Hatch the Egg
Head down to the farm for a bit of fun that is bound to keep your players hopping and popping! Teams vie to be the first to hatch all their eggs and gather all their chicks in a row. It's a raucous game, filled with squawks, hoots, caws, and laughter!
- Small pictures of birds (download and print our free template below)
- Scissors
- 5-inch balloons
- 1 chair for each team
- Balloon pump (optional)
- Hula hoop (optional) or line markers
- Bag or box for each team (to hold the balloon "eggs")
1. Download and print our free template of bird pictures below, or make your own.
2. Cut one bird per picture, and roll the papers into scrolls.
3. Insert scrolls into 5-inch balloons.
4. Carefully inflate and tie off your balloons. Place in a bag or box for easy access.
5. Place one hula hoop per team at one side of the playing field.
6. Place one chair per team directly across the playing field from each hula hoop. (This is the "nest.")
7. Divide teams evenly and have them line up behind their team hula hoop.
8. Place a bag or box of prepped balloons in each hula hoop.
1. On "Go!" have the first person from each team reach into the bag or box and retrieve a balloon "egg."
2. The player runs to their team's "nest" (the chair), places the "egg" (balloon with picture) on the chair and proceeds to sit on the egg and pop it.
3. Once the egg pops, the player retrieves the roll of paper, opens it, and then imitates the sounds and movements of that bird all the way back to their team.
4. Once the player enters their team's hula hoop, the next payer may go.
5. Play continues until everyone has gone.
6. The first team to hatch all their eggs wins!
1. You can use anything that makes a noise: farm animals, machinery, etc.
2. Have team mates yell out what animal their fellow team member is imitating. Don't allow the player to sit down until the correct animal has been guessed.
1. To make it apparent which teams are finished, have the teams sit down on the floor in a straight line. The first team to get all their members sitting wins.
2. Make sure that players act out their animals on the way back. That's part of the fun!
3. Some kids may have trouble popping the balloons with their bottoms. It may take a few times before they get it. If they seem to be really struggling, you can let them use their foot (but only as a last resort).
1. Identifying animals and the sounds they make.