Use a large plateau or mirror for the centerpiece, in the center of which lay an irregular piece of real (or artificial) moss about and-half the diameter of the plateau (to represent an island.) Stick a few sprays of asparagus and maidenhair fern in it and a number of white and yellow spring flowers-the crocus, jonquil, daffodil, daisy and snowdrop. Cut the stem: of the Bowers in various lengths to give a better effect. Place a few (artificial) little fluffy chickens on the island and several downy ducklings in the surrounding lake (mirror.) Or use a vase of jonquils and daffodils for a center piece.

Place cards may be made by cutting bristol board into egg shape ox oval pieces. On a portion of this card spread some mucilage and sprinkle yellow sand over it. Then stand a tiny yellow chick (these are made of wool and can be purchased very cheap) on the sand (using glue) and close behind it glue the small end of an egg shell. Similar cards can be purchased all ready decorated.

Serve a grape fruit cocktail first. Cut the grape fruit in half, take out the fruit in as large pieces as possible, place in a bowl with the juice. Mix with this a small amount of white grapes, halved and the seeds removed, and a portion of pineapple canned or fresh cut in small pieces and some of the juice or syrup from the pineapple. Add a little sugar and angelica wine if desired. Remove the pulp from the grape fruit, fill each half with the mixture and serve on doylie covered plates.

For a relish use celery, white radishes, small yellow tomato pickles or pickled white grapes.

The meat course consists of creamed chicken, creamed sweetbreads and creamed veal. Carefully cut about one-third of the hell off the top of as many eggs as needed. Remove egg and fill shell with the hot creamed meat, (use three shells for each plate, each having a different tilling) and replace top of shell.

Form shoestring potatoes into a nest on a serving plate and place the stuied eggs in the nest. (Tap the filled egg slightly on the end, indenting but not breaking it and the egg will easily stand on end.)

Or make a nest of mashed potatoes pressing it through a fruit press or potato ricer and place in the center of it meat croquettes, oval shaped and very delicately browned.

Bread sticks or tiny rolls tied with white and yellow ribbon. Mold the butter into the shape of an egg.

Escalloped corn in ramikins.

Salad of California Asparagus tips on bleached lettuce leaf: Place a ring of hard boiled eggs around the stem end of asparagus (slice hard boiled eggs crosswise, remove the yolk and thrust the ends of asparagus through the white pan) serve with French dressing. If ice cream is to be sewed an plates, have vanilla and orange flavors packed in a tubular mold, the orange in the center and the vanilla around the outside so that when cut it has the appearance of a slice of hard boiled egg.

If the cream is served in glasses have the two colors molded in the form of an egg. Serve lady fingers and egg kisses, or angel food and sunshine cake.

At each place have salted almonds in a yellow egg shell cup. Color the eggs a rich yellow, cut off about one-third of the top and remove egg-use the larger portion of the shell, mash the end a trifle and glue to a small oval paste board.

Bonbons consist of small jelly eggs, white and yellow in a tiny basket at each place.

The favors are Easter bonnets which the guests are asked to wear. (Procure small doll hat: of various styles profusely trimmed with Bowers of white and yellow and place a common white hat pin in each one.)

Games for All Occasions by Mary E. Blain

Image © macieklew @ Flickr, ShareAlike

If you’re looking to do something a bit different this year with your Easter Eggs, you might want to check out some resources for Ukrainian Easter Eggs. You can make some amazing, detailed designs that really stand apart from the normal one or two color dyed eggs.

For those of us that avoid eggs for whatever reason, Peta has a short guide on an egg-free Easter with alternatives for dying and candy.

And the ever so clever folk at Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories show how to make your very own Gelatin-free Peeps.

Easter Bowling

Get ten small toy ten-pins or use wooden clothes pins. Stand them upon end about six or eight inches apart in a line across the room. Use five colored eggs for the balls. A player kneels on one knee at a distance of four feet from the ten-pins and rolls the eggs, one after another toward the ten-pins, knocking down as many as he can. Then another player rolls the eggs and so on until all have taken a turn. Count is kept and the person knocking down the most ten-pins is the winner and receives a “Panorama egg” or some other appropriate prize.

Games for All Occasions by Mary E. Blain

Image © The Holiday Diva

Although not technically a game – Easter candy is what all children are thinking when they think of Easter. Candy Blog gives you the skinny on tons of different candies and treats.

Crafty Daisies shows how to Hollow out and Easter egg for those that want some colored eggs that last much longer than their hard boiled counter parts.

And lastly Bitter Sweet has some crochet instructions for creating some very cute little Birds of Feather.

Egg Race

Place six hard boiled Easter eggs on each side of the room about one foot apart. A large basket is placed at the far end of the room. The players are divided in two sides, each side being chosen one at a time by the leaders. A large wooden or tin spoon is then given to one player on each side, who, at a given signal, dishes up the eggs one at a time with the spoon, placing them in the basket provided.

The leader replaces the eggs on the floor and the next player on each side takes the spoon and lifts the eggs from the floor and carries them to the basket and so on until all have had a turn.

A record is kept of the winners and the side having the greater number wins the game. This game may be changed slightly by someone timing the players with a watch, keeping track of the seconds and the one getting all the eggs into the basket in the shortest time receives a prize.

When it is convenient to play this game out of doors or in a very large room place six or more rows of six eggs each on each side of the room or lawn, with a player (provided with a spoon) behind each row. At a given signal all start to pick up the eggs with their spoons, and the one finishing first wins for his side.

Games for All Occasions by Mary E. Blain

Image © tddoog @ Flickr, Share-Alike

The Easter fun continues, did you find your Child like excitement yet?

More Easter Crafts and Games:

• Moms Minivan shows how to make a Cootie Catcher – I’m sure this would make a fun addition to an Easter Basket
• Get some egg dying practice in with my special easter egg
• ReadyMade shows how to make some Easter Egg Nests
• And for those that are into extreme projects with their kids… maybe this shortcut to Repainting your living room will be up your alley

Matching Eggs

Give each person a certain number of hard boiled eggs. The one who succeeds in cracking the shells of the opponent’s by hitting the ends together is the winner.

Games for All Occasions by Mary E. Blain

Image © ninjaneil902 @ Flickr, Attribution

What is the best part about Easter?

As we ramp up towards the holiday, I think back on how exciting every holiday was as a child. It’s actually terribly disappointing that I no longer count down the days before each day in anticipation of the fun, candy, and presents.

So, as the week progresses I’m going to share some fun easter links and try to get back some of that blissful childhood wonder.

Here are some of the fun Easter links I’ve run across so far:

• What to put inside toddler easter eggs
• Create an “Eggciting” Easter Celebration

Easter

From Games for All Occasions by Mary E. Blain

Easter Day should be a peaceful, happy day of rejoicing, thanksgiving and praise to the Giver of all good. Easter is symbolic of a new life, and a brighter one. It is springtime, the sun shines brightly, and Nature smiles. She is rejoicing because her dead are coming to life again. The trees, the grass, the flowers all rise up in the glory of a new and beautiful life. Chrysalis and egg are not strong enough to keep hack the new life of butterfly and bird which rises skyward to rejoice, each in its own way.

One of the oldest and most characteristic Easter rite; and the most widely diffused is the use of paschal (Easter or Passover) eggs. They are usually dyed in various colors and people mutually make presents of them. There can be little doubt that their use at this season was originally symbolical of the revivification of nature, the springing forth of life which in turn is symbolical of the ascension.

In some parts of the country colored eggs are hidden in nests or in corners, and the children have a great deal of pleasure on Easter morning hunting for the eggs which, according to German folklore were brought during the night by the White Rabbit.

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So, what is your favorite part about Easter?