How to Make a Montessori-inspired Surprise Dinosaur Egg

There must be something so enthralling about dinosaurs that almost every child I encountered have an affinity towards these prehistoric creatures. Whether they're made of wood, clay or folded origamis, dinosaurs make an interesting subject that will have children entertained for hours. In fact, so strong is the charm associated with dinosaurs that many math homework help online institutes incorporate special dinosaur-themed lessons to help kids excel in their studies.

Anyway, I digress. This is a quick tutorial I made on how to DIY your own Montessori-inspired surprise dino egg. This would be the perfect gift for any preschooler, unabashed young-at-hearts and everyone else in between.

What you need:

• 1 cup used coffee grinds
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup salt
• 1/4 cup sand (you may opt for colored art sand)
• 3/4 cup water
• Small dinosaur figures (tip: buy from a dollar store)

Optionals:

• Magnifying glasses
• Paintbrushes
• Plastic spoons and knives

Pour the dry ingredients together into a large container or basin. Gradually add 1/4 cup water at a time and stir continuously.

Once you have the mixture created, it's time to shape the "egg". Squish the mixture together in your hands to warm it up, then flatten a reasonably sized chunk of it. If the egg is to be a large one, place up to three small dinosaur figures into the flattened chunk. Roll the rest of the mixture over the dinosaurs to form an egg or fossilized rock.

Place your well-formed eggs on baking trays and bake them in the oven at 150* for about 20-40 minutes.

Once done, dry the eggs under the sun for another day to ensure they harden evenly. After that, feel free to color the eggs to give them a marbled, fossilized effect. Include the optional "excavation" tools so that your child will have fun cracking open the eggs and getting at the dinosaurs inside. Enjoy!