Yesterday saw my daughter and I at the kitchen counter, me with a small nail in hand, her with a bright red face. Yes, it’s Easter, and that means that we’re blowing Easter eggs. We’re not terribly good at it. However, if you have never blown eggs before, here’s how.
Get white eggs. We have brown ones most of the time, and brown eggs do not dye well. Take a small nail and have an adult gently wiggle the nail at the pointier end of the egg until there is an end-of-nail sized hole. Flip the egg over and make a hole on the other side. Make sure that you break the membrane inside the egg. Remove any pieces of shell. Then flip the egg pointy side down and blow on the top hole. The inside of the egg should start to come out of the bottom of the egg. If not, you may need to make the hole a little bigger.
What’s the point of blowing an egg? Well, for one it’s fun and messy, two things the preschoolers enjoy. Also, you then have a hollow shell of an egg that you can dye and keep over time, as long as you are careful.
We dye our eggs blue in vinegar and red cabbage. To make this natural dye, take a small red cabbage and chop it into pieces. Add several tablespoons of vinegar and put it in a pot on the stove on medium heat. When it boils, turn it down to simmer. When the cabbage starts to look white, remove it from the heat and drain the water into a glass bowl. Add your eggs and gently place them under a plate until they are submerged. This brilliant purple dye will turn your eggs a lovely blue color. Add stickers on the outside of the eggs if you would like some parts to stay white.
If you’re not looking for natural dyes but can’t find egg dye at the last minute, don’t despair. Kool Aid and vinegar will do the same thing as egg dye at half the price. And your preschooler can lick the eggs with no ill effects except a purple, red, or yellow tongue.
What crafts do you and your preschooler do for Easter?