Video:Coloring Easter Eggs With Kids

Transcript:Coloring Easter Eggs With Kids

Hi, I'm Kathy Moore for About.com Parenting. Coloring Easter eggs is a great family tradition to start with your children. This program will show the kid friendly steps for basic Easter egg coloring.

Gather Easter Egg Supplies

Before you begin, be sure to gather all the supplies you will need, such as:

• bowls
• spoons
• coloring kit
• paper towels

I would also suggest either covering the table with newspapers or a vinyl tablecloth. I find it is also a good idea to boil the eggs and allow them to cool before I invite the kids to help.

Get the Children Ready

Then, just like any cooking activity, make sure your kids wash their hands before they begin. I also have my kids wear their cooking aprons to protect their clothes.

Prepare the Egg Dye or Homemade Dye Ingredients

Follow the directions on the coloring kit, or any simple dye recipe. I use 1/2 cup of water with 1 tablespoon of vinegar and enough food coloring to get the shade I want. Let the kids stir the bowls to make the colors.

Demonstrate Dipping the Easter Eggs

Demonstrate for your child how to place the hardboiled egg on a soupspoon and gently lower the egg into the color. The longer the eggs are left in the dye, the darker the color will be. Once the desired color is set, scoop the egg out of the color and pat it dry with a paper towel and let it dry on an egg holder. Cut up toilet paper roll cores work well for this if you did not buy a coloring kit.

Experiment With Easter Egg Decorating

Once they get good at one color, let them try dipping one end of an egg in one color, and the other end into another color. This may get their fingers a bit messy, but it is a fun result for the kids.

Alternate Easter Egg Decorations

Using washable tempura paints in squeeze brushes is another quick and easy way to decorate eggs. This method is great for younger kids who are not always keen to sit and wait for eggs to sit in the dye.

There are also lots of other decorating ideas that kids can try such as coloring the eggs with a crayon before dipping them into the dye, or putting stickers or other decorations on the colored egg.

Benefits of Easter Egg Decorating

Easter is a great time to engage in family activities. Decorating Easter eggs is not only a creative outlet, but also an activity that will build your child's fine motor skills and maybe even start a tradition that will last a lifetime.

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