I can hear the papers rustling. The frantic scratch of a coloured pencil. The snip snip snip of little hands carefully cutting their Easter baskets, ready for the Easter Bunny to come and reward them for all their hard work at school.
Little do my class of 20 or so Year 1 students know that I, am in fact, the Easter Bunny, among Santa Claus and everything else in between. The smell of PVA glue fills the air as my students scramble to have their craft projects ready and on the edge of their desks. Waiting to be filled with a yummy hot cross bun and maybe some chocolate eggs…
The Easter Bunny visits their class room early, don’t you know? Usually on a Thursday. They have lots of houses to visit, I tell my class. ‘Just like Santa?’ one of my students pipes up.
‘Yes, just like Santa,’ I respond. They look at me in awe. Santa always seems to get so much of the credit. Let’s not forget the poor old work of the Easter Bunny.
Getting ready for the Easter Bunny to come. Image: iStock.
I'd go as far as to argue Easter is one of the most underrated holidays of the year and it most certainly shouldn't be that way. It's full of special little moments that we shouldn't forget. Here's why Easter is every Aussie kid's favourite holiday:
1. Holidays: EVERYONE, loves holidays.
The Easter long weekend is the first set of real holidays we get after Christmas. And let's make no mistake, I've never met a kid (or adult) who says they don't like holidays. No student is going to ever turn down a few extra days away from the classroom no matter how much they love their teacher. *cough*
2. Making Hot Cross Buns with the family.
Last year my niece, nephew and I got on the Hot Cross Bun baking train. They're surprisingly easy to make on your own and there's nothing more that kids enjoy than making a huge mess in the kitchen.
While I'm a big fan of the fruit version, my niece and nephew went nuts when we switched to chocolate instead. After baking and cooling, the simplest and way to eat them is toasted and then smother them with spreadable butter. YUM.
A key ingredient for making delicious hot cross buns. Image: Supplied.
3. The Easter Bunny comes to visit.
As a kid, there most exciting part of Easter was waking up to see that the Easter Bunny had paid a visit to my house. Trailing from my bed to the hallway would be a huge row of chocolate eggs usually leading to an even bigger bounty of a chocolate bunny. I'd grab the carefully placed wicker basket next to my bed and begin collecting.
Now that we're adults, my family have upped the ante for the kids. The Easter Bunny, in all it's pink fuzzy glory comes to play with the kids at my sister's house. Please don't tell them it's really my brother-in-law who's reluctantly jumped in a head to toe suit on a stifling hot day. Shhh.
4. Going on Easter eggs hunts.
When it's time to announce an Easter egg hunt is about to begin, that's when the true competitiveness in every child comes out to play. Suddenly their cheerful smiles turn into game faces and their's no better reward than collecting more eggs than your cousin.
Sometimes the adults get involved and there's an all out war. To be honest I really enjoy the set up, trying to find the most hard to reach places that really leave the kids chuffed when they discover them. Oh and of course there's the ripping into them afterwards.
Can't wait for the Easter egg hunt. Image: iStock.
5. Spending time with your loves ones.
Easter is one of those few opportunities you get in the year to come together with your loved ones and spend time with them. Between lunch and scoffing down and array of Easter goodies is when those memories that you'll never forget are made. It's a really special time of the year for kids that we shouldn't take for granted.
So let's make a pact. When it rolls around to Easter time, let's not let it pass us by and remember that for so many Aussie kids, it well and truly is their favourite holiday of the year. Maybe we can ever agree to scoff a few hot crossed buns smothered in spreadable butter (mmm, butter) in between.
Sounds like a deal to me. Deal? Okay, let's do it.
What do you love about Easter?
This post was written thanks to our brand partner Western Star.