Springtime Roundup at Disneyland's Big Thunder Ranch

There's always something blooming at the Disneyland Resort!  They are celebrating springtime and Easter in a big way down at Big Thunder Ranch with the Springtime Roundup event, running from March 20 till April 12.  I was at the Disneyland Resort on March 20, and I stopped by Big Thunder Ranch to take a peek and share in all the hoppyness and excitement. Here's a rundown of all the best things to enjoy at this year's Springtime Roundup:

The main area still retains its down-home country feel, but there's a springtime feel, with touches of pastel in the flowers and the decor.

Guests can take part in special Easter themed crafts like decorating your own Easter eggs.

There are crayons and coloring crafts strewn around the tables for kids to enjoy.

There's a hoedown with musicians and dancers (love the pastel-checkered outfits!) teaching kids the bunny hop and other country dances.

Character meet-and-greets at the Springtime Roundup include Rabbit from Winnie-the-Pooh, Roger Rabbit, the Easter Bunny, Thumper (see the bunny theme?), Pluto (with bunny ears!), Jessie from Toy Story, and of course Minnie and Mickey in their springtime cowboy outfits.  Even though it was the very first day, the lines to meet the characters did not seem to long, probably because Big Thunder Ranch is out of the way.

Of course, it wouldn't be Big Thunder Ranch without the petting zoo and donkey pens!  The Springtime Roundup ends April 12, so grab yer pardners and mosey on down to Big Thunder Ranch and join in the fun.

Disclosure: I did not receive a sample or monetary compensation for this post. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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Non-candy Easter basket fillers

Not that I don't love me some chocolate, but it seems like we're constantly celebrating some holiday with food and candy. From Christmas to New Years to Valentines to St. Patricks Day to Easter to Mothers Day to Fathers Day to the 4th of July to Halloween to Thanksgiving, there's hardly a month that goes by without a spoonful of sugar! Add all the birthday treats that the kids get in the classroom, plus the treats I can't resist buying from time to time (and forget to hide from the kids), and we're talking a yearlong sugar high.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not against celebrating, and I'm not against celebrating with food -- it's just about moderation. Why not alternate candy and non-candy holiday celebrations? Filling up Easter baskets, Halloween buckets and Christmas stockings is a precious tradition for many families, but it doesn't have to be all about the candy.

With that in mind, below are some suggestions for Easter Egg Hunt prizes and Easter Egg baskets that won't rot your kids' teeth. These toys are inexpensive (all less than $10) but hardly qualify as junk: they are all great toys that I highly recommend, and your child will be playing with them long after the chocolate bunnies and jellybean eggs have rotted away.

	The 2011 Playmobil Easter Eggs are as cute as ever. This year they have 4 varieties -- scientist, Mongolian warrior, fairy and ghost pirate -- and each includes a figure with several accessories inside a plastic egg. They come up with a different set every year so these are a real collector's item for Playmobil enthusiasts, but they're only $6.99 each! I bought my kids Playmobil eggs a couple of years ago and like all things Playmobil, the toys have stood the test of time.
	Who needs rabbits when you've got hamsters? Zhu Zhu Pets' latest hamsters ($9.99) are pastel-colored, with cute polka-dot and two-tone designs. They're as bright as jelly beans, and just as sweet (and speaking of Zhu Zhu Pets, check out my Zhu Zhu pets springtime giveaway!)
	If you're going to buy a stuffed bunny, make it a Webkinz bunny (Webkinz is one of my kids' all-time favorite toys). Your kid will get a virtual bunny to play with along with the real thing! Okay, I'm cheating by recommending the Webkinz Marshmallow Bunny. It's actually over $10 (it'll cost you anywhere from $14 to $16, and if you find it at a Justice store you can use a 40% off coupon), but you can find their Lil'Kinz Rabbit for $9.99 or less.
	Mr. Spud Bunny ($7.99) is a great Easter present for girls and boys alike. Like many of my favorite toys, you can mix and match Mr. Spud Bunny with your other Mr. Potatohead parts-- so just throw him into your Mr. Potatohead bin and you've got a great addition to your collection!
	For older girls, Cahooties ($6.99) are great to play with a friend. They're just like those paper fortune-tellers that you used to fold and play with as a kid, but more durable, colorful and fun.
	Another great toys for Easter Egg hunts is Weebles, those egg-shaped toddler toys that wibble and wobble, but never fall down. They even look like eggs! You can buy regular Weebles or make it Easter-themed with the Weebles Spring Basket ($6.99 for 2) with a chick and lamb or chick and bunny. You can hide them just like regular eggs (just wash them before they get into your babies' exploring hands and mouths!)
	These Play-Doh Spring Eggs ($3.99) are perfect for your Easter Egg hunt! Parents love them because they don't have to spend hours filling up plastic eggs with candy, and because kids will be developing creativity, not cavities. Girls and boys love them because the eggs (and the Play-Doh) come in cute pastel colors, and because Play-Doh is just plain fun.
	More sweet little eggs: these Littlest Pet Shop Eggs ($5.99 for 2) come pre-filled with adorable Littlest Pet Shop Animals. The Pea can't resist their big-eyed animals, and now that the line also has a little girl, Blythe, she can pretend that Blythe owns all the Littlest Pet Shop pets, making them more fun to collect than ever.
	I feel like it wouldn't be fair to my boys if I didn't include some sort of "pure" boy toy on this list -- however, Easter-themed boy toys are harder to find. I found these Matchbox Egg-mobiles on Amazon for $12.99, which breaks my under-$10 rule, but you can always buy Matchbox or Hotwheels cars and stuff them into plastic eggs yourself.

Disclosure: In the past, I have reviewed other products from the brands featured here; however, I did not receive any product or other form of compensation to include these products on my list. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Dinosaur Train Easter Giveaway

Easter is almost here, and Dinosaur Train has some fun ideas to make the holiday extra-special:

	Load up your iPhone, iPod or iPad with the Dinosaur Train Eggspress application ($2.99). Your child can find and match dinosaur eggs, discover real flora and fauna from the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous eras, learn fun dinosaur facts, and read from a Dinosaur Baby Book.
	Instead of candy eggs, pack your little ones' Easter baskets with these Dinosaur Train Hatchers. The characters from Dinosaur Train hatch from their eggs and grow 4x their size! Just place the egg in water and wait for it to crack.
	If your little dino lover is having a birthday party, check out this Dinosaur Train cake decorating kit -- it comes with a plastic Buddy the Dinosaur T-Rex figure, a Dinosaur Train with actual moving wheels, and a thin plastic one sided pic of Tiny the Pteranodon. You can even save all these fun cake toppers to play with after the party.
	Not up for all that cake decorating? Make (or buy!) some cupcakes instead, and top them with Dinosaur Train Cupcake Rings, featuring Buddy and Tiny, from DecoPac. That way no one will complain about getting a piece that's too small, or has too little frosting, and everyone gets one fun cupcake topper to take home.

Win a Dinosaur Train Cake Decorating Kit
One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will receive a Dinosaur Train cake decorating kit.


Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post and tell me what you are putting in your child's Easter basket. This entry must be completed before extra entries qualify.


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The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on April 16, 2011; I will draw a winner at random on April 17 and post the winner's name after the winner confirms acceptance. Continental US residents only. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

Disclosure: I did not receive a sample or monetary compensation for this post. Thanks to the Jim Henson Company and Three-Sixty Communications for providing these giveaway prizes. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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