Egg Dissection
and meal included.
— May 5, 2024
Does your 3 year old love helping you in the kitchen? If so, this is a fun science activity, turned meal, to complete with them. There is a free, interactive, printable included for you to turn the egg dissection into a complete lesson as well.
If you are interested in more egg focused activities for preschoolers then be sure to check out a week’s worth of lessons, Ee is for Egg. Included is a list of book suggestions including: Egg by Kevin Henkes and A Child’s Garden of Verses: Nest Eggs poem by R.L. Stevenson. These free lessons are also a part of a larger program for preschoolers learning at home. Click the button below to check out the free Letter of the Week lessons.
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Tips for set-up
I suggest planning to transition from dissection right into cooking. Since the eggs will already be cracked, turning them into a quiche immediately after is good practice. Because of this, being prepared for cooking with your 3 year old, and possibly more children, is necessary before you begin dissecting.
Everyone has different methods to successfully accomplish this. One way I create a positive atmosphere for cooking in the kitchen with my children is by assembling ingredients ahead of time. While I do this, I have my 3 and 5 year old color at the table. Coloring pages are included with each week’s lessons so Mick, 3, colored a page decorated with eggs and the uppercase and lowercase letter “E” on it.
This activity can be completed in a multitude of ways. I am only sharing how I did it with my children. If you try it in a different order please share in the comments. I enjoy seeing how others make it work for them and their families.
Dissect an egg
After I have everything assembled we are ready to begin dissection. I place the labeled printable page next to two plates and eggs. The boys join me around the island and I allow them to each crack an egg. Since a quiche uses a lot do not be hesitant to crack one yourself if the your child’s yolk is not intact. This is not necessary though and can be an interesting challenge to still find the various parts.
Using the printable I will point to various parts and ask them if they can find that part on their plate. For example, I will point to the large yellow circle and ask if they can find the yolk in their egg. We then discuss the importance of each part and the role it plays.
The role each part of an egg plays.
- Shell and shell membrane = protection
- Albumen = liquid that chick develops in and provides protein
- Yolk = food source for chick
- Chalazea = act as anchors holding yolk in the center
- Air cell = shock absorber
Ask questions.
Next, I ask questions about what we discussed and follow up on their answers. Depending on the age of your child you can begin here. My 5 year old did not need a discussion for every part before he knew what it was or the importance. My 3 year old required the discussion beforehand. Here are ten questions to get you started, with a bonus:
- Why is the shell important?
- What is the shell made of?
- What does the shell protect the chick from?
- What does the shell membrane do to protect the chick?
- What is the purpose of the albumen?
- How is the yolk different from the albumen?
- What is an anchor?
- What is the purpose of the chalazea?
- What does the chalazea attach to?
- What is the importance of an air cell?
- Bonus: What came first, the chicken or the egg?
Allow them to poke and prod the egg around to take a better look. After the inspection is complete, it is time to turn them into a quiche. I recommend saving the labeling activity of the printable for after the quiche is made or even for another day entirely. Get the free printable here:
Let’s Make Dinner
There are many quiche recipes available on the internet. However, if you were able to plan ahead I encourage you to have your child call a grandparent or aunt and ask them to send their favorite family recipe.
Tips to make this a smooth process.
- I try to make sure younger siblings are down for naps, unless I want to include them.
- Prepare ingredients ahead of time.
- Have counter space designated for used dishes and ingredients. This way you can easily clear your working space as you progress through the recipe.
- Even though this is an activity for your child, it’s still your kitchen. If they are goofing around or not following kitchen etiquette, then they are excused. My rule is three strikes and you’re out! To read more about making kitchen time fun and setting rules check out this post here.
Follow Up
While the quiche is baking is when I provide my 3 and 5 year old with the interactive part of the printable. Prior to this, I laminated and cut out the shapes, then I attached Velcro to the appropriate spots. You will find a printable that only has pictures of the parts that need to be assembled to make an egg, for 3 year old’s. Also, included is the version for older children. This version the labels are missing and must be placed to label the corresponding parts.
I love the continuity of these activities together. First, we learn all about what makes up an egg. The shell, membrane, yolk, albumen, chalazea, etc. Even the purpose of each part. Then we put the eggs we used to a purpose and demonstrate how eggs can nourish our bodies.
If your child enjoyed these activities, please leave a comment and let me know. Also, feel free to share links to quiche recipes or even share your family’s favorite recipe.
Ee is for Egg
If you’re interested in more opportunities for your 3-5 year old to learn about eggs and animals that lay eggs be sure to check out Ee is for Egg. Activity ideas, coloring pages, printables, and book suggestions all center around the theme of eggs.
How To Dissect An Egg
Activity Instructions
Materials needed
Eggs
Quiche Recipe & Ingredients
Included printable
*laminator
*cardstock
*masking tape
Instructions
Choose a quiche recipe from online and prepare anything you wish to ahead of time.
If you want the printable activity to last you can print on cardstock or even on regular paper but then laminate it. This isn’t necessary though! I made the pictures in color, but you’re free to print in black and white if that is what you’d prefer.
Dissect
1. Begin by letting your kiddo crack an egg into a shallow bowl. You may want to have a back up bowl and egg ready in case the yolk is smashed.
2. Let your child examine the different parts. I enjoy providing my children with the labeled printable. I’ll point to a part of the egg and ask them if they can find that part on their real egg. Depending on the age of your child you can ask them questions about each part and their different purposes.
3. You can search for as much or as little information as you’ll need for this activity. Mostly depending on the age of your child, but here is a quick run down: Shell and shell membrane = protection, albumen = liquid that chick develops in and provides protein, yolk = food source for chick, chalazea = act as anchors holding yolk in the center, air cell = shock absorber.
4. Ask questions for deeper learning.
5. Now that your kiddo has examined the egg, you can begin cooking.
After cooking, you can provide your child with the printable to label the parts of an egg. Another option is to save the labeling for another day.
Cooking
6. Help your child crack the amount of eggs the recipe calls for into a bowl.
7. While you chop vegetables, encourage your child to stir the yolks and albumen together and/or chop mushrooms with their kid safety knife.
8. Follow the recipe and, once baked, sit down to share in the brunch you both worked hard in making.
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