Why does every holiday have to revolve around sugar?
Stay strong mamas and papas: Babies & toddlers' bodies and brains are developing at such a rapid pace, that every bite of food they take matters.
At Mi Casa Es Tu Casa®, or mission, in addition to teaching Spanish through music, is to empower each parent with tools for mindful parenting that help them live their best family life.
If possible, everything we give them should be foods rich in nutrients. By avoiding sugar we not only help our children establish healthy eating habits, but we literally influence their taste preferences (while preserving those brand new pearly whites).
Trying to avoid a sugar overload this Easter? Here are some ideas!
1. Put tiny gifts inside Easter eggs instead of candy!
Remember with tiny toys, there's always a choking risk if you have little ones, so please supervise! And in the interest of buying less plastic, try to save the eggs for next year! If you live in Austin, buy your plastic Easter eggs, tiny toys, and art supplies from Austin Creative Reuse!
2. Pick a few gifts to put in and around the basket
Not everything has to fit inside of an Easter egg! Here are some items that won't coat your kid's teeth with sugar, but will put a smile on their face. We also think the gift of a fresh bouquet of flowers set beside the basket for a small child is magical.
3. Dye eggs together using beets & then eat them!
With vinegar, food coloring, and water, anyone can decorate Easter eggs. But have you tried to do it with natural ingredients? Dying eggs this way turns a tradition into a science project, a lesson on the history of dyes, and a fun bonding experience.
To keep it simple, start with just one color and see how it goes. For a bright, satisfying result, use beets to make a beautiful pink!
What you'll need:
6-12 hard-boiled eggs
2 cups water
2 cups peeled, grated beets
1-2 tablespoons white vinegar
How to make the dye:
Add 2 cups water & the shredded beets to a pot & bring to a boil
Let simmer, covered, for 30-60 minutes
Set aside so the water reaches room temperature
Strain the beets so you are left with the pink dye
For every 1 cup of dye, add 1 table spoon of vinegar
How to dye the eggs:
Put the hard-boiled eggs in with the dye and place in the refrigerator
Leave them over night (or just a few hours, depends on how pink you want them!)
Scoop the eggs out, let them dry in an egg carton, and then...
Eat them for breakfast! Or use them in an egg hunt! Or both!
4. Make cascarones and make a mess!
Making cascarones (and breaking them over your cousin's head) is a Mexican tradition during the week of Easter (Semana Santa). And if you live in Texas, it's a tradition here too. Sometimes cascarones are filled with confetti and sometimes they are filled with flour...watch out!
Start saving egg shells now! You'll also want to learn to crack your eggs at the tip instead of in half to leave a hole at the top. Wash the empty egg in soapy water, then rinse and set them aside to dry until you have a full carton.
Dye the egg shells (see # 4!)
Fill the dry egg shells with flour or confetti!
Glue small pieces of colorful tissue paper to the tops to cover the holes
Now all you need to do is establish some rules (like: outdoors-only, and make sure everyone wants to play) and then start smashing cascarones on your loved ones' heads!
Tip: if the cascaron too hard (ouch!) to break on someone's head, just crush it in your hand over their head!
5. Easter egg sensory surprise game for babies
Babies don't really need to wake up to Easter baskets. But it's fun to include them in holidays. Here's a game for including the littlest one in your family (as long as they are old enough to sit up).
Fill a few Easter eggs with something to delight baby's taste buds, something to be explored with touch, and something to engage them with sound!
Set your baby up in a high chair and lay the Easter eggs on the tray.
Help baby open each egg one by one and let them explore what's inside.
Ideas for fillers:
Taste: Fill the eggs with peas, Cheerios, or cut-up grapes
Touch: Stuff a colorful silk scarf like one of these into the egg
Sound: Put a large piece of cellophane into the egg. Crinkle sounds are fascinating!
And remember you can turn the egg itself into a shaker. Fill one with Himalayan salt crystals for a true musical experience!
Feliz pascua from Mi Casa Es Tu Casa®!
Comments