According to some child safety experts, parents would be well advised to become "eggsperts" before making some Easter plans.

"Eggs are a big part of our kids' Easter traditions, but they also come with some inherent risks," said Linda DeRoseDroubay, director of Safety and Quality Compliance at Virginia-based The Children's Group Inc., publisher of children's catalogs HearthSong and Magic Cabin. "There are some commonsense measures that parents can take to make sure Easter stays fun for everyone."

She offers up these tips for moms and dads:

•Always buy eggs from a refrigerated case and keep them refrigerated before boiling them in preparation for decorating. Be sure to check the "Sell by" dates.

•When boiling eggs, make sure the water is hot (185 to 190 degrees F). Cool eggs in cold water or allow cooling slowly at room temperature.

•When eggs are hardcooked, the shell's protective coating is washed away, leaving open pores in the shell where harmful bacteria could enter. Be sure to refrigerate eggs within two hours of cooking and use them within a week.

•Don't eat or cook cracked eggs or eggs that have been unrefrigerated for more than two hours.

•For decorated Easter eggs that are eaten, be sure to use only foodgrade dye. Some people make two sets of eggs: one for decorating and hiding, another for eating.

•Make sure to wash and rewash hands, utensils and work surfaces to keep bacteria from spreading.

•Hide eggs in places that are protected from dirt, pets and other bacteria sources.

•Limit the hiding and hunting time for real eggs to two hours. Refrigerate them immediately if they are to be eaten.

•Eggs found hours later or the next day should be thrown out, not eaten.

•Consider using plastic eggs instead of real eggs for Easter egg hunts.

On the hiding front, DeRoseDroubay offers these words of caution:

•Remember to avoid hiding places near electrical outlets or plugs.

•Keep eggs at or below eye level of younger children.

•Don't hide eggs in cupboards or drawers with dangerous products.

•Don't hide eggs in, on or under glass.

•Don't hide eggs in preexisting holes in the ground or trees.

•Don't hide eggs in any foliage that has thorns or that looks potentially dangerous or poisonous. If the foliage doesn't look familiar, don't put an egg in it.

•Don't hide eggs in any animal's home, food bowl or play area.

•Don't hide eggs where pesticides or poisons have recently been sprayed.

•Don't hide eggs in tool sheds. •Keep count and track of the eggs hidden.