Create Your Own Dinosaur Dig

A paleontologic dig is a fun way for children to learn about fossils. Paleontologist study fossils of ancient eras in order recreate the bones of dinosaurs. You can easily create your own dig for fossils that will teach your kids about the patience and skill needed to dig up dinosaur bones.

Supplies needed:

A large shallow container or box (you can use a sandbox if you prefer, just follow the directions below)

Sand

Rocks, shells, and twigs

Masking tape

Tweezers

Toothpicks

Spoons

Pencil

Paper

Index cards

Setting up your dinosaur dig: Fill your container with sand. Bury the rocks, shells, and twigs in the sand. You can decide if you want the rocks to count as a "find" or if the rocks will be just rocks.

Divide the container into equal squares with the masking tape. Label each square with an index card. The rows going across should be labeled with numbers and the columns going down should be labeled with letters.

Digging for dinosaur bones the paleontologic way: Have your child carefully dig through the sand with his spoon. Teach him to be systematic about his dinosaur bone search. Have him dig in one section at a time.

When your child finds an item have him switch to using tweezers or toothpicks to carefully get the "bone" out of the sand. He will have to be very careful not to break the dinosaur "bone".

Once your child has safely removed the dinosaur bone, he can write down exactly where he found it. He should write down the row, column, and other bones that were found in the area.

You can do some variations on your dinosaur dig. Once your child has mastered the art of paleontology, you can purchase plastic dinosaur bones to bury in your sand box. The Dinosaur Corporation sells bones through its website. These bones are very inexpensive at sixty-nine cents per package. You can also find wood or plastic dinosaur bones at most hobby stores.

Dinosaur dig for a birthday party: You can also throw a dinosaur dig themed party. This is a great idea for a birthday party. Put down a large piece of plastic for the sand or use your child's sandbox for the dig. Count the bones so you know how many there are. Spread out the bones and pile the sand on top. Supply each child with a brush, a dinosaur bone collection bag, and set them to work.

A dinosaur dig birthday party should keep the kids entertained for at least fifteen minutes. You can give out prizes to the children who uncovered the most bones.

Setting up a dinosaur dig is a great way to teach your child about paleontology. It can help him understand how fossils are found and the amount of patience needed to dig up a dinosaur skeleton.

Sources:

The Dinosaur Corporation