Easter Craft: Egg Chess and Checkers

Easter is just around the corner and I love to do seasonal crafts that have a purpose or function.  So this year, instead of decorating with eggs, we are
playing with them!  Checkers and chess to be exact!  Join me today as I show you a fun and simple way to create a child-sized version of these classic games.

Supplies needed to make your own Easter craft chess and checkers:

• Wooden Eggs – Small
• Wooden Eggs – Large
• Wood Burning Tool
• Bottle Caps
• Hot Glue and Gun
• Cutting Board or Scrap Wood (I found mine cheap at IKEA)
• Stain Pen or Woodstain
• Optional – Baby Quail Eggs and Pennies

To differentiate the two sides of the board, one set of eggs needed to be a little different.  While half stayed the natural wood color, the other half got burned.

This is a simple wood burning tool that plugs into the wall and gets VERY hot.  This is definitely not a craft the kids can help with.  To create the lines on the eggs, I held the tool on the top of the egg until it started to smoke a tiny bit (maybe 3 seconds?).

You can feel the wood start to burn and the tool settles into the wood just a fraction.  Once the top is burned, I quickly slide down the side of the egg making a thinner, lighter line that radiates from a central axis (see finished eggs below).

You could certainly get creative with your wood burning technique, or go a completely different route and stain the eggs with a light and dark wood stain, paint them, decoupage them – whatever suits your fancy!

As you all know, eggs will not stand up on their own, so they need a flat base in order for them to serve as playing pieces.  Bottle caps were the perfect base!

Simply hot glue the bottom of the egg squarely into the cap and your little eggs can now move around the playing board.

To create the playing board, I simply used a cheap cutting board (any unfinished piece of wood will work), marked off squares, and stained every other one with a metallic glaze.

To play a baby version of checkers, the small eggs are used and then “kinged” by switching out for a large egg when they reach the other side of the board.

Chess is slightly more complicated, but easy enough for young children. With a large egg serving as the queen, smaller eggs serving as bishops and quail eggs (anchored by pennies!) as pawns.

So break out those eggs, create this fun Easter craft and let’s play a few rounds shall we?

Amy Renea

Hey y’all! I’m Amy Renea, a freelance photographer and writer based out of Hershey, PA. I spend my days chasing children and chickens around the back yard, sipping on dandelion tea and munching on sweet potato chips. Come visit the Nest for All Seasons to learn more about my food, photography, DIY designs and modern garden living! www.anestforallseasons.com