Beeping Easter egg hunt for kids who are blind

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — With Easter approaching, your family is most likely gearing up for an Easter egg hunt, and for those kids who are blind, there’s a very special Easter egg hunt just for them to be included in the holiday fun.

Lighthouse Louisiana and the Lions Club 8S are hosting a beeping Easter egg hunt that is sure to be “egg-straordinary.”

“All of the eggs make noise. One of them is a loud, buzzing sound. Then we have another one that almost sounds like a smoke alarm, and then the third type we have is a chirping egg that sounds like little chicks,” Margaret Shepherd, occupational therapist and early intervention specialist at Lighthouse Louisiana said.

“A beeping Easter egg hunt looks like you would imagine, with a traditional Easter egg hunt, but all the eggs make different noises. That way children with visual impairments can find the eggs without having to visually locate them. Just to have an experience for the holiday that someone who could see would have,” Shepherd said.

The beeping Easter egg hunt is fun, but education for kids who are visually impaired too.

“They can use their sense of hearing to find the eggs. This is a great way for someone who’s visually impaired to practice their foundational blindness skills.” Shepherd said.

Family members for those who are blind will get a blindfold to put on to give them the experience of what it’s like to try and find Easter eggs without being able to see, and there will be someone there to guide and assist the kids on the Easter egg hunt.

Ricky Gaines with Lions Club 8S said, “Lion’s Club is an organization that focuses on vision. Our mission is to take care of our community, making sure everyone feels wanted and needed.”

Lions Clubs of District 8S have generously donated food, drinks, prizes and treats, making this a special Easter “egg-stravaganza.”

“Visual impairment is a pretty rare disability. It is a great opportunity for kids with visual impairment to interact with one another,” Shepherd said.

The beeping Easter egg hunt will take place on Saturday, April 12, at Parc Des Families in Marrero. This will be the 9th year for this Easter egg hunt.

All the kids who participate will be given an Easter basket with candy and other Easter goodies.

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