Tie-Dying Easter Eggs

I don't exactly like dying Easter eggs. That makes me feel like a bad mom. But maybe you get it. There's all this preparation and mess for exactly 56.3 seconds of entertainment. Ugh.

So for the last few years, I've tried to find a way to make egg dying more active. We've done shaving cream eggs. And last year we exploded our eggs. Ok, not exactly, but the kids loved it. This year we tried an activity we're calling tie dyed eggs.

You need hard boiled eggs, sandwich zipper bags, paper towels, and food coloring. I LOVE ideas that don't require a trip to the store for special supplies!

Grab a bag for each color combo you plan to make. We used one bag for 2 eggs, so 6 for a dozen eggs. Dampen 1 paper towel per bag and put 1 in each bag. Then let the kids pick what colors they want. I did the squirting for my younger son. Deposit one egg in the bag, seal it up, and let the kiddos GENTLY a roll it around.

Oren is currently on a shirt strike. It has something to do with the Hulk.

The paper towel helps distribute the color and give the egg the tie-dyed effect.

When they decided their egg was done, I rolled it to the top corner of the bag and tipped it directly into the egg carton to dry. No mess!

Let me say that again in case you missed it. No. Mess.

Then we repeated the process with a fresh bag and towel. We used each bag twice just for convenience.

This approach kept the kids busy and the mess in check more than with traditional egg dying. No splashing, and more than 56.3 seconds of entertainment.

Enjoy! And happy Easter.

An Easter Egg-Speriment

Dying Eggs with Vinegar and Baking Soda

We've tried some interesting egg-coloring methods the last couple years. 

Last year we tried coloring them with shaving cream:

This year I saw this idea on Pinterest:

http://www.messforless.net/2014/03/baking-powder-easter-eggs.html?m=1

However, that idea called for powdered paint, rendering the eggs fun but inedible. 

I decided to modify it so we could actually eat the eggs. Here's what we did:

1) Boiled the eggs. 

2) Filled the bottom of cups, one for each egg, with baking soda and placed the cups on baking pans. 

3) Filled separate cups with vinegar. 

4) Tinted the vinegar with generous amounts of food coloring. 

5) Deposited one egg, still warm, in each cup of baking soda. 

6) Gathered the children. 

7) Gave each child an eye dropper. 

8) Regretted that choice and took the droppers away. 

9) Had each kid select colors and poured that color into the cup. 

10) Watch and listen to the wonderful fizz!

11) Gave droppers back to kids and let them play :) They dropped in more vinegar to renew the bubbles, mixed colors, stirred the baking soda, and made egg volcanoes. They were entertained FAR longer than with traditional egg-dying methods. 

(Notice the marshmallow filling from a chocolate egg on Oren's chin and the Superman cape around Tovi's neck...love these boys!!)

12) Return eggs to carton to be stored. 

We definitely had fun :) Nathan thought these might almost be pickled eggs, but there's no lingering vinegar taste. 

I love the speckled look the colored foam leaves!

What's your favorite way to dye eggs?