Pre-writers Club: Egg Printing

Physical Development - Moving & Handling (40-60+ months): Handles tools, objects, construction and malleable materials safely and with increasing control.

What you need:

As the days are becoming a little brighter and sunnier, this is a lovely activity to set up in the garden. You can add a bucket of water at the end to wash the eggs in to extend he activity. I dressed Sophie in a puddle suit and apron and she enjoyed having a splash about!

Get your child to squeeze some paint on a plate or tray. Place the open end of a plastic egg in the paint then use it to stamp circles on to the paper. When it has dried you could cut out some egg shapes and create Easter cards for your family and friends.

Sophie absolutely loves to get messy and quickly painted her hands to create handprints. When I did this activity with Benji he wiped his hands every time he got paint on them. Let them explore the paint however they feel comfortable.

We just painted with eggs, but you could use a sponge or toy block to create a wall for Humpty Dumpty.

Once they have finishing printing, you could add a bucket of water for them to wash the eggs and plates. Sophie loved splashing in all of the water she spilled!

Hand Strength – Squeezing the paint develops the muscles needed to control a pencil when writing. Strong hands and fingers means it will be easier for your child to hold a pencil for longer periods of time before fatigue sets in.

Hand-eye Co-ordination – They are learning how to move their hands to complete the task. This skill is important for learning how to hold a pencil and how to move their pencil to form letters and words.

Pre-writing Shapes – As they wash the eggs encourage them to mix the water using a circular motion. This will help them to make the circle shape.

If you have a go at this activity and share any photos on social media I would love to see them. Please tag @miniwritersclub and let me know how you get on.

Anna