Green Daily

For some reason, every year at Easter otherwise logical people go to pieces over little baby ducks and little baby bunnies. If it stopped at oohing, aahing and cooing, that would be fine. But some softies actually buy these tiny creatures for their kids.

This is the rare occasion when marshmallow Peeps are the healthier decision, for the kids and the ducks and bunnies.

For one thing, those chicks can carry salmonella, which can cause some seriously nasty sickness in a little kid. For another thing, bunnies and chicks require a lot of care, probably more than you realize when your brain is caught up in a cuteness coma.

Respect for animals definitely grows when you have firsthand experience with them, but having a hutch or a coop in the backyard is more commitment than most of us want or need!

To give your kids a taste of the miracle of barnyard life, check out Petting Zoo, a national listing of petting zoos and plan a springtime trip when all the babies are being born. It will be a memorable experience for the whole family, and best of all, won't lead to a situation where you're looking for homes for Easter the Bunny's fifteen offspring!

By the way -- birds should never be dyed any colors of the rainbow, but I'm going to assume that if you're reading this, you are already aware of this basic concept of animal care.