Egg Carton Chicks
An egg carton cup becomes a perfect fluffy chick with yellow paint, a pompom, and some googly eyes. These little characters are completely adorable and made entirely from recycled materials — making them a wonderful Earth-friendly Easter craft.
Children can make a whole family of chicks, naming each one and giving it a distinct personality. Line them up for a "class photo" or nestle them in green paper shred "grass" for an Easter display.
What You'll Need
- Cardboard egg carton — cut into individual cups
- Yellow tempera paint — for the body
- Yellow pompom — for the head
- Orange foam or paper — cut into small triangles for the beak
- Googly eyes — small
- Yellow feathers — optional wing additions
- Glue and scissors
How to Do It
Step 1: Paint the cup. Paint the inside and outside of an egg carton cup yellow. Let dry completely.
Step 2: Make the face. Glue a yellow pompom to the top of the cup as the head.
Step 3: Add eyes. Glue two small googly eyes to the pompom.
Step 4: Add the beak. Fold a small orange triangle in half and glue it between the eyes as a beak.
Step 5: Add wings. Glue a small feather to each side of the cup body.
🎓 Skills Your Child Will Develop
Recycled materials thinking — Seeing potential in "trash" builds environmental awareness and creative thinking.
Small-part assembly — Working with tiny eyes and beaks builds precision and patience.
Narrative play — The finished chicks beg for dramatic play: hatching, chirping, finding food.
Tips & Variations
- Make a mama hen using three cups glued together.
- Nest chicks in a bowl lined with green paper shred.
- Use the chicks as party favors — each child takes one home.
- Add legs from pipe cleaners for standing chicks.
My Two Cents
Cut the carton cups the night before so they're ready to paint first thing. The drying time is the main delay — if you have an hour between painting and assembly time, this craft flows perfectly within a morning activity block.
