Preteen Easter Craft: Easter Egg Piñata

This fun Easter craft will take four weeks to complete, but when children are finished they’ll have a great Papier-Mâché Easter Egg piñata.

Papier-mâché is an involving craft for children, but the outcome is worth it. Be prepared: The process can be time consuming and messy. You may want to make a sample in advance to anticipate any difficulties.

Cover your work area with newspaper, and provide painters smocks or old T-shirts for children to wear.

Preteen Easter Craft: Easter Egg Piñata

For each child you’ll need:

• an inflated and tied-off balloon,
• dozens of newspaper strips (approximately 2×8-inches), and
• a 2×10-inch cardboard strip.

You’ll also need:

• a thin mixture of plaster of Paris in a pie plate or other open container, and
• towels for clean-up.
• a craft knife;
• paint;
• paint brushes;
• individually wrapped candies;
• string;
• duct tape and
• a 2×8-inch cardboard strip for each child.

Week 1

Tell kids to:

• Staple a cardboard strip into a “crown” and place it under your balloon to help it stand up. (Or use a masking roll tap.)
• Dip a newspaper strip into the plaster of Paris mixture and then remove the excess mixture by running the strip between your index and middle fingers.
• Lay your lightly coated strip onto your balloon and smooth down the strip so it lays flat on your balloon.
• Repeat this process until your entire balloon is covered by two layers of strips. (Help the children achieve uniformity in covering the balloon for best results.)
• Allow the balloons to dry for one week.

Week 2

Tell kids to:

• Work with an adult to cut two small holes in the top of your balloon. Remove balloon fragments.

Week 3

Tell kids to:

• Put on a painter’s smock or old T-shirt.
• Paint the outside of your balloon shell, and allow the Easter egg piñata to dry.

Week 4

Tell kids to:

• Put the candy in your Easter egg piñata.
• Tie a string through the opening in your piñata top. Duct tape around the opening.
• Take your piñata home and enjoy batting it until it breaks.

Terry Williams
Queensland, Australia

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