Dinosaur Egg Hunt

Objective:Have fun! Learn the difference between real and pretend. This may be a good way to introduce a dinosaur unit.
Age group: preschool to first grade.
Beforehand:
1. Paint a watermelon white. (A day or two ahead of time so it can dry.)
2. Write a letter to the students from someone they are familiar with-for example, the secretaries, the janitor, the librarian. Written in it, it says that they found an 1egg and it looked like a dinosaur egg. Do the children want to investigate it for them?
3. Hide the "egg". It may be nestled in leaves or pine needles under a tree.
That day:
1. Read "Dinosaur Roars". Discuss real vs. pretend
2. "Find" the letter and read it aloud to the students.
3. Go search for the egg.
4. Discuss as a group if they think it's real or pretend. At this point, you can decide if you want to open it up or not. It also can be a terrific snack!
Extensions:
1. The children can be scientist and learn about the egg. They can estimate how much it weighs and then weigh it.
2. They can estimate the circumference with a piece of yarn. Then, take another piece of yarn and measure the circumference. Compare if the children's estimations are longer, shorter or the same. It also can be turned into a graph.
3. Send the children home and have them discuss with their parents if they think it could be real or pretend.