Members of Hinsdale’s Parks Department stood sentry over the Easter eggs spread in Robbins Park Saturday morning. The circle of eager families around the eggs started forming a half hour before the egg hunt was scheduled to start and by 10:30 a.m. it had grown several rows deep.
“It’s almost harder sometimes to keep the parents out when the hunt starts,” said recreation supervisor Sammy Hanzel, standing in the middle.
Volunteers from the Community House and the village staff had spread about 12,000 plastic eggs filled with pieces of candy in the field east of the building, said Community House senior recreation supervisor Beth Hahn.
The grass was green, but the ground was soft and muddy in spots.
“What’s a little mud. It makes it more fun,” Hanzel said.
“We’ve come before. It’s always muddy,” said Jennifer Weil, who was wearing high rubber boots while watching her children make a picture frame and other crafts in the Community House.
Tim and Renee Sobieraj, also helped their sons at the craft table, away from the excitement growing outside. The family moved to Hinsdale from La Grange a month ago.
“We will be panicking in a few minutes,” said Tim, referring to the imminent start of the egg hunt.
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Jen McNeer and Michele Tydus from La Grange were there with their 7-year-old sons.
“They like the hunt, the petting zoo and the playground,” Jen McNeer said.
Gavin McNeer was pleading with his best friend, Nathan Tydus, to leave the pen of animals because the hunt was about to start.
Gavin is focused, his mother said. “He is competitive by nature, so this is right up his alley.”
But Nathan was enjoying feeding the baby goats and petting the other animals, which included ducks and 2.5 week-old piglets.
Gavin ran back to the egg hunt as the crowd joined the staff in the countdown, 7, 6, 5, . . . to zero. Children carrying baskets, buckets and bags swarmed across the grass, crouching down to gather the plastic eggs.
As Hanzel predicted, within 30 to 60 seconds, no eggs remained on the ground. Instead, the field was filled with children walking heads down, checking for eggs that might have been overlooked, and parents looking for their children.