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Did you Know....

The modern Easter egg made from chocolate or cardboard and filled with sweets dates from the latter years of the nineteeth century.

The custom of exchanging eggs is very old.

Some people say that the tradition of giving Easter eggs began with the Chinese, who gave eggs as gifts in the celebration of spring.

The ancient Egyptians often dyed eggs in bright colours and gave them to their friends.

The dyes all came from leaves or flower petals with the exception of the colour scarlet, which came from a dried insect.

Easter Fun

Egg rolling is an old Easter custom still practised, especially in northern England.

It usually takes place on Easter Sunday or Monday and involves rolling coloured hard-boiled eggs down a hill until they crack and then they are allowed to be eaten.
Sometimes this game turned into a competition - last egg to crack was the winner.

One rotten egg spoils the pudding.

Coloured Hard Boiled Eggs

Carefully pierce the flat end of the eggs with a needle to release air from the air sac - this will help cracking during boiling.

When cooled, clean the surface of the egg with a little diluted vinegar so it will take the decorations better.

Decorate the eggs.

The brightness of the vegetable colour will depend on the strength of the mixture and the length of time you have the eggs in it.

Be aware of any dyes that you use. Most egg dye kits are labeled as non-toxic, but that doesn’t mean they are free of harmful ingredients. Look for plant-based dyes instead. The most enjoyable and educational solution is to create your own natural dyes by experimenting with foods like spinach, orange peel, brown onion and red cabbage (which produces a blue colouring, not red). To create a coloured design on an egg using yellow onion skins, wrap the dry outer skins around a raw egg and hold them in place with a rubber band. Hard boil the egg, unwrap it and you’ll have a lovely random design and rich orange/gold colour on your egg, or add chopped brown onions + skins to the boiling water for a lovely gold colour, especially if using brown eggs, For a lovely pink egg, soak a hard boiled egg overnight in beetroot juice.

Eggs not yet laid are uncertain chickens.

An Egg Tree

You will need to collect blown eggs for several weeks before you can decorate your tree.

When you have enough, look for a leafless branch.

Place the branch in a small bucket or pot of sand.

Paint or decorate the eggs then secure to the tree with thread.

Place in a prominent position or as a centre piece for your spring / Easter table.

He who wants eggs must endure the clucking of the hen.

Decorative Easter Eggs

There are lots of ways of decorating eggs - sticking drawings on, painting, glueing pieces of fabric, felt, ribbon, sequins and beads (any found items from nature and Grandma's sewing basket). Or by soaking the eggs in a pot of vegetable dye.

A fun way of targeting the writing skills without any pressure is to ‘decorate eggs’. Draw a large egg shape on a piece of paper and decorate it with pre-writing patterns; for example, wavy lines, dotted lines, zigzags, loop the loops (like a continuous joined up letter e), bridges (continuous u or n), the sea (like a line of continuous joined up letter c). Children could trace or copy these lines or develop their own patterns depending on their abilities. Older children could try decorating boiled or blown eggs shells with these patterns for a bigger challenge.

Another fun Easter related drawing activity is to draw eggs (practicing circles), chicks and nests. Chicks can be drawn by repeated lines on top of each other (like a star shape with many lines to make a fluff-ball and then add eyes, a beak and legs. A nest can be drawn in the same way with no pressure on ‘neatness’. Flowers can also be easily drawn by joining circles together round a central circle.

Hares and Eggs

The legend of the hare bringing Easter eggs is said to have come from Germany. A poor women dyed some hens' eggs during a terrible famine and hid them in a nest as a gift for her children. Just as the children discovered the nest a hare jumped out of the bushes and the story spread that the hare brought Easter eggs.

Don't count your chickens before they are hatched.

Eggshell Chickens

Glue small feathers onto them for wings and a tail, draw on eyes and glue on a cardboard beak and feet. It is best if you blow the egg first.

Blow the Feather

You will need at least two people but more divided into two teams makes it a better game.

Divide the players into two teams, and stand on either side of a large table. Place the feather in the centre and when someone says 'GO!' each team has to try and blow the feather off the opposite side to score a point. First to reach three is a winner.

Other Easter craft activities could include making Easter bonnets or Easter baskets.

Ideas for decorations for Easter bonnets could include; making flowers, using a collection of twigs with the addition of egg shells or chicks to make a nest, or making cardboard bunny or bilby ears (sticking on wool) to make an Easter bunny hat. A simple basket can be made using an old cardboard box and decorated with patterns similar to those outlined above for decorating eggs and the basket can be filled with eggs, sprouted wheat grass or flowers.

Make healthy organic Easter treats - carob fruit balls are always popular and fun to make.

The grown-ups may prefer a small fair-trade with little packaging chocolate gift, for their Easter scavenger hunt, to mix with your coloured eggs for early morning Easter fun.

"Nine out of ten people like chocolate. The tenth person always lies." ~ John Q. Tullius (organic chocolate, of course!)

Happy Easter!

CAROB, DATE & APRICOT BALLS 

1 cup fresh organic dates, pitted and roughly chopped

1 cup organic dried apricots

2 tablespoons organic sunflower seeds

1 tablespoon organic pepitas

1 tablespoon organic desiccated coconut

2 tablespoons organic carob powder

1 cup organic desiccated coconut, extra, for rolling

 Process (except extra coconut) in food processor / blender to form a stiff paste.

Transfer mixture to a bowl, let little hands help you roll heaped teaspoons into small balls (makes 20)

Roll in extra coconut, shake off any excess coconut,Refrigerate the balls in an airtight container for up to 1 week. 

APRICOT DAINTEES….process rolled oats, organic apricots, orange juice to make just moist and small amount of orange rind, roll in coconut.

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HEALTHY BITES  Recipe ideas without all the nasties using love and care + organic ingredients. Enjoy ecobites' collection of fully illustrated recipes (with photos). All written exclusively for ecobites by CEO Lyn Stein (or user submitted). Eating healthy doesn't have to be bland. Choose from soups, starters, snacks, drinks, exotic fruit treats, vegetable dishes, pasta and more. Click here