Easter Egg Science Experiments

With Easter right around the corner, what better opportunity to use eggs to teach about God’s sacrifice as well as the science behind His creation? Check out how your children can celebrate Easter and learn a little science together along the way.The Power of the DomeFor something so fragile, eggshells can hold a heavy load under the right conditions! For example, go outside and try smashing an egg by squeezing the ends together between your hands - you’ll find that some shapes are stronger than others, as the experiment will show you as well.What you need:

• 4 eggs
• A pen
• Scissors or a sharp knife
• Heavy books

What to do:

1. Crack open four eggs and rinse out the inside of the shells, taking a moment to admire how brittle eggs are.
2. Draw a line around each egg as evenly as possible. Using that as a guide, carefully score the shell (an adult should do this) with a sharp knife. Ensure that the scoring is continuous and completely encircles the egg. Do this slowly.
3. Carefully break off pieces of the shell up to the line. It is possible to use scissors. You need 4 half egg shells of the same height, and the scoring helps stop unwanted cracks.
4. Place the 4 shells in a rectangular formation, and slowly place books on top. See how many books you can add before the egg shells crack!

The half-eggshells create small dome shapes. Domes evenly distribute weight, so no part of the dome supports more weight than another. The downward force of the books transfers throughout the dome shape and onto the table or counter.Ask your children to think about other things in nature that are naturally strong. How are we as humans similar to the egg’s dome shape? How is a strong community like a dome? What can we learn about God’s love from this?The Unbreakable EggPlaying off of a similar theme, how do you make an unbreakable egg? This is the perfect activity to do right before dyeing Easter eggs.What you need:

• One egg
• Plastic wrap

What to do:

1. Wrap your egg in the plastic wrap, then place it in your palm. Close your hand around it so that your fingers completely wrap around the egg.
2. Squeeze as hard as you possibly can.
3. The egg should remain in one piece. If you want to try it without the plastic wrap, feel free!

For anyone who has ever dropped or cracked an egg, it’s pretty obvious how fragile the shell is. However, the shape of the egg is very strong, and when pressure is applied evenly all over the shell, it won’t break.Ask your children to think about if they ever feel fragile or easily breakable, like an egg. Did they know how strong they could be, or where that strength came from? What can we learn about God’s love from this?The Orlando Catholic school's blog page has helpful hints for parents to encourage their children to excel academically, spiritually, and socially. To learn more about private schools in Orlando, contact us at 407-246-4800.