The White House Easter Egg Roll Is Back!
Language
Reading Level
Listen to Article
Despite biting cold rain, close to 30,000 ticketed guests descended upon the South Lawn of the White House for the annual Easter Egg Roll on April 18, 2022. The beloved tradition was canceled for the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The fun event featured a variety of Easter-themed activities, along with appearances by popular costumed characters and celebrities.
“This year, we’re finally getting together again, and it’s so special,” a beaming Mr. Biden said from the White House balcony. “It means so much to see and hear the children and all the families show up to be here today.”
The day-long event was broken down into five sessions to accommodate the large number of guests, who were randomly selected from an online lottery. The fun began at about 7:30 am EST, when the first group of children scrambled to find some of the nearly 50,000 colorful eggs scattered around the South Lawn gardens. They then awaited the president's whistle to roll their newly-found treasures down the soggy marked lanes with their long spoons.
Following the egg roll, families explored the various fun activities organized for the day. This year's theme, "EGGucation," created by First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, transformed the South Lawn into a school community full of fun educational activities. They included a "cafetorium" for making and sampling snacks and a schoolhouse offering fun tasks like Easter egg dyeing. A reading nook allowed educators, authors, and surprise guests — like Dr. Biden — to read aloud popular children's books to a rapt young audience.
Young guests could also embark on a "field trip" to a farm or showcase an “egg-citing”’ act or performance at the talent show station. Those looking for more activity made their way to the physical "EGGucation" zone to try their luck at the obstacle course. Military bands, giant costumed Minions, Sesame Street characters, and other beloved kid personalities added to the festivities.
In the early 1870s, the Easter Egg Roll was held on the west grounds of the U.S. Capitol. However, in 1876, US lawmakers, concerned about the damage to the perfectly-terraced lawn, passed a law prohibiting the public use of the Capitol grounds for egg rolls. In 1878, President Rutherford B. Hayes opened the White House's South Lawn — previously reserved for the First Family’s private Easter activities — to egg rollers, and a new, fun tradition was born.
Resources: Whitehouse.gov, Ksla.com, Whitehousehistory.org, usatoday.com, nypost.ocm
Get the Workbook for this article!
Workbook contains: Article, Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking Questions, Vocabulary in Context (+ answers), Multiple Choice Quiz (+ answers), Parts of Speech Quiz (+ answers), Vocabulary Game (+ answers)Cite Article
Learn Keywords in this Article
55 Comments
rizzer7 monthsthat's a good way to get education in a very fun way
skyward_flight9 monthsThat's sooo cool!
tuzavyzyhola11 monthsi want to go
angelo104050512 monthsI love Easter very much❤️
iamsilencedabout 1 yeareaster is always fun!!
ashleystarabout 1 yearIt looks like so much fun! That's why I love easter.
Luna Eabout 1 yearI wish I was there. I could have seen the president and have fun. And I love the picture with the macaron white house. [So sweet...] 🐰🐥
31astrohover 1 yearI can't believe those kids got to go to the White house to have fun. Wish i was there. But wasn't really fun. At least they get to meet the president. Cool😎😎😎
minseoover 1 yearI wish I was there having fun
adroit_avimimusover 1 yearI would've loved to have done this!