Egg-Citing Easter Mark Making

A fun and simple mark making activity for toddlers this Easter!

As a busy working mummy, I’m always on the look out for easy and straight forward seasonal activities. Not only does it pacify the mum guilt and worry of not being the ’fun’ – all singing all dancing mummy, but it also has so many benefits for their development. (As a bonus its always nice have something to proudly display on the fridge or to keep for the memory collection of ’firsts’.) If you’re a bit like me you will love this activity!

Easter Egg Drip Painting

Sometimes we get caught up scrolling through Pinterest for a cute handprint or footprint craft for special occasions or a template to make the perfect ‘Instgramable’ toddler craft or keepsake. It can be easy to forget what’s really important. Mark making and messy play is so much more… it’s about exploring, creativity, curiosity, experimenting and the big one – allowing our children to have fun and get messy! As natural progression from the creation process and activity itself, it’s important for them to feel a real sense of pride and achievement, celebrating their masterpiece and generating lots of language opportunities when talking about their work. However, as adults we need to try not to take too seriously what we want their work to be or what the ‘finished piece’ should like, hoping for an attractive work of art to display on the fridge.

I’m not known for my organisational skills or forward planning so when I promised my three year old twin boys some painting time on the way home the other day, I was under pressure to produce the goods…promptly! Amongst my Easter ‘stuff’ I had at home I came across lots of plastic eggs I had bought last year for a little Easter egg hunt. I’d say I bought them from one of the well known bargain stores for a few pounds. I thought ‘How can I make this painting a bit extra for Easter?’.

Materials needed:

*Watered down poster paint

*Plastic Easter eggs with holes

*Large painting surface eg. lining paper

Not all Easter eggs have holes so make sure to check. If not this can be easily done by an adult with a knife or screwdriver. The paint should be watered down for this activity to work. You will want a runny consistency, plus you are making your paint stretch further!

Instructions:

Well… there’s really not much to it! Pour small amounts of paint into the eggs encouraging your child to help fill and pour. Let them to work freely and allow the paint to drip and move across the surface.

What is your child learning?

• Colour recognition
• Language development
• Fine motor skills
• Develop curiosity, creativity and wonder
• Sensory exploration
• Colour mixing

Why not give it a go?! … and if you do enjoy and embrace the mess! Their little faces will be priceless.