Family
Fun Easter ‘Egg-turnatives’
4 creative alternatives to decorating eggs this Easter
(Family Features) While decorating eggs for Easter is a tradition that dates back centuries, the high cost of eggs may make it more difficult for some families this year. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t find creative ways to keep the season special and create memories with loved ones.
With more than 140 years of experience, the Easter egg decorating experts at PAAS® are sharing some ideas and inspiration on fun things to do with your Easter decorating kit. These “egg-citing” alternatives to using traditional eggs can help keep those simple moments of connection and creativity alive:
Pretty in Plastic
Dyeing plastic eggs is an activity perfect for all ages with less stress and less mess since they don’t crack or break when dropped. Dyeable plastic eggs also typically come in packages of more than a traditional dozen, offering more opportunities for creativity. Another added bonus: You can decorate your home every year with the finished product since they don’t go bad. They are also perfect for DIY projects, such as making them into garland, hanging ornaments, place settings or gifts that can be used for years to come.
Baked Easter Decor
Instead of buying eggs, you can make your own baking soda dough eggs using 1/2 cup corn starch, 1 cup baking soda and 3/4 cup water. Combine the ingredients, roll into egg shapes and bake in the oven for 1 hour at 175 F then simply dye them as you would real eggs using your favorite PAAS egg decorating kit. Fun for all ages, these eggs can be turned into a variety of decor and mementos with kids taking the lead on mixing the dough batter and shaping the eggs before an adult helps with the baking.
Creative Kitchen Canvases
Coffee filters are good for more than just making coffee; they make perfect canvases for Easter decorating and naturally take dye. With 100-250 coffee filters per package, they’re a cost-effective way to maximize crafting opportunities and let creativity run wild. Once dyed and dried, you can turn the filters into flower centerpieces, papier mache eggs, artwork to frame and more.
Repurposed Treasure from Nature
Kids often love to hunt for fun-shaped and colorful rocks when exploring outdoors or collect seashells while on vacation or taking a walk on the beach. Now, rather than storing them in a “treasure box” or throwing them back outside, they can be creatively decorated for Easter using paint, stickers, glitter, accessories and other add-ons. Some seashells can even be dyed. Using rocks and shells of all shapes and sizes is a cost-effective, low-waste alternative that allows children to use their imaginations for creative play once they’re done decorating.
For more tips and ideas to make Easter “eggstra” special this year, visit paaseastereggs.com.
Sustainable Tips to Avoid Egg Waste
If you plan to keep the tradition of dyeing eggs alive this year, you can take steps to avoid food waste once you’re done decorating. Consider these sustainable tips from the experts at PAAS:
- Make Deviled Eggs: As long as you refrigerate the eggs shortly after dyeing them, you can use them to make deviled eggs – an Easter brunch staple – for your family meal.
- Create Centerpieces: Dyed eggs can be used to make a beautiful centerpiece for your family dinner. Simply spread them over your table runner around other decor, fill a glass bowl or jar with the eggs or place them within a floral arrangement to add pops of color to the table.
- Serve a Salad: Eating the eggs saves you from food waste, and eggs can be used in a variety of salads, including egg salad, potato salad or chef’s salad, to add a boost of protein and flavor.
- Start a Compost Pile: If you don’t plan to eat the eggs once you’re done decorating, you can create a compost pile near your garden. Hard-boiled eggshells are a rich source of calcium and other essential nutrients plants need.
Photos courtesy of Getty Images
SOURCE:
PAAS
Family
Teach and Inspire Your Kids by Exploring History as a Family
History as a Family: During back-to-school season, education is naturally at the forefront of most parents’ minds. While a lot of important learning is accomplished in the classroom, there are so many opportunities to continue challenging and developing children’s minds and hearts in family life as well.
Teach and Inspire Your Kids by Exploring History as a Family
(Feature Impact) During back-to-school season, education is naturally at the forefront of most parents’ minds. While a lot of important learning is accomplished in the classroom, there are so many opportunities to continue challenging and developing children’s minds and hearts in family life as well. Learning about history together is a practical way to inspire deep, meaningful conversations about the world, whether from books, documentaries or visits to museums.
Watch this video to learn more
Now is an opportune time to explore the story of Anne Frank, a Jewish teenager evading Nazi capture during the Holocaust. Families can read her famous diary together then visit “Anne Frank The Exhibition,” presented by the Anne Frank House at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry. This comprehensive exhibition immerses visitors in the context that shaped Frank’s life, from her early years in Frankfurt through her tragic death and how her father ensured her legacy. The centerpiece is the first full-scale recreation of the Annex where the Frank family and four other Jews hid during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. The exhibition, recommended for visitors ages 10 and older, is open through early 2027.
No matter what piece of history families choose to delve into together, they should take the time to discuss with their kids what they’re thinking and feeling about everything they’re discovering. Then together they can figure out what lessons from the past can be taken into the future.
“Anne Frank ’s story is a powerful reminder of what happens when fear and hatred are
allowed to take root,” said Dr. Chevy Humphrey, Griffin Museum of Science and Industry
president and CEO. “At the same time, it reveals the quiet but enduring strength of
curiosity, creativity and resilience, values that sit at the heart of our mission. We hope this
exhibition offers meaningful moments of reflection for our guests, particularly young
people, and encourages them to think critically about their role in the world they are
inheriting.”
Learn more about the exhibit and other experiences that bring history and science to life at GriffinMSI.org.
SOURCE:
Griffin Museum of Science and Industry
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The Power of Curiosity: Building More Engaged Learners
(Feature Impact)Young children are naturally curious. They ask endless questions, investigate their surroundings and constantly test how the world works. While that curiosity can leave parents feeling exhausted or overwhelmed, it’s one of the most important drivers of early learning and development.
Curiosity helps children build confidence, develop critical thinking skills and become more engaged learners. Dr. Lauren Loquasto, senior vice president and chief academic officer at The Goddard School, and Mary-Alice Moore, president of Highlights for Children, share why curiosity matters and how parents can nurture it.
Why Curiosity Matters
Curiosity is the engine that drives learning for young children. When they are interested in a topic, they become more motivated to explore, ask questions and seek solutions. That process strengthens important skills such as attention, working memory, flexible thinking and problem-solving. It also helps develop confidence.
For young learners, confidence does not come from always knowing the answer; it comes from believing they can find it. Children who are encouraged to explore their interests and investigate new ideas learn that questions are valuable and discovery is rewarding. These experiences lay the foundation for a lifelong love of learning.
Curiosity Evolves as Children Grow
Curiosity looks different at each stage of development. For infants, it’s largely sensory. They learn by touching, tasting, listening and observing people and objects around them.
Toddlers often express curiosity through movement and repetition. Climbing, stacking, dumping, filling and repeating the same activity helps them understand how things work and builds their sense of control.
Preschoolers and kindergarteners become natural investigators. Their frequent “why” and “how” questions reflect a growing desire to understand relationships, solve problems and make sense of new experiences and the world around them.
As children grow, the role of adults evolves as well. Parents move from primarily protecting and guiding children to fostering environments that encourage exploration and independent thinking.
Follow Your Child’s Interests
One of the most effective ways to nurture curiosity is to pay attention to what naturally captures your child’s attention. Whether they’re fascinated by vehicles, animals or building structures, those interests can become powerful learning opportunities. When children are engaged in topics they enjoy, attention and persistence often develop organically.
Consider what causes your child to lose track of time. Those interests provide important clues about what motivates and excites them. Rather than rushing to provide answers, encourage deeper thinking by asking open-ended questions that invite them to explore their own ideas and observations.
Parents Don’t Need All the Answers
Many parents feel pressure to have answers for every question their child asks. In reality, one of the best responses is often “I don’t know. Let’s find out together.”
This models curiosity and shows your child that learning continues throughout life. It also transforms questions into shared experiences and opportunities for discovery. Encourage your child to remain engaged and curious using simple phrases such as:
- “That’s an interesting question.”
- “What do you think?”
- “Let’s investigate.”
If you’re unable to respond immediately, it’s important to acknowledge the question and return to it later. Following up communicates your child’s ideas and questions are valuable.
Setting Boundaries
Curiosity should be encouraged, but safe boundaries remain essential. When children become interested in something unsafe, simply saying “no” may stop the behavior, but it does little to support learning. Instead, explain why something is unsafe and redirect curiosity toward an appropriate alternative.
For example, if your child wants to explore knives, explain knives can hurt people then offer safe cooking tools or supervised kitchen activities to investigate instead.
Using Technology
Technology can play a positive role in nurturing curiosity when it’s used to extend real-world experiences rather than replace them.
After spotting a ladybug at the park, for example, a child might use videos or age-appropriate digital resources to learn more about insects. The real-world encounter sparks curiosity and technology helps deepen learning.
By listening, encouraging exploration and demonstrating curiosity yourself, you can help your child develop skills that extend far beyond the early years. For more parenting guidance, visit the Parent Resource Center at GoddardSchool.com. Visit Highlights.com for magazines, books and resources for parents and educators.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
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How Invasive Pests Spread and How You Can Help Stop Them
(Feature Impact) Invasive pests can hide in places you’d never expect, and once they spread, they can destroy the trees, plants and food people rely on every day. These pests pose a serious threat to agriculture, forests, ecosystems and the food supply. Many invasive species cannot travel far on their own; instead people unknowingly move them from place to place.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, invasive pests hitchhike on everyday items such as plants, produce, firewood, vehicles and outdoor equipment. That makes many common activities – from traveling and online shopping to camping and gardening – potential “pathways” for invasive pests to move and reach new areas. Understanding these pathways is the first step to stopping pests before they spread.
Traveling Abroad
When you travel abroad and return from another country, the agricultural items you bring back can introduce new invasive pests into the U.S. and threaten crops or trees that have no natural defenses against them. Even harmless-looking fruit, seed packets or souvenirs made with plant materials can carry pests such as fruit flies and diseases like citrus canker. That’s why it’s critical travelers declare food, plants and other agricultural products when entering the country from abroad.
Shopping Online
Just because you can order seeds and plants from sellers around the world, it doesn’t mean those items are legal or safe to import. In fact, some invasive snails and plant diseases have entered the U.S. this way. Many agricultural products from overseas require permits, inspections or special paperwork before they can enter the country. Buyers should check where an item ships from, learn the import requirements before purchasing and make sure sellers follow all labeling and shipping rules.
Partaking in Outdoor Activities
When you spend time outdoors hiking, camping, hunting or fishing, you could inadvertently spread invasive species. For example, transporting firewood from one location to another can spread tree-killing insects, such as the emerald ash borer, which can live inside the wood and emerge later in a new area. The safest choice is to buy or use firewood where you burn it. Additionally, clean all outdoor clothing, gear, equipment and vehicles before leaving an area.
Moving Outdoor Equipment
When you move to a new home, your move can create another opportunity for invasive insects to travel. Before relocating patio furniture, grills, trailers or lawn equipment, inspect and clean them carefully. Look for insects, plant debris and egg masses like spotted lanternfly egg masses, which can blend into outdoor surfaces and look like smears of mud or clumps of dirt. A few minutes of checking and cleaning before you move can help prevent pests from invading your new neighborhood.
Invasive pests cost the U.S. billions of dollars every year and damage forests, farms, parks and backyards. Stopping invasive pests starts with simple steps anyone can take: checking what you pack, clean, move and buy. When everyone does their part, fewer pests spread and communities stay healthier and more resilient.
Visit aphis.usda.gov/hungrypests to learn more about how invasive pests spread and the simple steps you can take to help stop them and protect America’s agriculture and natural resources.
Invasive Pest Protection Checklist
- Declare all food, plants and agricultural items when returning from another country.
- When ordering items online, check where the products ship from and verify U.S. import rules before buying.
- If you’re camping, buy firewood where you plan to burn it. Clean clothing, gear and vehicles before leaving.
- Before moving to a new home, inspect outdoor furniture and equipment, looking closely for egg masses or insects.
Content courtesy of USDA.
SOURCE:
United States Department of Agriculture
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