School children scared by giant egg

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**DarkTraveler777**

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-essex-28224911

A head teacher has apologised after a 3ft (90cm) fake egg designed to aid learning ended up scaring pupils.

The egg was part of a project which aimed to encourage group discussion at Holy Trinity Primary School, Halstead.

Headmaster Jon Smith told parents there had been an "amazing discovery" and the egg had been "cordoned off".

But an apology was issued after it emerged some had been "worried by it" and one parent posted on Twitter that their children had been "in tears".

The 250-pupil school, praised by Ofsted for making children feel safe, initially told parents how an investigator had been sent in by the fictitious "National Museum of Strange Objects".

Children were to "remain vigilant and put all their energies into research", parents were told.

While some took to Twitter to complain about the egg, other parents supported the school by saying it had been a "brilliant idea".

In an update for parents, Mr Smith said: "It has come to our attention that whilst the vast majority of the children at school were excited and engaged by this 'discovery' there are some who have been worried by it."

He said an extra whole school assembly was held.

"We made it absolutely clear to everyone that the egg was of no danger to anyone," he said.

"We apologise if that message did not come through sufficiently."

The egg was used as part of a week-long series of lessons which, Mr Smith said, had proved to be a "very successful way of promoting problem solving, teamwork and group discussion".

The offending egg:

Okay, this story has left me a little confused and I was hoping someone on here local to the story might be able to add to my understanding a bit. Why did this egg scare these children? The BBC story is lacking a lot of details, like the ages of the children "worried" by the egg, or what the week-long series of lessons involving the egg entailed, so I am left wondering how a 3' egg could cause such distress. On the surface this seems like a really creative and fun activity for the school kids, so what am I missing?

**Daemonhammer**

Well its a primary school so most likely <12 years old.

This story is either bs or some sort of trolling attempt.

**Glaiceana**

Wow... I guess its a prime example of a few individuals ruining the fun for everyone else. I'm not sure how the children could be "in tears" from this fake egg, but then again, that was apparently one parent saying that on twitter. So probably just overreacting.

**scarletsquig**

Maybe there was a week of lessons where the teacher explained that cthulu was about to hatch from it.

**Iron_Captain**

...
How can anyone be afraid of a stone egg? Unless someone was telling scary stories about it of course. That is the only thing I can think of.

**Desubot**

Iron_Captain wrote:
...
How can anyone be afraid of a stone egg? Unless someone was telling scary stories about it of course. That is the only thing I can think of.

Primary school.......

**Glaiceana**

Primary school or not, I remember being that age, I would not have been scared by an egg... but that's just me lol.

**Chongara**

Iron_Captain wrote:
... Unless someone was telling scary stories about it of course. That is the only thing I can think of.

You say that like the chance of some kids older brother telling them into was going to hatch into "Giant killer worm monster that is going to eat your eyes" or whatever is somehow less than 100%.

**Avatar 720**

Let this be a lesson to the majority of the kids who liked the idea: whilst you're in education there is absolutely no fun allowed. Anybody caught having fun will be disciplined.

**mitch_rifle**

Seems incredibly petty

**Paradigm**

Faith in humanity depleting... depleting... depleted.

Seriously, this is a typical example of a few overprotective parents and busybodies ruining the fun for everyone else.

**Frazzled**

Maybe they saw the last season of Mork and Mindy, and were terrified of a "revisioning."

**Skinnereal**

"You can''t please all the people all the time", so you can''t do anything.
Sad that parents of the more fragile kids blamed the school for trying to teach in a new way.
I'd like to see what some of the pupils came up with.
At least there was no mention of the creationism argument.

**hotsauceman1**

I would be terrified if I was a kid TBH. I would think "WHAT THE $%^E$ Would lay an egg that size?"

**guardpiper**

hotsauceman1 wrote:
I would be terrified if I was a kid TBH. I would think "WHAT THE $%^E$ Would lay an egg that size?"

Dragons my good man, Dragons. Now don't you feel safer already?

**Experiment 626**

Iron_Captain wrote:
...
How can anyone be afraid of a stone egg? Unless someone was telling scary stories about it of course. That is the only thing I can think of.

We used to have a family just down our street who's Primary school aged kids would run terrified & screaming from/due to:
a. Bugs of every kind. Sure, spiders are creepy, biting little ninjas and bees might kill you if you're really allergic, but these boys would throw a fit over a little caterpillar or a large black ant and even your garden variety fly!
There was also the squirrel incident, where one began chittering and the one kid was screaming about how it was going to bite/eat him.

b. Falling leaves unexpectedly landing on or very near them.

c. The sprinkler water hitting them.

d. Snow. Granted being hit in the face with a stone-filled snowball is cruel, but these boys flipped out at the evil, scary snowman their neighbour two doors down built...

In short, it's likely the kid(s) who've been traumatised for life by this 3' egg are just wiener kids who's parents have allowed them to grow up without any kind of a spine.

**AegisGrimm**

All the kids I know would have ended up getting in trouble for playing on the thing without asking. Even the wussiest ones.

Kids getting scared of a "giant egg" actually makes me fearful of the KIDS.

**Swastakowey**

Sounds like the beginning of a horror story... Kids scared of demonic egg. Egg gets put outside. Kids gather at night to talk to the egg. Egg demands certain acts be carried out by kids. Murders and violence ensue as the protagonists have to eliminate the demon egg which is using their kids against them.

**Noir**

What do parents tell their kids now days to make them fear a egg?

**Asherian Command**

Maybe they thought it was the offspring of jersey shore's snookie? And trembled in fear?

Or maybe it was that thing from buffy?

**Easy E**

Was said egg incredible and edible?

**timetowaste85**

I actually figured they'd think it was a dinosaur egg and some super-insane-flying rodent gak-crazy-baptist family would have been upset that it was proof of dinosaurs and the kids were afraid God was just "shown to not exist". That was my thought. If kids were just afraid because it was a big egg...shoot the parents. They seriously screwed those kids up somehow, and deserve a punishment. Torch their genitalia first though.

Over the top enough to make some posters cry that I'm too mean?

Your tears feed me...

**Easy E**

I can see why they wuld be a bit nervous. What if a baby Godzooky was hatched, and mommy Godzilla came to fetch it later. That would be bad!

Now I'm kind of scared.

**Shadow Captain Edithae**

Maybe the kids saw Alien.

**timetowaste85**

I saw Alien as a kid and turned out fine.

**Shadow Captain Edithae**

timetowaste85 wrote:
I saw Alien as a kid and turned out fine.

Yes but have you ever come across a 3 foot egg and were told by you teacher that it was an Alien egg?

**timetowaste85**

Shadow Captain Edithae wrote:
timetowaste85 wrote:
I saw Alien as a kid and turned out fine.

Yes but have you ever come across a 3 foot egg and were told by you teacher that it was an Alien egg?

Duh, I kicked it open, grabbed the creature inside and started chasing girls with it! C'mon, live a little.

**Wilytank**

The dinosaurs are coming back! The world is over!

**AduroT**

Wilytank wrote:
The dinosaurs are coming back! The world is over!

They're gonna eat all our coconuts!

**Shadow Captain Edithae**

AduroT wrote:
Wilytank wrote:
The dinosaurs are coming back! The world is over!

They're gonna eat all our coconuts!

Never fear, Steven Spielberg will save us!

Spoiler: