LEARNING WITH EGGS

Most foods can be used as learning opportunities for young children.  Eggs not only are good to eat; they are featured in many nursery rhymes and are symbolic for spring or new beginnings in many cultures.  Eggs can be cooked different ways, decorated, counted and used to grow seedlings.

SKILLS TAUGHT

Art Skills – Drying eggs can help children learn color recognition.  Egg decoration can also enhance gluing, punching, painting and cutting skills.

Science Skills – Studying eggs can help children discover likes and differences; animals that come from eggs and sequencing skills.

Math Skills – Eggs can be used to teach children counting, sorting, and size discrimination skills.

Coordination Skills – Passing, rolling and carrying hard-boiled eggs are great for enhancing young children’s coordination skills.

Movement/Dramatization Skills – Young children love to pretend being eggs, by curling up in a ball and rolling around.  Pretending to hatch from an egg is a dramatic learning experience.

Language Skills – Learning rhymes, stories and songs about eggs can introduce children to new words and rhyming words.

Cooking Skills – Let your children help you shake, flip, stir and slice eggs as you cook with them.

Social Skills – Studying eggs often includes the noticing how different cultures cook and decorate eggs.

Problem Solving Skills – Choosing how they want their eggs cooked can help children learn to make choices, a valuable problem solving skill.

MAXIMIZING TEACHING MOMENTS

The best tools parents can use in teaching their children basic learning skills are items that are familiar to their child.  When learning has meaning, skills and information are retained.  Counting, sorting, discovering likes and differences of familiar objects puts your child at ease and makes learning fun.

Below are some fun and educational activities to do with your child using eggs.

SCRAMBLED EGGS (Ages 3-6)
Scrambled eggs are an easy food that young children can help you prepare. They love learning how to crack eggs into a bowl, pouring in some milk and stirring up the eggs. If you want to be real adventurous, have your child add a few drops of green food coloring and ham to the mix and make “Green Eggs and Ham”. Be sure to check out the book “Green Eggs and Ham” by Dr. Suess from your local library. Read the story before you make your green eggs to extend the fun.

HUMPTY DUMPTY (Ages 2-6)
Everyone knows about Humpty Dumpty. Teach your child the familiar rhyme and encourage her to act out the rhyme by rolling off a large pillow.

ROLLY POLLY EGG (Ages 3-6)
Show your child how to lay on the floor, then curl up into a ball like an egg. Then show him how to roll around like a rolly polly egg. This can be even more fun outside on a slight hill.

LITTLE CHICK (Ages 3-6)
Another fun egg related activity is to encourage your child to act out a baby chick being born by cracking out of his egg shell. Pretending to be the baby chick makes learning about eggs and baby chicks come alive for your child. Recite the following rhyme and have your child act out the words.

                LITTLE CHICK
                Snuggled inside and egg that was white,
                Was a small baby chick with his head tucked in tight.
                Then he turned his head ‘round and tapped with his beak,
                “Crack” went his shell and out his head peeked!
                                                                                Colraine Hurley

I LOVE EGGS
Music is a great way to teach facts to young children. Something about the rhythm and rhyme of a song helps young minds retain information. Below is a simple song about eggs that your children will enjoy.

I LOVE EGGS
Sung to:  “Three Blind Mice”
Eggs, eggs, eggs
Eggs, eggs, eggs
I love eggs, I love eggs.
I love them skinny, I love them wide.
I love them plain, I love them dyed.
I love them scrambled, I love them fried.
I love eggs!
                                Lois E. Putnam

COUNTING EGGS (3-6)
There are many opportunities in everyday life for children to count eggs. You could have them help you count the eggs in a carton before you purchase them at the store or you could have them count the number of eggs you crack into a bowl.

Easter is a great time to count eggs after you have dyed them or after your child has found some for her Easter basket. Plastic eggs are also great for hiding and then counting as they are found.

SORTING EGGS (3-6)
Sorting things by color or size helps young children develop critical thinking and classified skills. Give your child an empty egg carton and set out six pairs of different colored plastic or dyed eggs. Down one side of the carton, place one egg of each color. Have your child find matching eggs and place them next to their mates. When your child has mastered this game, try mixing up the eggs and have him put them back into six pairs of colored eggs.

DINO EGGS (3-6)
Most of the time when we think of eggs, we think of chicken eggs. Children are usually fascinated to find out that many animals come from eggs including dinosaurs. Through books at the library, internet sites, trips to the zoo or science museums, young children can be introduced to the many animals that come from eggs, such as, turtles, frogs, dinosaurs, birds and lizards.

SEQUENCE CARDS (3-6)
Learning to put things in order or in the proper sequence is a great pre-reading skill for young children to master. You can help your child learn this skill by making sets of sequence cards for her. Draw simple scenes on four index cards depicting a sequence of events. Mix up the cards and have your child place the cards in their proper order.

Example:  The Birth of a Baby Bird

•  First Card – show a plain egg in a nest.
• Second Card – show a crack in the egg.
• Third Card – show the baby birds head sticking out of the shell.
• Fourth Card – show two egg halves and a baby bird standing in the middle.

GROWING SEEDS (3-6)
Your child can use old egg shells as seed incubators.  First have your child place an empty egg shell in each cup of an empty egg carton.  Then have him fill each egg shell with potting soil or dirt.  Next, have him plant one or two vegetable or flower seeds in each cup.  Finally, have him add a teaspoon of water to each cup.  Set the egg carton in a warm spot.  Keep the egg carton closed so that the seeds will stay warm and sprout quicker.  After the seeds have sprouted, leave the top off and continue watering as needed.  When the seeds have grown into seedlings, have your child plant the egg shells, crushing them slightly before placing them into the ground.