Kids love hands-on activities such as digging, and when it comes to the earth’s history, the fun doesn’t have to stop because you can build your own fossil dig kit for the children to indulge themselves in. These activities require patience and raw materials, with dinosaur figures being the most common ones. However, if you’re looking to enhance their curiosity and excitement about the activities, you can purchase actual dinosaur fossils from Fossilicious and use them as the perfect educating tool for the kids. Here are 5 different ways to make your own dinosaur fossil dig.
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This method involves freezing dinosaur figures or toys and letting your kids use salt & water to dig the reptiles out. It is a fun and entertaining activity cultured with water play that always seems to keep children happy. You would need to acquire a few ice block items, including toy dinosaurs, shells, plastic crystals, stones, and a large container.
Freeze your ice in layers for some days. You should add a few items to the water, placing the large container in the freezer, and repeating the process with another layer after the first one has been frozen. Once the entire block of ice is frozen and all the items have been utilized, you can remove it by running a little hot water onto it. You would then need some tools for the kids to dig through the block of ice, including:
Set out the entire project in a shallow storage container and leave it somewhere for the children to access easily. The syringes and test tubes can be used to pour the hot water onto the ice, similar to the colored salt.
This method would require you to gather dirt, flour, salt, sand, and water. Begin by mixing all the dry ingredients and slowly add a little water when you mix the ingredients to form a clay-like texture. To make good shapes, you may need to make the mixture a bit drier. You can set a few plastic dinosaurs in a storage container and cover them with the clay you just made. Leave the bin out in the sun to dry completely. To get the most out of the digging experience, it would be best to leave the clay out to dry for a couple of days. You can even make some prints on the dried-up clay surface to make it look more genuine. The kids can then use any tool they desire to dig out the fossils.
For this activity, you need to collect a few fossilized dinosaurs, baking soda, a glass pane, and a cup of water. You can combine everything in the glass pan and start mixing or opt to begin by mixing the baking soda with the water to make things easier. Ensure you use small amounts of water when adding to the baking soda; otherwise, you risk dissolving all the soda residue. It would help if you had enough baking soda to cover all the dinosaurs before putting the pan into the freezer for a few hours. Once it’s frozen, set the pan on a towel to prevent water from the melting ice from making a mess. Give the kids tools for excavation such as small shovels, paintbrushes, hot water, and let the games begin.
This glue-filled activity is as fun as it is interesting for your kids to participate in. All you’ll need is a cup of clear school glue, a cup of liquid starch, dinosaur figures, flashcards, and a magnifying glass. Pour the glue into a bowl, add in the dinosaur figures along with the liquid starch, and mix the ingredients thoroughly using your hands. Goo is an excellent item for sensory play, and the game also helps your kid increase their knowledge of dinosaurs. You can use the flashcards to print out the dinosaurs’ names and little facts about them to help your child learn better.
This last fossil activity involves acquiring a glow-in-the-dark miniature dinosaur kit that comes with the reptile parts and other excavating tools. You would, however, have to put the reptiles together before burying them in the sand. The kids can use these tools to brush away the sand carefully and dig out the fossils. It’s a simple and straightforward activity that is guaranteed to keep the children occupied and excited for a while.
Actual dinosaur fossils tend to create more educational impact when learning about dinosaurs and the earth’s history compared to dinosaur figures and toys. If you’re looking forward to owning such fossils, reach out to us at Fossilicious and be a proud collector.