Egg Carton Color Hunt: An Engaging Color Sorting Activity for Toddlers

A Quick and Easy Color Sorting Activity

If you’ve ever stepped on a tiny toy in your living room, congratulations—you already have everything you need for this activity.

The Egg Carton Color Hunt is a ridiculously easy way to keep little hands busy while working on color recognition, sorting skills, and fine motor development. And best of all? It requires almost no setup, making it the perfect activity at home when you need a quick win.

This activity is part of my Activities with Random Household Objects series, where we turn everyday items into toddler entertainment (because we all know they prefer the box over the toy anyway). This is Activity #2 in our lineup of activities using an egg carton, and trust me—this one’s a keeper.

Why You’ll Love the Egg Carton Color Hunt

1. It’s Simple and Requires Zero Fancy Supplies: No last-minute store runs, no expensive craft kits. You probably have everything you need already sitting in a drawer.
2. It Sneaks in Learning: Color sorting? Check. Fine motor practice? Check. Toddler occupied long enough for you to sip your coffee while it’s still hot? Triple check.
3. It Encourages Independent Play: Once you show your child how to match colors, they can take the lead. And honestly, watching them proudly place the toys in the right spots is a parenting win.
4. It’s an Easy Way to Repurpose an Egg Carton: Egg cartons are surprisingly versatile when it comes to kids’ activities. This one gives it a second life before it hits the recycling bin.

How to Set Up the Egg Carton Color Hunt

What You’ll Need:

• An empty egg carton
• Colored markers, crayons, or paint
• A mix of small toys or household objects (think mini cars, pom-poms, blocks, or figurines)

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Color the Inside of Each Egg Cup: Open the egg carton and color the bottoms of each section with different colors. Use paint, markers, or even colored stickers. The goal is to create color-coded “slots” for sorting.
2. Gather Small Toys or Objects: Find a handful of small toys or objects in matching colors. Think LEGOs, pom-poms, buttons, beads, mini animals—basically, anything small enough to fit in the egg carton compartments.
3. Start the Hunt!: Give your child a pile of toys and let them match each one to the correct colored slot in the egg carton. If they need a little guidance, start by placing one or two items in their correct spots and let them continue.
4. Make It a Game: Turn this into an interactive scavenger hunt by hiding the objects around the room and having your child search for them before sorting them into the egg carton.

Fun Variations to Try

1. Speed Round: Challenge older toddlers to see how quickly they can sort all the objects. Set a timer and see if they can beat their best time.
2. Sensory Bin Edition: Bury the small toys in a bin of rice, dry beans, or shredded paper, and have your child dig them out before sorting. This adds an extra sensory element to the game.
3. Nature Hunt: Take the activity outside and collect small nature items—flowers, leaves, pebbles—then sort them by color.
4. Learning Beyond Colors: Once your child has mastered color sorting, try labeling the sections with numbers or letters and have them sort objects accordingly.

The Benefits of Color Sorting Activities for Toddlers

The Egg Carton Color Hunt isn’t just fun—it’s secretly helping your toddler develop important skills.

1. Color Recognition

Sorting activities help toddlers recognize, name, and categorize colors, which is a foundational skill for early learning.

2. Fine Motor Development

Grasping, picking up, and placing small objects strengthens hand muscles, improving coordination for future tasks like writing and self-care skills.

3. Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking

Deciding where each object belongs encourages cognitive skills and early problem-solving abilities.

4. Language and Communication

This activity naturally invites conversation. Try narrating:

• “Oh, I see you found a red car! Where does it go?”
• “That’s a blue pom-pom! Can you find the blue spot?”

MORE WAYS TO PLAY WITH AN EGG CARTON

If your kids love this egg carton activity (and they definitely will), you’ll want to explore even more ways to play with this everyday item. An egg carton is surprisingly versatile, offering a wealth of creative learning opportunities. Here are a few more ideas to keep the fun going:

1. Egg Carton Color Sticks – Use colored sticks or craft sticks and match them to the corresponding colors in the egg carton for a fun color recognition game.
2. Egg Carton Counting – Label each compartment with numbers 1 through 9. Fill each spot with the corresponding number of miniature ducks (or any other small counting item) to reinforce counting skills.
3. Egg Carton Addition – Label each compartment with a simple addition problem (like 1+2, 3+5, etc.). Then, fill each compartment with the correct number of miniature ducks (or other small objects) to represent the sum.
4. Egg Carton Geoboard – Stretch rubber bands across the compartments to create shapes and designs, helping kids practice geometry and fine motor skills.
5. Egg Carton Paint Tray – Use the compartments to hold different paint colors, allowing your child to dip their brush and create a colorful masterpiece.

Making Activities with Random Household Objects a Habit

You don’t need elaborate setups to keep toddlers entertained. With a little creativity, everyday items—like an egg carton—can become a powerful learning tool.

This is just Activity #2 in my Activities Using an Egg Carton series, so stay tuned for more easy, engaging ways to repurpose everyday objects for toddler fun.

Colored Permanent Markers