BIDDEFORD — The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife Hundreds of children, basket in hand, stood anxiously alongside parents or grandparents in front of Biddeford Primary School on Saturday morning, waiting for the Biddeford Recreation Department’s annual Easter egg hunt to begin and their chance to collect the treat-filled eggs. Recreation Department Program Coordinator Matthew Duplisea first laid down the ground rules — only 10 Easter eggs per child, and behave in a calm and orderly fashion.

“We’ve got 6,000 eggs, so I think we’ve got enough for everybody,” he said.

The children stood patiently, waiting for the magic words to come from the program coordinator’s mouth.

“On your mark, get set, Happy Easter,” said Duplisea. The children descended upon the school field, where the thousands of candy-filled plastic eggs were scattered. A lucky few would find a special egg, with a ticket inside that could be later redeemed for a prize.

Two-year-old Jack McCarthy of Biddeford bent down in the grass and carefully selected eggs to put in his basket.

This was his first time at the event, said his mother, Holly. She said her older son was in Kindergarten, and the family had just begun to get involved with Recreation Department activities and was happy to have access to events like the Easter egg hunt.

“It’s awesome,” she said.

After they collected their 10 eggs, the children went inside the school and got down to business.

Two-year-old Julia Johnson of Saco sat at a table and emptied her basket, then opened the eggs with the help of her mother, Tara. When the eggs were all emptied, Tara gathered the plastic eggs, which the Recreation Department was collecting to reuse next year, and Julia looked over her small loot of candy, deciding which piece to eat first.

Duplisea then had a special announcement — though it had begun raining, children were invited to go out to the field again —”If you’re brave enough” to withstand the weather — and collect some of the leftover eggs.

Some went outside for a second round of egg collecting, while others stayed dry inside and played games in the gymnasium, did crafts or got their picture taken with the Easter Bunny.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be reached at 780-9015 or by email at [email protected].