Obamas host White House Easter Egg Roll

The Obama family is hosting its first White House Easter Egg Roll. The annual event draws thousands of children and their parents to the South Lawn White House on the Monday after Easter each year.

After a brief technical difficulty with the microphone, the President and First Lady spoke to the crowd, and then President Obama blew the whistle to begin one of the children's rolling contests. Later the president read from Where The Wild Things Are, a children's picture book by Maurice Sendak.

The Easter Egg Roll is a White House tradition that dates back to 1878. The White House says it is the largest public event held at the White House since the Obamas greeted guests in the Blue Room the day after the Inauguration.

As many as 30,000 families from 45 states and the District of Columbia were expected to converge on the South Lawn.

The White House is providing live streaming video of the event.