Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
DIY Colourful Eggs
- StageEarly Years
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
DIY Colourful Eggs is a free printable activity sheet where children create their very own Easter eggs. It is an open creative task. It encourages children to try new ideas and feel confident about their own choices. Page 2 is for the grown up and has notes, help ideas and a stretch idea.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself.
What is on the sheet
Children design and make their own Easter eggs. There is no single right answer, so every finished egg is different. Children choose their colours, patterns and ideas, and decide for themselves when their egg is finished. The aim is to have a go, try something new and feel proud of the result. It works well for quiet time at home, in a classroom or at a holiday club in the run up to Easter.
Ideas for decorating your eggs
Stripes and zigzags
Fill an egg with bands of colour. Try straight stripes, wavy lines or sharp zigzags. Repeat the same order of colours so the pattern is easy to see.
Spots and shapes
Use dots, stars, hearts or triangles. Make some big and some small. Ask your child whether the shapes will be spread out or packed close together.
Mixing colours
Layer one colour over another with crayons or pencils and see what happens. Children can then choose a favourite mix and use it in their design.
Pick a theme
Choose a theme such as spring flowers, a favourite animal, a rainbow or a pattern in only two colours. A theme gives children a starting point when a blank space feels hard.
Why eggs at Easter?
Eggs have long been linked with Easter and spring. An egg is a sign of new life, which suits a season when plants grow and baby animals are born. In many countries families decorate eggs at Easter. In the UK, children also enjoy chocolate eggs and egg hunts. Easter always falls in spring, though the date changes from year to year.
Designing your own egg is a gentle way to build creative confidence. There is no test and no wrong answer. Children choose, try, change their mind and finish. Those small decisions help them feel able to try new things, which is the purpose of this sheet. Primary art and design asks children to use colour, pattern and shape in their own work, and this sheet gives them practice.
If you move on to decorating real eggs at home, an adult should do the boiling and handle the hot water and pans. Let eggs cool fully before children touch them. Wash hands after handling raw eggs. Check for egg allergies and any allergies to food colouring or chocolate first.
Egg and colour facts
- Most eggs are oval, not perfectly round.
- Hens lay eggs with different shell colours, such as white, brown and, from some breeds, a blue green shade.
- Easter is in spring in the UK, and the date changes each year.
- Mixing red and yellow paint makes orange.
- A pattern is something that repeats, such as stripe, stripe, stripe.
Skills and curriculum link
- Creativity
- Choosing colours
- Making patterns
- Fine motor control
- Decision making
- Confidence
Ways to support your child
- Ask, do not tellTry questions such as "What colours are you thinking of?" or "What could go next to that?" Let your child make the choices.
- Praise the effortSay what you notice, such as "You have used lots of colour" or "I like how you repeated that shape." Avoid comparing eggs with each other.
- Allow a slow startSome children stare at a blank space for a while. That is thinking time. Offer a theme or one colour to begin with if they stay stuck.
- Welcome changes of mindIf a child wants to start again or change a design, that is part of creating. Trying a new idea is the skill we want to build.
Key words
- DesignA plan or picture of how something will look.
- DecorateMake something look more interesting by adding colour and detail.
- PatternShapes, lines or colours that repeat in an order.
- SymmetryWhen one side of a shape or design matches the other side, like a mirror.
- ShadeHow light or dark a colour is.
- OriginalSomething new that you thought of yourself.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and ideas for you.
- Gather colouring tools such as pencils, crayons or felt tips. Put them where your child can reach them easily.
- Talk about Easter eggs first. Ask what colours, patterns or pictures your child might like to use.
- Let your child create their egg in their own way. Offer ideas only if they ask for them or seem stuck.
- Finish by talking about the result. Ask, "What are you most pleased with?" Display the egg somewhere you can all see it.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Start with one colour and one simple pattern, such as stripes or spots. Say the idea out loud before drawing it. If the page feels too open, choose a theme together first, then add colours one at a time.
To stretch confident children
Plan an egg on scrap paper before making the final one. Use a repeating pattern with at least three colours, then make the design symmetrical. Or design a set of eggs that all go together, such as a spring collection.
Make it a game
Take turns adding one stripe, shape or colour to a shared egg design. Each player must copy and extend the pattern so far. Afterwards, talk about how the egg changed and which part surprised you most.
Talk about it
- Which colours did you pick, and why?
- Where did you get your idea from?
- Is there a pattern in your egg? How would you describe it?
- What would you change if you made another one?
- Which part was the hardest to decide?
- Who would you like to give your egg to?
Take it off the page
Egg hunt clues
Hide paper or toy eggs around the house or garden. Write simple clues so a friend or family member can find them. Children enjoy planning the hiding places.
Spring colour walk
Go outside and look for spring colours in flowers, leaves and the sky. Back home, use those colours to design another egg.
Real egg decorating, with an adult
An adult boils the eggs and lets them cool. Children then draw on the shells with wax crayons or felt tips. Read the safety note on this page first.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child to begin, then step back and let them lead. Ask about their choices rather than suggesting your own. Stop when they are happy with the egg. It does not need to look perfect, and it is theirs.
Teachers
Use it as an Easter art task, a calm end of term activity, a wet play option or a holiday club session. It is open ended, so children of different abilities can all take part. Display the finished eggs together to celebrate the variety.
Home educators
Open tasks like this suit home education well because children can take them as far as they like. Link it to spring, to colour mixing or to pattern work in maths. Let your child choose the materials and decide when they are done.
Where this fits in your child's learning
Before this sheet, children usually enjoy free drawing and colouring. They begin to choose colours deliberately and to fill shapes with care. Simple pattern games, such as repeating two colours in a row, make a helpful warm up.
After it, children can move on to more planned design work. They might make a pattern with a repeating rule, design for a particular purpose or plan on paper before they make something. These steps lead naturally into wider art and design projects and craft activities.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- Is DIY Colourful Eggs free to print?
Yes. It is a free resource from the Mini Minds Hub by Jaques of London. Print both pages at home or at school. Give page 1 to your child and keep page 2, which has notes and ideas for the grown up.
- What do we need to complete the sheet?
Colouring pencils, crayons or felt tips are easy choices, and you can use other craft materials you already have at home. Have the sheet printed and a flat, comfortable space ready. No special equipment is needed.
- What age is it suitable for?
It suits a wide range of primary aged children because it is open ended. Younger children can focus on colour and simple shapes. Older children can plan patterns and detail. Adapt the challenge to your child using the help and stretch ideas on page 2.
- How long should it take?
It depends on how much detail your child adds. Some children finish quickly, others enjoy taking their time. Let your child decide when the egg is done. There is no need to rush, and no need to fill every space.
- Does the sheet have answers?
No, because the activity is creative and every egg will be different. Page 2 holds notes on how to use the sheet, help for children who find it hard and a stretch idea. Use them to start conversations about your child's work.
- Can we use real eggs instead?
You can, but an adult must do all the boiling and handle the hot water and pans. Let the eggs cool completely first and wash hands after handling raw eggs. Check for allergies too. The printed sheet needs none of this.
- Can I use it in a classroom?
Yes. It works well as an Easter art activity, a calm task at the end of term or part of a holiday club. Because there is no right answer, children of different abilities can take part together, and the finished eggs make a bright display.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.