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Pre-K activities, learning games, crafts, and printables


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Exploring eggs - Babies and toddlers - Educatall

Exploring eggs

Activities for babies and toddlers

 

For these activities, you will need several plastic Easter eggs that can be opened.

 

AREA SETUP

 

Manipulation baskets
Deposit several Easter baskets on the floor and fill them with plastic Easter eggs. Let children manipulate them. Add empty egg cartons. Children will have fun filling them with plastic eggs, emptying them, and starting over again and again.

 

As you continue to explore eggs with your group, different crafts will add to your decor.

 

ROUTINES AND TRANSITIONS

 

Lunch and snack time ideas

 

The hidden snack
Hide snack items in plastic Easter eggs. Let babies and toddlers shake the eggs to discover which ones contain snacks. Help them open the eggs and let them eat the contents (dry cereal, fruit pieces, etc.).

 

Dessert
Open an egg carton and deposit half of a plastic egg in each egg carton section. Pour chocolate pudding in each egg. Give children spoons and let them eat directly out of the plastic eggs.

 

Discovering hard-boiled eggs
This activity can only be done with children who are 1 year old or older who have already eaten a whole egg. Sit at a table with your group and cut a hard-boiled egg in two and then in slices. Observe the inside of the egg with the children in your group. Depending on their age, let children touch and taste the egg.

 

Chocolate egg treat
Serve chocolate Easter eggs at snack time.

 

A simple recipe
Serve children who have already eaten a whole egg half of a hard-boiled egg presented on a noodle nest (spaghetti for example) or on an alfalfa nest.

 

SENSORY ACTIVITIES (hearing)

 

Sound eggs
Deposit dried peas, rice, or tiny rocks in plastic Easter eggs. Close the eggs and seal them with several layers of clear tape to make sure they will not open. Let babies and toddlers shake the eggs to produce music.

 

SENSORY ACTIVITIES (touch)

 

Manipulation bins
Create several different manipulation bins and hide plastic Easter eggs in them.

  • Sand table
  • Dry cereal bin
  • Feather bin
  • Bin filled with a large quantity of plastic Easter eggs
  • See soap bubble bin under "Cognitive activities"

ARTS & CRAFTS

 

Window craft
Give children clear plastic document covers. Let them paint Easter eggs on them. When they are done, simply rub a small amount of water on the back of each plastic cover and press them on a window. Enjoy your pretty stained glass decorations.

 

Collective project
Hang a large strip of green construction paper on the wall to represent grass (cut slits to create strands of grass). Have each child decorate large egg shapes cut out of construction paper by drawing on them or by gluing feathers or glitter on the eggs. When they are done, help them glue the eggs in the grass.

 

MORAL AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

 

Role play activity
Create a kitchen area for little ones complete with pots and pans, plastic bowls, spatulas, whisks, and, of course, plastic eggs. Add several empty egg cartons to the area. Let babies and toddlers fill and empty them. Children will enjoy pretending they are cooks.

 

Making an omelet
In front of babies and toddlers, crack several eggs in a very large bowl. Encourage them to observe the eggs. Show them the egg yolk. Let children add ham, vegetables, and cheese to the eggs. Let them take turns whisking the ingredients together before cooking the omelet.

 

COGNITIVE ACTIVITIES

 

Soap bubble bin
Explore object permanence with your group. Pour a small quantity of water in a rectangular container (very little water is needed). Add several drops of bubble bath. Stir to create a good layer of soap bubbles. Add plastic eggs. Let children plunge their hands in the soap bubbles to find the eggs.

 

Sink/float
You will need a container filled with water. If you wish, you can simply fill your bathroom sink with water. Hide a few pebbles inside some plastic eggs. Wrap the eggs with clear tape to guarantee they will not open. Drop these eggs in the water along with empty plastic eggs. Let babies and toddlers explore the eggs and discover the concept of "sink/float".

 

Association game
With very young toddlers, deposit eggs of a single color on a table, blue eggs for example. Add blue candy pieces such as Smarties. Encourage them to insert the blue candy pieces in the blue eggs to associate "blue" with "blue". With older toddlers, offer two colors of eggs and candy pieces. Help them associate the candy pieces to the eggs of the corresponding color to introduce them to sorting and associations.

 

Where do eggs come from?
With older toddlers, talk about eggs and the birds that lay them. Present pretty pictures or illustrations of a hen and its eggs, a hatching chick, etc.

 

Association game 2
Paint the bottom of each section of several egg cartons using different colors. Show toddlers how they can sort your plastic eggs by depositing each one in a section of the corresponding color. Begin with a single color and add other colors as children progress.

 

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND MOTOR SKILLS

 

Egg hunt
In your daycare or yard, deposit several plastic Easter eggs here and there in plain sight. Invite babies and toddlers to move around and collect the eggs. Provide toddlers with baskets.

 

From one box to another
Deposit an empty box at one end of your daycare. At the other end of the daycare, deposit a second box filled with plastic Easter eggs. Show toddlers how they can transport the eggs from one box to the other. You may choose to provide older toddlers with bowls or plates they can use to transport the eggs.

 

Egg toss
Use elastic fabric to hang a hula hoop from the ceiling. Encourage babies and toddlers to throw plastic Easter eggs through the hula hoop. Variation: If you prefer, deposit laundry baskets on the floor and simply invite children to toss the eggs in the baskets.

 

Mystery box
You will need a large box with a lid. Cut several holes on the sides and top of the box, large enough to allow children to insert their hands. Deposit plastic Easter eggs in the box. Close the lid and show children how they can pull the eggs out through the different holes.

 

Songs and rhythms
Use the sound eggs created in the sensory activity described above. With little ones, shake the eggs to the rhythm of different songs and rhymes. If you wish, play music and dance with your group while shaking the sound eggs.

 

LANGUAGE ACTIVITIES

 

Egg pictures
You will need a variety of egg pictures: a whole egg, a chocolate egg, a sunny side up egg, etc. With your group, study the pictures and help them notice different shapes and colors. Name what you see in each picture.

 

 

Chantal Milette
Early childhood educator


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