10 Uses for Plastic Eggs #PreschoolActivities
As a teacher, I have collected bins of seasonal items to enhance my program planning all year long. Of course, The best time to buy special items is after each holiday when the discounts are great. One of my favourite things to scoop after Easter are plastic eggs. Plastic eggs are traditionally used for hiding candy, and children can hunt for them, collecting treats from the Easter Bunny. I have done this for my Preschool children over the years and of course we have to count our eggs to encourage math skills. To avoid fights, each child is asked to collect a specific colour or specific number of eggs. The fun doesn't have to end on Easter Monday. Here are a few of the ways I use plastic eggs all year long:
Sorting out different coloured eggs into bowls promotes seriation/mental reasoning.
Matching halves by colour promotes colour recognition and snapping them together promotes fine motor skills.
Fill eggs with dried rice, beans, or beads to make music shakers. Fill some with cotton balls to practice "loud" versus "soft" sounds for auditory distinction.
Sort different sized eggs to practise the comparison concepts, the idea of big versus small.
Use two or more different colours to practise making patterns.
Use eggs as a change purse for school pizza days.
Add them to dramatic play areas to practise cracking eggs like a chef. Add a recycled egg carton to enhance the pretend play opportunity.
Use egg halves to stack and build towers. Extend the learning by encouraging children to sort halves by colour and size, then count how many halves they have in their tower.
Fill eggs with a variety of materials to explore what materials will float in water. We call this Sink or Float and use items like; rocks, beads, sand, cotton balls, paper, and leave some hollow.
Plastic eggs can be used in the kitchen to make egg shaped Rice Krispies treats. Wash and dry your eggs, spray with non-stick cooking spray, push warm Rice Krispie and marshmallow mixture into both halves, then close the egg to create the shape. Let cool and remove.
Roll eggs in paint instead of using paint brushes, or use egg halves to dab into paint and make ring patterns.
I'm sure there are many ways to use plastic eggs, but these are ten from the top of my head.
*Please be mindful that you are using an appropriate size of egg for the age and development stage of your child. Egg halves can be a choking hazard for young children, as are some of the items used as filler.
Image credit: www.party city.ca
Sorting out different coloured eggs into bowls promotes seriation/mental reasoning.
Matching halves by colour promotes colour recognition and snapping them together promotes fine motor skills.
Fill eggs with dried rice, beans, or beads to make music shakers. Fill some with cotton balls to practice "loud" versus "soft" sounds for auditory distinction.
Sort different sized eggs to practise the comparison concepts, the idea of big versus small.
Use two or more different colours to practise making patterns.
Use eggs as a change purse for school pizza days.
Add them to dramatic play areas to practise cracking eggs like a chef. Add a recycled egg carton to enhance the pretend play opportunity.
Use egg halves to stack and build towers. Extend the learning by encouraging children to sort halves by colour and size, then count how many halves they have in their tower.
Fill eggs with a variety of materials to explore what materials will float in water. We call this Sink or Float and use items like; rocks, beads, sand, cotton balls, paper, and leave some hollow.
Plastic eggs can be used in the kitchen to make egg shaped Rice Krispies treats. Wash and dry your eggs, spray with non-stick cooking spray, push warm Rice Krispie and marshmallow mixture into both halves, then close the egg to create the shape. Let cool and remove.
Roll eggs in paint instead of using paint brushes, or use egg halves to dab into paint and make ring patterns.
I'm sure there are many ways to use plastic eggs, but these are ten from the top of my head.
I would love to hear how you use your eggs!
*Please be mindful that you are using an appropriate size of egg for the age and development stage of your child. Egg halves can be a choking hazard for young children, as are some of the items used as filler.
Comments