EGG-CITING news! During the whole of the Easter school holidays the Dinosaur Museum in Dorchester, is holding the Great Dinosaur Egg Hunt.

It is the Easter Egg Hunt with a difference and involves children actually hunting throughout the museum to spot the dinosaur eggs on display and solving the Dinosaur Mystery.

The Great Dinosaur Egg Hunt runs from March 31 to April 15 and gives you the chance to explore the award-winning Dinosaur Museum with its exciting mix of fossils, skeletons, and life-size dinosaur reconstructions.

There are also lots of hands on, interactive and cinematic displays that will help you to discover the answers to the clues in the Dinosaur Mystery.

Museum curator Tim Batty said: “Some of Dorset’s earliest inhabitants were dinosaurs that roamed the swampy land of prehistoric times.

“Like their modern-day descendants, birds, dinosaurs reproduced by laying eggs in nests but on the ground not in trees. We have several superb dinosaur eggs on display from other parts of the world.”

The first fossilised dinosaur eggs were found in France in 1869. Since then dinosaur eggs have been found all over the world. Whole nest sites have been discovered leading to the naming of one area in the USA as Egg Mountain. Unfortunately discoveries of dinosaur eggs in England are much more rare.

The largest dinosaur egg in the museum is about the size of a melon and is from a sauropod dinosaur, and was discovered in China. Another type of dinosaur egg is smaller and is from an oviraptor that originates from Mongolia.

Dinosaur nests have been found in groups indicating that dinosaurs exhibited some sort of social behaviour and it is most likely that some dinosaurs raised their young.

The Dinosaur Museum is great for families whatever the weather and is open daily from 10am to 5pm.

The Great Dinosaur Egg Hunt takes place from Saturday, March 31 to Sunday 15h April inclusive. Over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend all children who solve the mystery correctly and spot all the dinosaur eggs win a special prize fun dinosaur, while at other times special Dinosaur Hunt Certificates are available.

The Dinosaur Museum is in Icen Way, Dorchester, within easy reach of all main car parks. For further information telephone 01305 269880 or visit thedinosaurmuseum.com.