Back
Treasure Egg Excavation Hunt
This sensory-filled activity will have your child pretending to be a paleontologist; analyzing the treasure eggs and what they might be filled with. So, let’s begin by preparing the treasure eggs and hunting for them later!
-
- 1 cup of Sand
-
- 1 cup of Flour
-
- ½ cup of Salt
-
- ½ cup of Water
-
- Measuring cups
-
1. Pour the used coffee grounds, sand, flour, and salt into bowl and mix well.
-
2. Add water as needed until the dough becomes thick. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour.
-
3. Knead the dough together and roll it into a ball.
-
4. Flatten the ball into your palm.
-
5. Place the animal of your choice on top of the flat dough and cover completely with the dough, creating an egg shape.
-
6. Allow the egg to dry for 24-48 hours or until it feels dry and hard to the touch.
Tip: Create one empty egg for your child to guess which one it is after the hunt.
This activity is divided into two parts. During each part of this activity, discuss the sensory experience of the different states and textures of the eggs. Providing your child with opportunities to integrate sensory and motor skills is essential to their curiosity and learning.
The first part of this activity is for your child to be involved in the process of preparing the treasure eggs. Their involvement in mixing the ingredients and following the recipe allows them to understand number and order recognition by following the ingredient list and using measuring cups. This will also give them the chance to explore the properties of each ingredient and use their senses to differentiate them from each other.
The second part of the activity is to hide the treasure eggs around your home for your child to go on an “Excavation Hunt”, just like a Paleontologist. Engage your child by saying “Remember those eggs we made? I wonder if you can find where they are hiding?”. Once your child has collected all the treasure eggs, provide them with a toy hammer to break down the egg and brush away the “egg dust” to find out what kind of animals are in the treasure eggs. Before breaking down the eggs, ask your child which animal/dinosaur do they think is in each egg and then allow them to take the lead in their exploration.
Tip: For older children, use this opportunity to talk about paleontologists and how they study the history of dinosaurs by going on excavation sites to collect and analyze dinosaur fossils.
EarlyON