What to do with Easter Eggs?

So, if you do venture out to get some groceries, pick up a couple packages of plastic Easter eggs. They are great for so many fun learning activities. I will feature both math and literacy activities and then explain how you can adjust the activities to where your child is at.

Math Activities: Write a number on one side of the egg and then another number on the other side. If you want the child to match numbers, then make sure you have the matching numbers on each side of the egg. A simple variation of this could be putting the number on one side of the egg, and then adding dots to the other so the child can count the dots and match it to the number. My daughter is a little older, so I wrote different numbers on each side of the eggs and then she added the numbers together. Tomorrow she will subtract the smaller number from the larger number. I had my daughter just take from one pile of eggs, grab another from the other pile, put the eggs together and add the numbers. For the matching games, you will have to lay the eggs out so the child can see all the choices and choose the correct match.

You can also try matching things like shapes as well. Or try to work on patterns using the egg halves and lining them up in a pattern. For your toddlers at home, they could do a color sort. Additionally, you can try filling the eggs with things that are one color, have the toddler or preschooler open the egg, determine if the object is in the right color egg, and if not, place it in the correct color egg.

Literacy Activities: You can begin this by placing an upper case letter on one side of the egg and then the matching uppercase letter on the other side. If your child knows his/her uppercase letters, you can have them match uppercase letters to lowercase letters. Additionally, if you have an older, beginning to read sibling, you can do word families with the eggs. Write the word ending on one side of the egg and then write the multiple beginnings on the other side. (Check out the picture below as it is easier to understand the visual than the verbal direction). You can do letter hunts with the eggs. You can find all the letters in the child's name, and then the siblings' names. You can make a quick alphabet poster and when the child finds an egg with the letter on it, he/she can take it to the poster and match it. You can also write letters on paper and place them inside the egg. Then the child needs to open all the eggs and place the correct letter inside the correct egg. What ever you choose to do, have fun doing it.