1 Scissor Slots! Use cardboard egg cartons to make scissor holders for your art center. Children can use tempera paints or markers to decorate the egg cartons. Place the egg cartons upside down and poke a small hole into the center of each egg shape, small enough to support a pair of child-safety scissors.
2 Sort 'N' Sort. Cardboard egg cartons are wonderful for sorting and counting small objects like colored discs, beans, buttons, and rocks. You can number each egg holder from one to 12 and have children count the number of objects for each space. Or, make a matching game by pasting different scraps of fabric into each space and inviting children to find the matching fabric.
3 Float Your Boat. Give the children cardboard and Styrofoam egg cartons and invite them to make boats to use at the water table. Have them predict which type of egg carton will work best in water. Record their responses. Now have them conduct their experiment. Does the size of the carton affect how it floats? Can they cut up the cartons to make smaller boats? Will the cartons sink if they are filled with water?
4 Make It With Imagination! What can you do with egg cartons? Provide the class with cardboard and Styrofoam egg cartons and a variety of construction materials including tape, glue, string, paper, scissors, feathers, buttons, markers, and paint. Invite them to use the materials to create their own collages.
5 Spray 'N' Mold. Invite children to investigate the different ways they can use the cartons to manipulate sand. Give them a spray bottle filled with water so that they can moisten the sand. Can they use the egg cartons as a mold to create interesting shapes?