Games for Kids About Keeping Pets That Hatch From Eggs

Caring for a Nest

• An easy game you can play with your child is having him pretend he is taking care of his very own nest of eggs. The supplies are straightforward, simply provide your child with a "nest" such as a small basket, bowl or box. Take a walk with your child and find a few rocks that can substitute as "eggs" and also search for soft materials to place in his nest like leaves, twigs and grass. Allow your child to tend to the eggs and when your child is ready he can draw and color a set of baby birds on paper. Cut them out and replace the eggs with the drawings. The child can continue to make believe that he is caring for his baby birds.

Baby Tadpole to Pet Frog

• Many of us have experienced discovering frog eggs in a pond. Children can be tempted to collect these eggs and take them home, but unfortunately this usually results in the eggs dying. Instead, create a fun game with your child that teaches her about tadpole development. Take a trip to your local library and look for books that show stages of tadpole growth. Have your child draw at least five of these stages on separate pieces of paper, starting with the frog egg. Later your child can give his drawings to a sibling, friend or parent and have this other person put them in the proper order. Eventually you can make a keep-sake book from these drawings.

Role Playing Baby Turtle

• Children love to play inside things--so imagine the joy a child will have pretending to be a baby animal inside his own egg. First, dress your child in something that represents the baby animal of his choice. For example, the lid of a box with attaching strings like a back pack can be used as a turtle shell. For the egg, have your child decorate a box he can comfortably fit in, or place a sheet over the top of a small table he can play under. Explain to your child that not all eggs are white but some are brown, blue or even green. Serve your child a snack inside the egg and talk about how the baby animal is fed by the egg's yolk while waiting to hatch. Let your child play inside the egg until he feels ready to "hatch."

Feeding Your Baby Bird

• This hide-and-seek game is a fun way to get your kids moving either indoors or outdoors. The premise is simple; a new baby bird has hatched and it's your child's job to catch worms to feed the baby. The only supplies you will need for this game are something you can substitute for worms, like colored pipe cleaners. If you want to get fancy, glue googly eyes onto your pipe cleaners. Hide the "worms" around your house or yard and send your child out "hunting." Have your child bring back one worm at a time while you wait to be "fed" at your meeting spot.