GRAVEDIGGER EXCAVATION

Get ready to learn how to make a cemetery filled with little coffins to dig up and explore with this fun and easy gravedigger excavation tutorial. Each coffin can be filled with the fun items of your choice. Your excavating adventures will have a blast exhuming these awesome little coffins and discovering the treasures inside.

Materials:

Sand
Plaster of Paris
Water
Mixing bowl
Wooden spoon
Measuring cups
Mini coffins - These can easily be found and purchased online and are very inexpensive. There are wooden and plastic options. Keep your eyes peeled after Halloween and you can often find these on clearance for super cheap!
Items to put in the coffins. You could put fun little Halloween themed items, coins, or pretty much whatever you want.
Tape
A container in which to pour the excavation. This will need to be big enough to fit the coffins. Plastic bins and containers work well.
Cardboard
Scissors
Toothpicks
Marker
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

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Instructions:

Fill each coffin with the items.
Seal each coffin with tape to keep the mixture from seeping inside.
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.
Pour a this layer of the mixture into the container.
Arrange your mini coffins in the container and press them into the thin layer of mixture.
Allow the mixture to set for about thirty minutes. This will lock your coffins in place and prevent them from floating to the surface of the excavation.
Make another batch of mixture and cover the coffins completely.
As the mixtures thickens, slide a toothpick about halfway into the mixture near the head of each coffin. This will be used to hold the gravestones.
Set the gravedigger excavation in a safe location to dry undisturbed overnight. I like to put the excavation in front of a fan.
While your gravedigger excavation dries, cut out little gravestone shapes. You can paint them or decorate as desired and use the marker to write on the gravestones.
Once the gravedigger excavation is dry, decorate and slide the gravestones onto the toothpicks.

Now the gravedigger 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 gravedigging begin.

I hope you enjoyed this super quick tutorial and enjoy making the gravedigger excavation. These excavations are very easy to make, inexpensive, and a lot of fun!

Pro tip: This is an awesome, easy, and fun activity to add to any Halloween celebration.

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