- Sand
- Plaster of Paris
- Water
- Mixing bowl
- Wooden spoon
- Measuring cups
- Excavation tools. Wooden dowels and other blunt instruments work well. Sharp tools are unsafe and not necessary as the excavations are reasonably brittle and excavate easily.
- Safety goggles
- Small brush
- Aliens - There are many aliens available online and you may be lucky and find one in your child's toy box. There are small aliens, big aliens, aliens that glow and pretty much any variation you can think of within a short internet search. Just make sure whichever type of alien you choose can survive the plaster. You can include one large alien in your excavation or a bunch of little ones.
- Container - Any plastic container will do. You will just want to make sure the container will hold whichever alien you choose.
Pro tip: Sprinkle a little glow powder over the surface of the alien excavation once it has dried. Put the alien excavation in a dark room and have your excavating adventurer investigate the surface of the distant planet with a flashlight or UV light before digging in and discovering the alien.
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- Put one cup of sand in your mixing bowl.
- Add one-third cup Plaster of Paris.
- Use the wooden spoon to mix the sand and Plaster of Paris.
- Add one-third cup of water and mix.
- Keep adding small amounts of water until you reach a pancake like batter consistency.
- Add your aliens to your container.
- Pour a layer of the mixture into the container to cover the aliens.
- Gently tap the sides of the container to remove any air bubbles. This will also allow a little mixture under the aliens.
- Set the alien excavation in a safe location to dry undisturbed overnight. I like to put the excavation in front of a fan.
Now the alien excavation is ready to be enjoyed. Find an area that is easy to clean up, distribute the safety goggles and excavation tools, and let the excavating begin.
Happy Excavating!
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