasbro now trying to jump on the bandwagon to make a bit more money.

As much as I love playing board games, and we do play them as a family I think this is a silly idea.

I can't believe how commercial Easter has become in the UK
packs of cards to give out to people
lots and lots of crafty things to do
Easter gifts - you can even get a Bunny Mr Potato Head, and some FP Little People packaged up with bunny ears on to at Tescos now...
It's a marketing dream I think

Is it only my children that only get eggs from us? We'll do a treasure hunt in the back yard and some egg decorating and maybe make a card or two. It doesn't dawn on me to buy my kids an Easter present.....

ohhh I bought some of those crappy plastic eggs that you can hide things in when I was home last year! Found some choc bunnies at Poundland that will fit perfectly into the egg. Thanks for reminding me...now must find them...

My DS is 10. For a few years now he has been asking for things other than eggs at easter. He always gets a few from friends and relatives anyway, but doesn't particularly request or desire them.
(he does however enjoy buying them at half price after easter - but that's another story)

I've just asked him how he would feel about a board game instead of chocolate eggs and his face lit up.
I asked him what the game would be like. In short (he did actually go into minute detail) he described a game similar to monopoly where all the places you land on are connected with easter. The places were a mix of religious and tradition. He added that rewards and forfeits 'could' be in the form of mini eggs or something. The word 'mini' was quite pronounced.

I've gone on to think of the cadbury saving box that issues mini cadbury bars, which of course you can buy boxes of replacements - maybe something similar could be included in a game where each year the 'mini' rewards can be purchased.