Kids Crafts: Egg Coloring

Whether we want to honor Eostre, the fertility goddess of the Anglo-Saxons, or whether we want to simply mark the return of spring after a cold hard winter, this does seem like a good time to celebrate renewal and rebirth. Eggs apparently were exchanged as gifts in ancient times, and rabbit being Eostre's symbol, it was inevitable that Easter Bunny came into existence practically effortlessly.

Last year, we started the egg coloring and egg-hunt just to give Ana another reason to have fun and have something to look forward to. We managed to keep it up this year.

Egg coloring is easy and fun, and am sure it can be done at any time, not just for Easter.

1. Simply hard boil the eggs, allow it to cool.
2. Draw squiggles or patterns on the eggs with crayons; Ana does some chicken scratches.
3. Prepare the colors: I use 1/3 cup very hot water, 2 tsp distilled white vinegar and as many drops of food coloring as I like to get the color intensity/depth that is pretty; wait a few minutes if allowing kids to handle the colors to let the water cool a bit.
4. Dip the eggs in the color solution for about 4-5 minutes turning it half-way through to ensure coloring on all sides; or, simply dip one side/ one half in one color and then in an other and so on, just have fun
5. Allow to dry; can add glitter or even paint on it if desired

I use the hard-boiled eggs to make my favorite egg curry afterwards. But, if not using eggs later, then rather than hard boiling, simply poke a hole on top and bottom of egg shell and drain out the insides and use finger paints or crayons or even stickers and glitter to decorate the eggs. This requires some delicate handling as it is hollow.