When Kyle Ard organized big Easter Egg hunts on Ard’s farm in Lewisburg several years ago, she sectioned off areas for children of three age groups. The parents, she said, were supposed to stand on the outside. Instead, many followed their children around, picked up eggs for them, and in some cases, pushed other children out of the way.

“After several years of unsportsmanlike conduct, we decided not to do big egg hunts anymore,” Ard said. “The egg hunt is geared toward children of specific age groups. With parents, it loses the idea.”

So Ard’s farm now hosts “Breakfast with Easter bunny” — food, crafts and activities for children, including a small, more-manageable egg hunt. Ard hides a combination of dyed and plastic eggs, chocolate bunnies and Easter candy in straw. “You really have to dig them out,” she said with a chuckle.

“With small groups of 15 to 20 kids, it is a much more controlled environment,” Ard said. This year’s event took place yesterday.

The chairman of Millmont West Union Area Lions club, Kenneth Campbell, agreed that parent involvement during egg hunts creates distractions.

“The biggest problem we have is mothers running in with the little ones,” he said.

The club organizes its egg hunt for 150 to 200 children at the West End Fair Ground in Laurelton, which was held yesterday. In preparation for the event, 18 to 20 club volunteers dyed more than 1,000 eggs in the local school cafeterias.

“We make them pretty obvious, so the kids can find them,” Campbell said. “We just make sure everyone gets an egg.” Children ages 1 to 12 participate in the egg hunt. “It seems to be enjoyed by the small community,” Campbell said.

The First Presbyterian Church of Lewisburg also hosts an egg hunt for children old enough to walk to fifth grade students. Pauline King, a church staff member, said, 60 to 100 kids attend the egg hunt every year.

The eggs are hidden in bushes or trees for older children, while they are in plain view on the lawn for the younger ones. The church uses plastic, candy-filled eggs for the hunt.

Their only rule: Don’t knock anyone down.

Because the age groups are separate, there hasn’t been any problems with running the egg hunt. “These are kids associated with the church, and most of them come with friends,” King said. “Everyone sort of has a connection.”

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Remaining Easter egg hunts