Coloring Easter eggs is one of my favorite activities. I will confess that over the years I have simplified the process and the eggs are sometimes only 1 color. While the decorating time has decreased the amount of cooking time has gone up. They are really hard, now and Only For Decoration. Not only is coloring eggs lots of fun, but there’s lots of kindergarten readiness learning, too.
With concerns about hot water instead I use about an inch of plain, white vinegar in a cup. Then I add a few drops of food coloring. Using a spoon, kids lower an egg into the vinegar-color solution. Some kids like to stir the egg the whole time it’s in the cup making sure it’s all covered. Other’s just like to watch and leave part of the egg sticking up. When dark enough, carefully lift the egg out. That same egg can go into a different color and maybe even another. Older kidlets can color on the egg with a white wax crayon and discover how that part doesn’t get colored.
Now, for the learnings. The names of colors is a place to start. Exploring how colors change when the eggs are put in 2 or 3 different cups is often a surprise. It’s like a science experiment in a cup. Predicting, talking, and observing are more. Practicing waiting patiently is another, as is taking turns. These are only a few readiness for kindergarten skills that come into play when coloring eggs.
What do you think came first, the chicken or the egg?