Easter is just around the corner! Before you know it, you’ll be dying eggs and stuffing plastic shells full of candy and coins into the corners and nooks or your backyard for Easter morning. Here are a few ways to spice up your Easter routine and keep the kids excited this year!
How to Make Marbled Eggs
- Prepare the egg dye according to the package, or make your own using natural food colorings. If you plan to eat the eggs, make sure to use food-grade dyes. Add a teaspoon of vegetable oil to each container of dye. If you want to dye some eggs normally or give them a base color before marbling, do that first. Once the oil is in the dye, you can’t go back! Experiment by adding a bit more oil to the dyes; different amounts create different marbling effects.
- Dip quickly. Using a spoon or the dipper that comes with a kit, lower the egg completely into the dye and remove it quickly. Because oil and water don’t mix, you’ll get color on some parts of the egg, and none on others, creating a marbled effect. Keep dipping to get a brighter color.
- Dry the eggs on a paper towel. Lightly pat the just-dipped eggs with a paper towel, or the color may become muddy. If you want to dip them in another color, wait until they’re completely dry before dipping into the next container.
- Add some shine. Moisten a paper towel with vegetable oil and lightly wipe down the finished eggs to add a nice shine.
You can also float droplets of a concentrated mixture of food coloring and vinegar (for colorfastness) on a bed of shaving cream, or float droplets of an oil-based immiscible food coloring on water, rake the color into a loose pattern, and dip the egg briefly to marble it as one would marble paper. You may need to dip one end or side of the egg at a time (A great tip to make them even better: a pair of tongs with loop-ended jaws would hold the egg securely and mask very little of its surface.) If you use shaving cream, let the egg dry before rubbing off the excess foam. With either method, be prepared for the possibility that the color may stick to you or what you’re wearing better than the egg, even after it’s dry.
Decorate each egg before you dye them if you intend to add features. You can draw on the eggs with crayon, or place rubber bands or dot stickers on the egg. Covering parts of the egg with tape, stickers, crayon wax from drawing or rubber bands will result in the covered parts of the egg not being coated in the dye you are about to dip the egg, and the result will be a cool effect all their own. You could also dye an egg a light color, mask off parts, and dye the rest a darker color. Of course, you can add decorative effects after dyeing as well. It’s really up to you! A good way to find out what you prefer is to try decorating both before and after dipping in the dyes.
Easter Activities for the Family
Spring Festival & Easter Egg Hunts at Ticonderoga Farm
March 25 through April 23
26469 Ticonderoga Road | Chantilly, VA 20152
Families come from near and far to take part in multiple outdoor activities and weekend Easter egg hunts. You can find the Golden Egg and visit the Easter Bunny all in one fun-filled day on Saturday or Sunday from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. There will be local on-site food vendors, so come hungry!
Fabergé Egg Family Festival at Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens
April 8-9
4155 Linnean Ave. NW | Washington, DC 20008
From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, families can view imperial eggs and other Fabergé creations collected by Marjorie Post, the daughter of the famed Post Cereal empire. There will also be various entertainment options to enjoy including folk music, spirited dancing and a family play featuring stories of Russian Easter traditions. Children can also take part in a traditional Russian egg-rolling game and decorate their own Fabergé-inspired egg in the Fabergé Workshop!
White House Easter Egg Roll
April 17, 8 a. m.-5 p. m.
White House Lawn | 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW | Washington, DC 20500
Bring the kids to hunt for Easter Eggs and enjoy a morning of storytelling as well as a visit with the Easter Bunny. This is a special Washington, DC tradition that dates back to 1878.
Eggstravaganza at Tudor Place
April 8, 14 and 15, 10 a.m.-noon
1644 31st St. NW | Washington, DC 20007
Children of all ages enjoy an Easter Egg Hunt and a thrilling Egg Roll Contest. After the exciting games, spend the morning decorating festive eggs and building a spring basket. Visitors can also enjoy a self-guided tour of Tudor Place’s gardens. Bring your own basket, spoon and one hard-boiled egg per child. Admission: Member Children $7; Non-member Children $10; Adult Chaperones $3.
Morven Park’s
Eco-Friendly Easter
April 15, 10 a.m.-noon
17263 Southern Planter Ln. | Leesburg, Virginia 20176
Romp and roll in Morven Park’s expansive lawn! Activities include story time, natural egg dying, basket making, an egg hunt and learning about healthy Easter treats, topped off with an Easter egg roll on the Mansion lawn. $10/adult; $5/child.
