This is part of my 15 minute focus series, simple hands-on science for preschool, kindergarten and early elementary.

Supplies needed: pictures of creatures that do and don’t hatch from eggs (see example below); optional – posters showing categories of animals; pictures of the 10 animals for the poem; supplies for craft: printed egg templates and animals, scissors, glue stick, brads, something to punch holes with, markers or crayons

First, I asked them what hatches from eggs. They came up with lots of different kinds of birds. I had to ask… “hmmm… does anything else hatch from an egg? Have we read a story that started “in the light of the moon, a little egg lay on a leaf?” They shouted the very hungry caterpillar!

Then I showed them photos that included a mixture things that hatch from eggs (insects, amphibians, reptiles, fish, birds) and things that are born alive (mammals), and asked “did this hatch from an egg?” The photos I used were all taken from the ZooBorns website – I’ve attached the file PDF so you can get a better look at it – but I don’t have copyright on these images, so I would encourage you to make your own set of cards rather than just printing this one.

Then we read a poem (adapted from one that Jen in the Library says came from Preschool Favorites by Diane Briggs). I made a poster with ten pictures on it, and covered each picture with a post it note, but you could also use a felt board.

There are ten little eggs / And what do we see / They’re about to crack open / “My goodness me,” said Mother Hen.
The first egg cracks open. And what do we see? It’s a fuzzy, little duckling, looking at me.
The second egg cracks open. And what do we see? It’s a pretty little robin, looking at me.
The third egg cracks open And what do we see It’s a long-necked ostrich Looking at me.
The fourth egg cracks open And what do we see It’s a hungry caterpillar Looking at me.
The fifth egg cracks open And what do we see An orange &white clownfish Looking at me.
The sixth egg cracks open And what do we see It’s a snappy alligator Looking at me.
The seventh egg cracks open And what do we see It’s a wiggly tadpole Looking at me.
The eighth egg cracks open And what do we see It’s a duck-billed platypus Looking at me.
The ninth egg cracks open And what do we see It’s a little green dinosaur Looking at me.
The tenth egg cracks open And what do we see It’s a little yellow chicken Looking at me.
“My baby!” said the mother hen, as happy as can be.
“Mommy!” said the chick. “Did you meet all my sisters and brothers?” “What!” shrieked Mother Hen, “My goodness me.”

Then we did a hatching animal craft. Here is a free printable activity. Kids choose an animal, cut it out and color it. Then they cut out a paper egg, cut it in half, join the halves together with a brad (paper fastener). Put a line of glue just along the bottom edge of the bottom half of the egg, and glue it to the cardstock. This makes a “pocket” to tuck the animal into. The top half opens and closes to reveal or hide the animal. (Idea sources: 1, 2, 3) With 1st or 2nd grade students, they could do this all in the time alloted. For preschoolers, I would cut out the eggs and the animals in advance.