This Year's White House Easter Egg Roll Had an Under-Hyped 'Sensory Friendly' Hour

I’ve never been, but the annual White House Easter Egg Roll, with its activities and costumed characters and performances, always seems a bit of a zoo. A blast for attendees, I’m sure, but it’s loud and crowded and full of moving colors (see the video below). So it was nice to hear that this year’s event, attended by some 30,000 people (I rest my case), featured a “sensory-friendly hour.”

Offered in the morning, the inclusive hour included shorter lines, reduced noise, sports, and audio-sensory eggs that beeped for the visually impaired. I’m not sure what else was on tap, at least not from any official White House releases. (If there was mention of it on the White House’s official egg roll site, in the House Briefing Room address, or in the remarks made by President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at the 2023 event itself, I couldn’t find it.) The hour also got very little press post-event. It seems like a missed opportunity to shout about the need for inclusivity.

The overall event featured sessions such as School House, Reading Nook, PE (the theme, as it was in 2022, was labeled “EGGucation!”). To attend, you had to win a ticket in a public lottery or volunteer (or maybe know someone). In a nice touch, children 13 and younger were gifted, or supposed to have been, a souvenir wooden egg. Either way, don’t worry — you can always buy an Official White House Easter Egg set, but I refuse to share its link.

For photos of the 2023 White House Easter Egg Roll, visit USAtoday.com.

For a wrap-up video, check out the below. And beware of loud music, this is not the sensory-friendly portion!