March 14 – National Children’s Craft Day

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About the Holiday

March is National Craft Month and today is set aside especially for children to engage in this fun and diverse activity. Crafting has many benefits for kids, including using their creativity, honing fine motor skills, following directions, and learning to work independently. Doing crafts is also a great way to spend time away from the computer or TV and often results in an item that kids can be proud of. Using recyclable materials makes crafting inexpensive and gives the recycled items new life.

I received a copy of Easter Egg Day from Tara Knudson for review consideration. All opinions are my own. I’m happy to be teaming with Tara to offer a signed copy of the book. See details below.

Easter Egg Day

Written by Tara Knudson | Illustrated by Pauline Siewert

It’s Easter egg-dyeing day for the rabbit family. The little bunnies put on their smocks and gather the hard-boiled eggs and other supplies on the table. To make each egg special, the bunnies “use a crayon, / draw designs— / circles, shapes, / zigzag lines. / Rabbit, lamb, / butterflies, / ready, set— / time for dyes!”

Carefully, they dip them into the cups of blue, green, yellow, and red dye. These colors are fun, but then they get creative, mixing red and blue and double-dipping. The bunnies set their eggs out to dry, and just in time they’re ready for the big Easter egg hunt.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-easter-egg-day-smocks

Image copyright Pauline Stewert, 2020, text copyright Tara Knudson, 2020. Courtesy of Zonderkidz.

“Neighbors, friends, / at the door. / Baskets held, / eggs galore!” The little bunnies, moles, and mice race out into the yard and hide their eyes as the adults hide the eggs in the tall grass, near trees, and under flowers. When all the eggs are hidden, the kids spread out, hoping to fill their empty baskets.

They find all of the eggs except seven—can you help the kids look around? Along with the real eggs, there are plastic eggs that pop open to reveal treats—”stickers, toys, / Easter sweets!” Then it’s time for games and races, smiles and cheers. Come and join the Easter fun!

Easter egg decorating tips are included after the story.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-easter-egg-day-dying-eggs

Image copyright Pauline Stewert, 2020, text copyright Tara Knudson, 2020. Courtesy of Zonderkidz.

Little ones love the magic of dyeing Easter eggs, and Tara Knudson’s bright, bouncy rhymes perfectly convey the giggly excitement kids feel during this once-a-year tradition. Readers will eagerly anticipate each step and page turn along the way as the bunnies turn their carton of white eggs into a basket full of creative, colorful treasures. Of course, Easter eggs are made for hiding and finding, and Knudson invites kids to join the bunnies and little moles and mice as they scamper through the yard on this most joyful of all hunts.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-easter-egg-day-friends

Image copyright Pauline Stewert, 2020, text copyright Tara Knudson, 2020. Courtesy of Zonderkidz.

With sunny yellows, tender-grass greens, and vibrant oranges, purples, and reds, Pauline Siewert drops kids as gently as an egg into dye into spring and the enchantment of Easter egg fun. White eggs marked with creative crayon designs will give readers a few ideas for their own eggs while the sweet smiles and enthusiasm of the bunny siblings and their parents mirror their own feelings. As the bunnies and their friends dash off to find the eggs, little ones will be just as excited for their own Easter egg traditions.

Adorable and endearing, Easter Egg Day will be a favorite spring read for adults and kids to share before Easter and to remember family fun.

Ages 2 – 4

Zonderkidz, 2020 | ISBN 978-0310767527

Discover more about Tara Knudson and her books as well as printable coloring pages on her website.

You can connect with Pauline Siewert on Instagram.

National Children’s Craft Day Activity

CPB - Chick single

Hatch a Chick! Craft

Chicks are so cute and fluffy—you just wish you could have one of your very own! Now you can! Hatch your own chick with this craft.

Supplies

  • Cotton balls, or use large pom-poms
  • Yellow chalk
  • Orange paper
  • Black paper
  • Egg shell
  • Paper grass
  • Cardboard or poster board
  • Cheese grater
  • Green paint, marker, or crayon
  • Glue
  • Scissors

Directions

To make the shell

  1. Crack an egg and save the two halves
  2. Soak the eggshells in soapy water or wash gently with soap
  3. Dry eggshell

To make the chick

  1. Use the cheese grater to grate the chalk into a bowl
  2. Roll the cotton balls in the chalk dust until they are covered
  3. Make the beak from the orange paper by folding the paper and cutting a small triangle
  4. Cut two small eyes from the black paper
  5. Glue the beak and eyes to one of the cotton balls
  6. Glue the head to the second cotton ball
  7. Set the chick into one of the eggshells, glue if desired

To make the stand

  1. Cut a 3-inch by 3-inch square from the cardboard or poster board
  2. If you wish, paint or color the square green
  3. Glue green paper grass to the square
  4. Glue the eggshell to the stand.

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You can find Easter Egg Day at these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | IndieBound

Picture Book Review

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