Easter egg roll at the White House

Barack Obama chats with the Easter Bunny during the Easter egg roll at the White House Photograph: Saul Loeb /AFP

Pop star Fergie sang The Star-Spangled Banner before the president greeted the crowd Photograph: Roger L Wollenberg/Getty

Barack Obama said the Easter egg roll "reminds us that this is the people's house" Photograph: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Barack Obama blows a whistle to signal the start of the Easter egg roll Photograph: Jim Young/Reuters

Barack Obama's daughters, Malia and Sasha, roll Easter eggs at the south lawn of the White House Photograph: Matthew Cavanaugh/EPA

Barack and Michelle Obama watch their daughters and other children during the Easter egg roll Photograph: Win McNamee/Getty

Barack Obama encourages a girl as she partcipates in the Easter egg roll Photograph: Ron Edmonds/AP

Children roll down a small hill on the south lawn of the White House Photograph: Charles Dharapak/AP

Barack Obama makes a clawing gesture after reading Where the Wild Thing Are. The president called Maurice Sendak's children's book "one of my favourite books" Photograph: Saul Loeb/AFP

A crowd gathers at the South Lawn of the White House. Tens of thousands of children were at the event Photograph: Charles Dharapak/AP