By Jaci Foged, Extension Educator in Lancaster County
In Nebraska Extension’s Look Who’s Hatching program, childcare providers with preschool-age children have a hands-on learning adventure of hatching chicks or ducklings! Extension loans the necessary items (incubator, chicken or duck eggs, and brooder box) and an emergent curriculum. There is a small fee for the program.
WORKSHOP INTRODUCTION
Each spring, a free workshop is offered to early childhood providers new to the program. They learn how to use the curriculum which uses the Experiential Learning Model to support children’s learning. Rather than providing the answer to what is inside the eggs, teachers should instead follow the children’s lead and explore all of the possibilities by asking questions that provoke thinking. This helps children think about, and process their ideas.
After providers complete the workshop, they can sign up for the Look Who’s Hatching program. The 2026 in-person workshop was presented in February, but providers who are interested may take the workshop online.
4-WEEK PROGRAM
The Look Who’s Hatching project session lasts approximately four weeks with incubators and eggs onsite. The program starts with the concept of “What could be inside of the eggs?” A children’s story about oviparous (egg laying) animals is read to the group, and children begin to wonder about what could hatch from their eggs — turtles, crocodiles, snakes and even dragons are some of the ideas children have.
Children use magical thinking as a way of figuring out how things work. When we provide children with an opportunity to think outside the box, magic happens. Suddenly, it is more than just a simple egg, like the eggs they might have seen in their refrigerator. The simple provocation of what could be in the egg creates many days of exploration and learning — for the children, their parents and their teachers too!
Depending on the children’s interests, classrooms might explore oviparous animals for many weeks after the eggs have hatched and left the classroom.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Week 1: Pick up your incubator, eggs and other supplies from the Extension office. Shhh, don’t tell the children they are chicken or duck eggs! The book, “Whose Egg?” illustrated by Guy Troughton is about a variety of animals which hatch from eggs. Children then brainstorm what they believe will hatch from the eggs. Throughout the week, teachers observe the children and document what they see to identify areas of interest to build on. This supports teachers putting into practice their newly learned skills for using an emergent curriculum.
Weeks 2 and 3: Classroom teachers continue the discussion about what could be in the eggs and provide a variety of books and activities relating to the type of animals children think will hatch out of the eggs.
Week 4: The eggs, whether chickens or ducks, hatch over several days and at different times which allows children different opportunities to watch the process. Once the eggs hatch, children typically show interest in learning more about baby chicks or ducklings. Teachers are encouraged to follow the children’s interests and provide opportunities for further learning around this new concept.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
To participate in Look Who’s Hatching in Lancaster County, contact Janis Pierce at janispierce@unl.edu. Extension staff prepare all the necessary items for you to pick up at the Extension office the first date of your session. Following the hatch, we ask that you return all items (cleaned) and hatched baby chicks or ducklings to the office on your assigned date.