I wish that The Good Egg was on the shelves when I was growing up. This precious story is about the stress of trying to be a perfectly good person (or good egg) and worrying about others’ behaviors. In reality, it can be important to take a step back and engage in self-care practices. If we don’t, we just might crack under all the pressure! Here are 20 engaging activities inspired by this beautiful read.
1. Read-Aloud Video
If you haven’t already read this awesome story, this could be the first activity you do! Reading the book or watching a read-aloud video can prepare your class for the following book-related activities.
Learn more: The Joyful Bookshelf
2. Social Learning Craft
When do you feel like a good egg? When do you feel scrambled? You can ask your students these questions while they are making this craft. This activity can help promote their social and emotional learning.
Learn more: Teachers Pay Teachers
3. Emotion Pair Matching
A critical part of this brilliant story was the Good Egg’s realization that it was overwhelmed and needed some time off. Your students can try to improve their emotional recognition skills with this pair-matching activity! Simply have them match the pictures to the words.
Learn more: Toddler Approved
4. Text-to-Self Connection
This story can offer your students a great opportunity to connect the text to their own personal experiences. They can give an example of a self-care activity that the Good Egg did in order to feel better and then an example of what they personally do to feel better.
Learn more: Mrs. Bremer’s Class
5. Character Analysis
The relatable Good Egg is one of my favorite storybook characters. Your students can gain a deeper understanding of its character traits by using this analysis activity. The worksheet asks them, what does the Good Egg see, feel, think, and do?
Learn more: Mrs. Bremer’s Class
6. Circle of Control Set
This is an awesome set of activities that explore the sense of control theme from the book. My favorite activity is where one student gives instructions while the other one draws. Follow up with discussion questions about the student’s sense of control and pressure.
Learn more: Carol Miller Counseling Essentials
7. Egg-cellent Craftivity
Here’s an eggcellent craft that will have your students coloring and thinking about what it means to be a good egg. These beautifully creative crafts also make great additions to your classroom bulletin board!
Learn more: Teachers Pay Teachers
8. Egg Craft & Writing Prompts
This downloadable activity includes both a craft and writing segment. You can choose to have your students glue the pieces of the Good Egg together, and complete a coloring page or both! Also included are some writing prompts that can help engage your students’ self-reflection.
Learn more: Hope Learning ESL
9. Writing Activity Set
Here is a set of printable activities related to the book. Your students can write about what they like to do when they feel stressed, or they can create a list of strategies that they can use in preparation for scary test days.
Learn more: Creations By Kim Parker
10. The Good Egg Carton
This fun activity can help test your students’ emotional recognition abilities. What emotions is each of the eggs expressing? If you want to add on a counting activity you could also ask your students to tally up how many eggs fit into a carton.
Learn more: Rosie Reader
11. Reflection Worksheet
This worksheet covers the major themes of the story. Your students can use their writing or drawing skills to reflect on the good things they do for their community, upsetting mistakes that others can make, and the different well-being activities they do when they feel overwhelmed.
Learn more: Jared Dees
12. Graphic Organizers
Graphic organizers are great for getting your students to understand the story structure and themes. After breaking down the story sequence, your students can retell a summarized version of the story to a partner. Then, as a class, you can discuss the main themes.
Learn more: The Teaching Q
13. Book Activity Set
Here’s a set loaded with lots of fun extension activities that can last a full 5 days of learning. You can find word searches, drawing activities, comprehension questions, exercises on character analyses, creative writing, and more!
Learn more: Little Smart Fox
14. Egg Drop Experiment
Can your class prevent the egg from breaking in a drop? You can try using different materials to cushion the fall, but it will break if the force of the fall is too strong (similar to how the Good Egg cracked under pressure).
Learn more: Little Bins For Little Hands
15. Painting Blown Eggs
One of the calming, self-care activities the Good Egg did was painting! So, I thought painting eggshells could be a perfect craft activity. These eggs are also blown out so you don’t have to worry about the yolk when preserving this art piece.
Learn more: Confidence Meets Parenting
16. Egg Shell Painted Sculptures
Here’s another creative egg activity that also involves painting! Using cardboard, glue, and some cracked eggshells, your students can have an original and textured canvas to paint.
Learn more: Messy Preschoolers
17. Shaker Eggs
Music can be another effective stress-relief activity for your students to try out. You can make these DIY shaker eggs using plastic eggs, colored sand, and/or other filler materials. Then, your students can shake, shake, shake, and dance the stress away!
Learn more: Mama Smiles
18. Journaling
Journaling is another self-care activity example from the book. While getting your students to write freely about their different kinds of feelings can be difficult, using journal prompts can help kick-start a journaling routine.
Learn more: Little Learning Corner
19. Yoga
Yoga is one of the strategies that Good Egg used to relax. Here is an entertaining yoga routine, guided by a charming story, that your kids can try.
Learn more: Cosmic Kids Yoga
20. Read The Smart Cookie
The Smart Cookie is another amazing story created by the great Jory John and Pete Oswald. This story embraces themes of perfectionism and comparison. It provides a refreshing reminder that we don’t need to be the best at something. You can try reading The Bad Seed too!
Learn more: Amazon