It's Hunting Season

"Holy Easter Eggs, Batman, it's hunting season!"

Have you seen how many Easter Egg Hunts are taking place in the next few weeks?!

Not to mention any that may be happening at your local religious establishments that are not listed here!

Will this be your little one's first attempt at hunting for Easter Eggs? Well, he or she will certainly be able to get in a lot of practice!

You can hunt for eggs at local parks, local historical societies, or at your local community center! Whichever venue you chose, they all look like they're going to be a blast.

Unfortunately, unless you already got your tickets online, the White House Egg Hunt is closed! But, never fear, there are still plenty of local events to attend and enjoy!

And if you didn't get a chance to visit the Easter Bunny at your local mall (see the listing for local mall times), you can still visit the Easter Bunny at some of these events!

Here a few things to keep in mind about local Easter Egg Hunts.

Most of them separate the kids according to age so that the toddlers aren't hunting along with the eight-year-olds. So, make sure you find out the exact time to be there for your little one's age group. Most of these events are rain or shine, so be sure to dress your child appropriately. It will likely be muddy with all the rain we've been having, so rain boots and a play coat might be a better choice over Easter Morning garb. Be sure to register early for the event you want to attend. Many events have walk-in registration, but some do not. And finally, remember to take a basket (and your camera) for you child to collect eggs in. Some places will provide a bag if you don't have one, but it's best to take your own.

I hope you will enjoy attending any of the events listed. I have listed the Easter Egg Hunt events in blue! If you notice, there is also a Dinosaur Egg Hunt happening in Great Falls. That sounds like great fun!

Happy Hunting and please visit us often. If you have an event to submit, please do so here.

We've also added a new feature, The Mailing List. So, if you'd like to receive updates right to your e-mail box, please submit your e-mail address here. You can choose to unsubscribe at any time.

The Leesburg Animal Park opens this weekend!

I have lived in this area long enough to say that I can't believe I didn't know about the Leesburg Animal Park!

If you haven't been there, I hope you'll check out their "official video" on their website.

What kid doesn't like animals? The park runs the gamut from standard petting zoo goats and bunnies to zebras, monkeys, and a giant tortoise. They also offer pony rides. It's an all day learning experience for kids of all ages. They even offer a coupon for $2 off on their site.

For what you get, the prices are very reasonable. Of course, to me, paying a good price at an interactive zoo helps me know that the animals are well cared for and maintained.

I hope you'll check out this fun place right in our own back yard. I certainly plan to take my kids soon.

Also, check out information on their fall event, Pumpkinville.

Have a pleasant weekend!

Improved With Search Capability

Childrens-Events.com has been improved!

I was originally posting events in short paragraphs for the sake of conversation style. I wanted it to be a personal site. Tables are so impersonal. But I found that people were having problems reading the information. Sometimes, compartmentalizing is not a bad thing, I guess.

So, I've also added a search engine to the home page. In case you're looking for that special event but don't know the name of it.

I am very excited about the updates to the site. I hope you find it easier to navigate. Let me know what you think!?

For this weekend my recommendation for choice entertainment is another children's consignment sale event submitted by Cindy - thanks, Cindy!! Check it out here. I've never attended this event but it appears to be well organized and to have a good following. It's a perfect time to go shopping for your kids. Springtime means lots of playtime outdoors at the park, in the garden, or on the sidewalk with chalk and street paint! What better place to buy play clothes than a consignment sale?

Have a wonderful weekend and please update me on any events that are not already listed.

What's your favorite circus act?

Do you like the circus? I do. My favorite circus acts are the trapeze act and the acrobats! I've always been awed by the grace and agility demonstrated by these performers.

What I don't enjoy about the circus? The cost! It's easy to drop $200 to go to a show. And in today's economy, that is not a cost many of us are willing to spend.

Fortunately, Jodifur is giving away a set of four tickets to the circus. The tickets apply to DC, VA, and MD - to the opening day show only.

Go sign up to win. The details are on her blog.

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Is your child ready to visit the circus?

Here are these easy ways to tell:

1) Circus' are often very crowded and busy places. Be sure your child can handle many things happening at once. The circus can be extremely overwhelming, even for an adult. Over stimulation is no fun for anyone.

2) Believe it or not, the fear of clowns is a very common fear. Experts believe it may be triggered during very early childhood. Small children are still trying to gauge the world around them. Clowns with static expressions render a person unable to gauge feelings properly and can lead to a phobia. Being vigilant of this phobia while attending the circus will give you and your child a safe experience.

3) And finally, at the circus there are live animals who defecate naturally. Precautions are taken so that visitors are not in direct contact with anything that may be hazardous. However, the smell can often be very pungent and is unavoidable. Children who are overly sensitive may become overwhelmed in this environment.

You are the best judge of what your child can handle. Considering their age, their tendencies, and their fears is an important part of knowing if your child is ready to attend the circus. Don't be afraid to leave in the middle of the show. You'll be grateful you did.

If you deem that your child is not ready, you can still enjoy a good circus show on television. This way, you can pause the action to explain what's happening and give them an opportunity to ask questions.

By no means is this meant to discourage you from attending. I can't wait to take my daughter this year!

Birds and Cameras

We took the kids to the Meadowlark 2009 Photography Expo today. It was free for the kids and my husband and I together only paid $5/each. We didn't go for the photography exhibit as much as for the opportunity to view the birds from the Raptor Conservancy of Virginia. I thought the kids would enjoy seeing real birds of prey; something they may never have a chance to view up close otherwise.

It was a beautiful day. Perfect f0r walking through this beautiful garden that is in our own backyard!

The cost for photographing the birds was $25 for 45 minutes and four birds per time slot. The money of course went to fund the conservancy. I thought the turnout of photographers was pretty good; many of whom had cameras way better than ours. It was absolutely worth the cost, of course. This is just one of the almost 400 shots I took of these birds. It was incredible being so close to them. The kids enjoyed them too. We also got to see some owls.

I hope you will make time to attend this event, if not tomorrow, then next year. It is an annual event and it is well worth the effort to attend.

By the way, remember tomorrow is daylight savings; we lose an hour... it's Spring Forward!