kfeusse Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 I am considering something like this for my 7 year old for Christmas...has anybody bought one of these or others and REALLY liked it...or didn't?? Amazon.com: Dig & Play Treasure Island: ToysNGamesEtc Amazon.com: Toysmith Crystal Mining: CashCo1000, Inc. Amazon.com: Rock & Crystal Excavation Kit: Toys & Games if you have a kit to recommend, I would love that too...especially if it was under $20. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unicorn. Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 We had the dino dig one. You dug up the dino and then you could put it together. All of my kids enjoyed it. I think I got it for my son, but they all took turns excavating! I think they are great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crafty Mathy Mom Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 My dd got an archeology kit (not one that you have listed) for a birthday present a couple of years ago. I made her take it outside, and I'm glad I did because it made a mess. The kids enjoyed it. It kept them busy for a couple of hours, but once it was done, it was done. The kit wasn't reusable. We kept the little plastic skeleton and pots. They are now buried in an undisclosed location in the yard. Maybe someday they'll excavate the right spot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 If you are looking for something archeology related for Christmas/holidays, might I make a suggestion? Try ordering some real, ancient coins for your kids. You can bury them shallowly in the yard, and get them a metal detector, if you want to go a little further. The idea is that you have to clean the coins--so you soak them in olive oil and use a wire brush to get the crud off. It really is fun! Just an alternative if you want to stay in the same arena as the kits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 We had an archaeology one years ago. It was fun, but he did it pretty quickly then it was over. It's also quite messy. Make sure they do it outside, or do it on an old sheet or tablecloth. Ds liked it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalicoKat Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 dd enjoyed it so much she bought another one with her allowance. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 We did a "princess paleontologist" birthday party for my daughter when she was around 4 or so. I took plastic dinosaurs and molded them in homemade playdough to which I had added sand and let dry, then they excavated them with popsicle sticks (along with having a Cinderella birthday cake;)). If you have something along the lines of the skeletons or whatever, you could do the same. My daughter isn't a builder and putting things together like old pots never really held much appeal, so I haven't bought any of the kits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kfeusse Posted November 13, 2011 Author Share Posted November 13, 2011 thanks. Any imput on the kits I linked?? Just curious....sometimes those things look so much better than they really turn out to be. Do you trust that the ones on Rainbow would be some of the best...or not really...I always would like to think that the homeschooling sites would be more picky on the items they choose to carry than just the average retail store...have you found that to be true or not so much? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momtokea Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 My son loves these. The only problem is it lasted about a day. He chipped away at it and then was done. He often asks for another one because he enjoyed his first one, but I'm not sure they're really worth the price. And it's very messy. I put it in a rubbermaid container and then gave it to ds to chip away at it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In2why Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 My son loves these. The only problem is it lasted about a day. He chipped away at it and then was done. He often asks for another one because he enjoyed his first one, but I'm not sure they're really worth the price. And it's very messy. I put it in a rubbermaid container and then gave it to ds to chip away at it. :iagree: Kept the kids busy for a bit, but can't reuse it so that was it. I looked online for opportunities to join a real life excavation, as well as places nearby known for fossils. I found one park, and even cooler a place where the kids can mine for gold in the spring. They are super excited, and so is Dad because he watches the gold mining show on TV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kht2006 Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 my all time favorite excavation activity is excavating chocolate chips from a chips ahoy cookie with a toothpick, tweezers, and a small brush. Yum! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In2why Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 my all time favorite excavation activity is excavating chocolate chips from a chips ahoy cookie with a toothpick, tweezers, and a small brush. Yum! What a neat idea! It sounds like an excellent way to teach about excavation without the huge mess, or ridiculous cost, plus you get to bake cookies and eat them. WIN WIN! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmoe Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 For the past couple of years, we have started out our school year with one. They are messy, but great fun. I think most I've seen are more of a group project than an individual thing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GingerPoppy Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 If you are looking for something archeology related for Christmas/holidays, might I make a suggestion? Try ordering some real, ancient coins for your kids. You can bury them shallowly in the yard, and get them a metal detector, if you want to go a little further. The idea is that you have to clean the coins--so you soak them in olive oil and use a wire brush to get the crud off. It really is fun! Just an alternative if you want to stay in the same arena as the kits. This is a really interesting idea. Just how ancient is "ancient"? And where would I find such a thing? I've always liked the idea of the real thing over the toy version of pretty much anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 thanks. Any imput on the kits I linked?? Just curious....sometimes those things look so much better than they really turn out to be. Do you trust that the ones on Rainbow would be some of the best...or not really...I always would like to think that the homeschooling sites would be more picky on the items they choose to carry than just the average retail store...have you found that to be true or not so much? My DD9 has done several of these, including the Toysmith crystals one you linked. She really liked them and still has the fossils and stones she dug out. We had a dinosaur one too, but the plaster/stone was so hard we couldn't get it apart :glare: We haven't had any other problems after that one though. Some she went through in a day, some she made last a few days. If you have a Marshalls or TJ Maxx near you, look there. I just saw a few in our Marshalls the other day, but she's mostly over it now, so I didn't buy any. They are definitely messy, so I either had her do them on the patio, in the garage, or on newspaper in the playroom (and vacuumed well afterward). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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