Messy Craft...But "Super" Fun

After the SUPER start to our week, I think it ended perfectly.  This afternoon the kids and I dyed Easter eggs together.  Sassy Frassy(age 4) kept asking "why are we doing this?" Not that she wasn't enjoying herself, it's just not something she really remembers doing from last year and was having a hard time getting it...what does this really have to do with the meaning of Easter?  Nothing.  But, IT IS FUN!  I have to admit, I'm glad we only do this once a year...because It is also MESSY.  The kids love it though and it is so entertaining to watch them get into it, their eggs reflecting their individual personalities.  It is a project that everyone can have fun with because you're never too old to enjoy dyeing eggs!  At one point I was wishing that I had boiled more so that I could do a few, but then thought eventually they either have to be eaten or thrown out.  I hate wasting food.  So, we had plenty!!!


This year, we added both a glitter and chalk kit to the process, making the project last longer and the inevitable clean-up that much more MESSY.  All in the name of fun!  The glitter kit was a huge hit with all the kids. Although the youngest really enjoyed watercoloring her eggs after they had been dyed.  They have a bit of a Picasso feel to them!


Something that we have done for the past several years is tie-dyeing paper towels with the leftover dye.  The kids really love doing it.  First you have to fold the towels, accordian folds, or triangular (like the American flag fold) work well.  Then, you dip the edges into the different dye colors, squeezing out the excess before dipping in the next color.  I like to leave a bit of white between the colors.  But, it is also cool to see the colors mix in the middle.  When you are happy with the colors you've dipped it in, open it up like you do with a snowflake.  The finished product is always a surprise and no two are exactly alike.  The kids liked this as much as they did dyeing their eggs.  We hung them to dry on a clothes drying rack.  I'm not sure what we will do with them but they are a fun and colorful project to do with the extra dye before throwing it out. 

Upon reflection of our day I realized that this is the first year in a long time that everyone was allowed to keep all of their clothes on during the project.  Usually someone is shirtless!    Everyone is growing up.  I'm not sure how I feel about that, but I'm thrilled with the people they are becoming.