Eggshell Mosaics

by Amy McMahon

Age: Preschool through elementary
Time: 30 minutes or more
Type of activity: Arts and Crafts

Using eggshells and her imagination, your child can create unique mosaic-like designs.

Materials needed:
· Eggshells (at least 4)
· Food coloring or tempera paints
· Small bowls
· Water
· Rolling pin
· Paper towels
· Elmer's glue
· Paper
· Pencil
· Hairspray

What to do:

Step One: Your child can choose the food coloring or paints she wants to use in her picture and decide what she is going to draw.

Step Two: Remove the egg from the shell by poking a hole at the top and bottom of the eggshell with a safety pin and blowing the egg out from the bottom end.

Step Three: Dye the eggshells different colors using food coloring or tempera paints. Let the shells dry on paper towels.

Step Four: Crush the eggshells with a rolling pin. Make them small enough that they will lie flat, but not so small that they are too difficult to handle. You may want to separate the eggshells by color on separate paper towels.

Step Five: Ask your child to draw a picture in pencil on the paper.

Step Six: Glue the various colors of eggshells to the paper to color in your child's picture. Help her fill in blanks with little pieces. (Eggshells can be slippery.)

Step Seven: Spray the picture with hairspray to create a shiny gloss.

Hang your child's picture where everyone will be able to see it. Be sure to add her name at the bottom so everyone can compliment the artist!