• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
About Contact Advertising

A Pumpkin And A Princess

Crafts, Recipes, Home Decor, Family Activities

  • Home
  • About
    • Contact Me
    • Advertising
  • Recipes
  • Crafts & DIY
About Contact Advertising
Home » Crafts & DIY » Dinosaur Dig Excavation Kits

Dinosaur Dig Excavation Kits

Created On: August 6, 2019  |  Updated: August 6, 2019  |   Leave a comment  

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our full Disclosure Policy for details.

4.4K shares

How to make Dinosaur Excavation Kits. Aspiring paleontologists will love digging through this DIY dinosaur dig party favor. Hidden inside they will find a dinosaur fossil toy, rocks, and gems! This craft is great for a dinosaur party, archaeology learning activity, and boredom buster.

DIY Dino Dig Excavation Kit How To

DIY Dinosaur Dig Excavation Kits

My son turned 8 this summer and he asked for a dinosaur birthday party theme. We had so much fun planning dinosaur crafts, recipes, and party decorations. The inspiration for the party favors came from my son buying one of those excavation kits at the store. It looked pretty simple to make, with endless possibilities to personalize it with an assortment of toys and gems inside.

Making your own excavation kit is easy and a lot more cost-effective than buying them in-store if you plan to give them as party favors. The process involves mixing sand, plaster of Paris, and water together to create a rectangular brick that will fit inside a party favor bag. Kids will enjoy digging through the brick to find hidden rocks, gems, and a dinosaur fossil toy.

how to make dinosaur excavation bricks

I’ve added Amazon affiliate links below to the products used to make this project.

Dinosaur Excavation Kit Supplies:

  • Silicone Mold
  • Sand
  • Plaster of Paris
  • Water
  • Dinosaur Fossil Toys
  • Excavation kit tools: wooden sticks, a small brush, and a mini wooden hammer

Printable Dinosaur Party Favor Tag

The DINOSAUR FOSSIL TOYS were a big hit! We used them on our dinosaur cupcakes and to hide inside the excavation kits. If your children enjoy collecting and learning about rocks, I highly recommend this ROCK & GEM BOX. My kids had a great time breaking open the geodes, learning about the different rock types, and finding them in the dino dig kits.

How to make Dinosaur Excavation Kits (video tutorial)

  • Use an inexpensive or disposable bowl to mix the sand and plaster of Paris together. Add water and stir until evenly mixed.
  • Fill each mold cavity halfway then place a dinosaur fossil toy in the center. Optional: add small rocks and gems.
  • Pour additional mix to cover the dinosaur. Allow the excavation kits to dry overnight.
  • Remove from the mold and place in a party favor bag with a small wooden hammer and pick.
  • Use the tools to dig the dinosaur fossils out. Rinse the dinosaur toy and rocks with water and enjoy!

How to make your own dinosaur dig excavation bricks

Assembling the dinosaur party favor bags

  • Fold a paper box insert on the perforated lines and place inside a clear bag; add paper shreds. I found them at the craft store in the gift-wrapping section.
  • Gently place the dino dig brick inside the box.
  • Download, print, cut, and tie a printable dinosaur tag using twine.
  • Wrap a bow around the bag to hold the excavation kit tools in place.

Dinosaur party favor ideas - DIY excavation dig kit

Tips on making your own dinosaur dig excavation bricks

  • Use an old bowl or pick one up at the dollar store. You’ll likely want to avoid using the bowl again unless it’s to make more excavation kits. The plaster of Paris and sand dry quickly in the bowl and will require a quick wipe down to make the second batch. Use a napkin to remove the extra mixture while it’s still wet.
  • The mixture with more sand added will be easier for younger kids to dig through. The recipe with more plaster of Paris is great for older kids and takes a little longer to work through. This was perfect for my kids (8 and 10).
  • Important note: the recipe with more sand added in will be watery. This is normal and will still work. You have two options: you can pour out a little bit of the excess water into a disposable cup or carefully scoop in the mixture, leaving behind some of the water. I suggest starting with ½ cup of water and adding another ¼ cup if needed. It’s easier to work with a watery mixture than one that starts to harden quickly. There will be a difference in color depending on which recipe is used. In the photos above you can see that the darker kits were made with more sand.
  • It’s easier to work in batches of 3 in case the mixture begins to harden quickly. Feel free to play around with the recipe to see what works best for you.
  • The excavation kits need to be completely dry before wrapping in the party favor bags. If not, the moisture will dampen the brown paper shreds. If time allows, its best to make them one week ahead or set out to dry in the sun after letting them sit overnight.

Dinosaur Dig Excavation Kit Recipe

Hard Brick

  • 1 cup of sand
  • 1 cup of plaster of Paris
  • 3/4 cup of water, more if needed
  • fossil toy

Soft Brick

  • 1 1/2 cups of sand
  • 1/2 cup of plaster of Paris
  • 1/2-3/4 cup of water
  • fossil toy

More craft ideas for kids:

  • Glow in the dark slime
  • DIY Tic Tac Toe
  • Tie-Dye Shoes
  • Ocean Toy Soap
  • Glitter Tube Bracelets

Fun dinosaur craft idea for kids! Make these excavation kits with fossils and gems inside in few simple steps

Kids will love these DIY dinosaur dig excavation kits! Easy to make and great party favors to give aspiring paleontologist! How to make dino dig kits with hidden fossils, rocks, and gems inside

4.4K shares

posted in: Crafts & DIY, Crafts For Kids, Favorite Kids Crafts, Parties

Previous
Composition Book Printable Teacher Gifts
Next
DIY Eggshell Geodes

You May Also Like

White taper candles with red candle drips - how to make your own bleeding candles for a Halloween table
Bleeding Candles DIY
DIY Embroidery Hoop Christmas Wreath with a flameless candle
DIY Embroidery Hoop Christmas Wreath
How to make Harry Potter bath bombs
DIY Harry Potter Bath Bombs
Subscribe
Notify of
Recipe Rating




Recipe Rating




0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Primary Sidebar

Crystal - Author of A Pumpkin and A Princess.

Welcome, I'm Crystal!

Hello and welcome! I’m Crystal, a mom of 3 from sunny California. I enjoy sharing family favorite recipes, holiday ideas, and quick craft projects you can make in minutes.

More About Me Work With Me

Subscribe To New Posts

Get the latest weekly content delivered right to your inbox!

Thank you for subscribing!

Blog Archives

Featured Favorites

  • dessert dip made with Cadbury mini eggs for an Easter dessert board
    Easter Dessert Candy Board
  • Mother's Day gift ideas and homemade soap tutorial
    Homemade Lemon Soap {Mother’s Day Gift Ideas}
  • Gluten free Oreo ball recipe dipped in chocolate, with chocolate drizzle, and crushed oreo crumbs
    Gluten-Free OREO Balls
  • Mini Lemon Cheesecakes
  • How to make birthday cake scented candles. Soy wax candles made in a jar and decorated with adhesive vinyl sprinkles.
    DIY Birthday Cake Jar Candle
  • Easy DIY Coffee Sugar Scrub made with nourishing oils, coffee grounds and goats milk soap.
    Homemade Coffee Sugar Scrub

Subscribe To New Posts

Get the latest weekly content delivered right to your inbox!

A Pumpkin & A Princess

A Pumpkin & A Princess is a creative lifestyle brand focused on sharing delicious recipes, holiday ideas, handmade gifts, and easy craft projects.

Recipes

  • Appetizers
  • Main Dish
  • Desserts
  • Gluten-Free

Crafts

  • Crafts with Kids
  • Bath and Body
  • Mason Jars
  • Holidays

About

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact Me
©2023, A Pumpkin And A Princess. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy Disclosure
Design by Pixel Me Designs
×

Subscribe To New Posts

Get the latest weekly content delivered right to your inbox!

Thank you for subscribing!
wpDiscuz
0
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x
| Reply