Entertain the kids these holidays with some egg-inspired art!
School holidays, free time and rainy days can be a mind-numbing recipe for kids with cabin fever. Enter stage left: the Australian Egg Corporation, who have kindly come up with some recipes and activities to help parents entertain the kids these holidays…
COLOURED EGGS
An oldie but a goodie! Let the rainbow shine its light through the hen house with these brightly coloured crackers, guaranteed to get little ones excited about egg sandwiches. Using just a couple of hardboiled eggs and some food dye, this fun activity is a guaranteed winner. Inspire their creativity by mixing colours and encouraging them to create different designs. For a real challenge, try making some ‘egg-heads’ by drawing faces on the coloured eggs using permanent markers.
With any spare coloured eggs, make a tasty (and healthy) snack by chopping off the top, scooping out the inside and mixing with a bit of light mayonnaise and tuna.
Get crackin’…
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 7 minutes
Ingredients:
Hard boiled eggs
10 drops food colouring
1 tsp white vinegar
1/2 cup boiling water
Silver or gold stickers (optional)
Method
1. Combine half a cup boiling water with one tablespoon of vinegar and 10 drops of food colouring in a bowl or cup (deep enough so that the eggs will be fully submerged) to create a dye bath
2. Dip hard boiled eggs in dye bath for 3-5 minutes, extending time for richer colour
3. Use tongs or a slotted spoon to remove eggs and place on baking paper to dry
To create some different colours, combine a few drops of each dye. For example, mix five drops of red colouring and five drops of yellow colouring to create orange. Or, mix six drops of blue colouring with four drops of green to create turquoise. Eggs can also be decorated with silver of gold stickers, available from local supermarkets or craft shops.
EGG CARTON CRAFT
To Make A Caterpillar
- Cut out one half of an egg carton lengthways to make the body of the caterpillar.
- Paint and decorate the body with whatever colours take your fancy, then allow to dry.
- With the pointy end of your scissors, poke some holes in the body where you’ll feed the legs through, and one in the top of the head for the antenna (make sure to help from an adult for this step).
- Cut pipe cleaner into small pieces to feel though the holes and make into legs.
- Bend a piece of pipe cleaner in half, and place in the hole on the head to make antenna.
- Glue on eyes, and draw on a face!
To Make A Bee
- Cut out two egg cups from the egg carton lengthways to make the bee’s body.
- Paint the body yellow, then allow it to dry.
- Paint black stipes on the body, then allow them to dry.
- Take one yellow and one black pipe cleaner, place together and fold both ends in towards the centre to make wings.
- Use glue to hold the wings in place.
- With scissors, poke a hole in the top of the head for the antenna (make sure to help from an adult for this step).
- Fold a small piece of pipe cleaner in half and place in the hole on top of the head to make the antenna.
- Glue on eyes, fuzzy black bumble bee tail and drawn on a face!
To Make A Ladybug
- Cut out one half of an egg carton lengthways to make the body of the caterpillar.
- Paint the body any colour you fancy, then allow to dry.
- Paint black spots on the body, then allow to dry.
- Stick on furry black ball for the head, and glue eyes on.
- Take a small length of black pipe cleaner, bend around the head to make antanna, and glue on!
To Make A Creepy Creature
- Cut around the egg cups in the egg carton to the size you would like your creature’s body.
- Paint your creature, then allow to dry.
- Poke holes though the body with the tip of your scissors for the legs to go through (make sure to help from an adult for this step).
- Cut pipe cleaner in half, feed through holes to make legs, then bend to shape.
- Glue on eyes and any decorations you’d like!
For more fun egg-tivities and Easter-inspired goodies, visit www.eggs.org.au
