As much as I hate to say it, Easter is going to feel really weird for a lot of us this year. We're going to be looking for Easter egg alternatives, for one thing. Why? So that people who need food (and can't get it easily with all the shortages) can have a better chance of eating. Yes, it's important.

Truth be told--and personally--it's always felt wasteful to me to buy a carton of eggs knowing full well that I'm going to decorate them, hide them, and then shortly thereafter, throw them away. I didn't plan to look for Easter egg alternatives for this reason, but in a way, I'm glad to have a reason to start a new tradition. One thing at a time, though.

But geez, we have kids, right? How the heck are we supposed to tell them they can't dye eggs this year?

Fortunately, we have a few good things on our side.

1. Kids are really resilient--especially if we involve them in problem solving. I opted to be really straightforward with my child. I told her matter-of-factly that the grocery stores are short on eggs this year, so we'd need to find something else to decorate. Being that she's six, she instantly and naturally went into creative mode. She proceeded to grab a peel of garlic off a clove, wrap it in some packaging tape, and say it would work as an "egg." So, yeah. At my house, we'll be hunting for...you've got it right...wrapped garlic peels this year. We have her full enthusiasm and buy-in since it was her idea. (I'm still working on my peace with it, truth be told.) But garlic it is!
2. We have lots of Easter egg alternatives at our disposal. We can dye other things. Some might even look and feel a lot like the real deal.
3. Kids have the best imaginations of any of us.

Easter Egg Alternatives

Brainstorming at the dinner table last night, here's what we came up with for Easter egg alternatives. Maybe some of them will work for your home this year, too.

• Dye some wooden eggs!
• Re-use the plastic eggs you've used in years past. Still have them? Great! You can decorate them with

  

  stickers, with colorful tape, paint, or whatever you've got handy!

• Use your egg dye to dye your Easter egg alternatives. We like this natural one (non-toxic and better for the planet than some of the popular alternatives). It can work for lots of things:
  • Rocks
  • Blocks (natural wood ones like these -- and it'd still be fun to play later!)
  • Balled up paper

    

  • Pieces of cloth from an old rag or t-shirt you don't need anymore
  • Cotton balls
  • Ping pong balls
• Cut pieces of paper into egg shapes and make it a family art project.
• Pick the new thing to hide! Make it totally silly. Who can find Daddy's smelly sock? The hidden baseball?
• Try paper mache!
• Let your child decide (even if it means you end up with garlic eggs like us)!

Easter egg alternatives don't replace the "real deal." But maybe this is one of those reminders that the eggs aren't what Easter is really about, anyway.

Easter itself, by its very definition, is a holiday about sacrifice and rebirth. It's about losing one thing so that we can gain another -- a much better "thing" that goes far beyond that which was temporary. When we keep that in mind, it's the perfect metaphor to help us let go of some of our traditions this year -- including Easter eggs -- and help us start something new. There's no time like the present to be putting others first.

I'd love to hear what traditions you're starting this year -- or what you're trying on a temporary basis. Comment below!

Related: The Easter Bunny: Should We Tell Kids the Truth?

Sarah R. Moore is an internationally published writer and the founder of Dandelion Seeds Positive Parenting. You can follow her on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram. She’s currently worldschooling her family. Her glass is half full.