How to Decorate Easter Eggs with Your Toddler

Can you imagine it? Little hands smearing blue and red dye all over your kitchen table... and kitchen walls... and floor. Decorating Easter eggs with a toddler can be a frightening proposition. Don't let your fear of a mess stop you from enjoying this Easter tradition with your child! Follow this advice and decorate Easter eggs with your toddler while avoiding the mess.

Easter Egg Decorating Tip #1 - Pre-cook your eggs

If your toddler is anything like mine, the second you pull the raw eggs out of the refrigerator, she will be demanding to scribble on them. A toddler won't understand that the eggs have to be cooked first. Even though 15 minutes is quick to us, it's an eternity to an excited child.

By hard boiling the eggs the night before, you will be able to go straight to the fun part of decorating Easter eggs. I would cook the eggs while your child is sleeping, so there is no way they can get overly anxious and accidentally get a burn.

Easter Egg Decorating Tip #2 - Keep the Dye Out of Reach

Make sure your toddler can see you dying the eggs, but keep it out of reach. Even though vinegar and food coloring isn't going to make your child sick, it's probably best to avoid giving them free range with the dye.

When my daughter was one, my sister stood her up on a chair beside the counter and held her there so she could watch me dye the eggs from a safe distance. I still included her by letting her tell me which colors to dip the eggs into.

Easter Egg Decorating Tip #3 - Or Just Skip the Dye

There is no rule that says Easter eggs must be dyed. Forgo the pastel pinks and greens if you want. Your child doesn't know the difference. This will avoid any mess (made by either toddler or parent) that would result from dying Easter eggs.

Instead of using dye, you can let your toddler color on the eggs with crayons. You might just wind up with some really colorful and creative looking Easter egg designs!

Easter Egg Decorating Tip #4 - Use Stickers

My daughter loves stickers! Last year, I dyed the eggs and she placed stickers on them. She had a blast picking out the stickers and choosing where to put them onto the eggs.

This is a great way to involve your toddler in Easter egg decorating. Best of all, there is no mess to clean up!

Easter Egg Decorating Tip #5 - Have Fun!

Don't worry about making a picture perfect Easter centerpiece. Just have fun with your toddler while the two of you make some special memories together.

If she decides to play a primitive version of the Egg Butting Game and winds up cracking all of the eggs before you have a chance to take a picture of your decorated masterpieces, oh well! There's always next Easter!