Egg-citing Kid Stuff

Renderings of engraved South

American San Tribe ostrich eggs.
Download image here.

Previously, I wrote about how throughout history the egg shape inspired artists and represented natural harmony, life, birth, creation, and potential  As a follow-up, I offer you some egg-citing activities you might enjoy doing yourself or with a child.

• Download pictures of South African San Tribe engraved ostrich eggs and color them in. Ancient artists used a special paint made from animal fat and charcoal. Or make up your own design.
• Start seedlings. Fill an egg carton with empty, rinsed egg shell halves and poke a hole in each one for drainage. Then add potting soil and one or two seeds to each shell. When the seedlings are big enough to put outside, just crack the shell at the bottom and plant them, shell and all. The shells are biodegradable.
• Check out this gorgeous site. www.eggartguild.org for ideas to decorate your own eggs. Don’t forget eggs come in many colors; Tinamous birds in South America have emerald green shells, robin eggs are blue and falcons have brownish/orange shells.

decorating ideas for young children

--Lynn Conaway