Who wouldn't want to excavate the surface of the moon and see what treasures may be hidden inside? While we may not be able to actually travel to the moon in this cool quick tutorial, we can create a fun little out of this world excavation to allow our imaginations to explore the surface of the moon and other planets.

 

Get ready for your out of this world excavation by gathering a few supplies:

 

Cornstarch

 

Water

 

Bowl

 

Optional glow pigment powder. You can find this online and a little goes a long way. While this is optional, it does make our out of this world excavation even more cool than it already is!

 

 

Optional washable paint or watercooler to make your excavation any color you want. Feel free to make a red excavation to simulate the surface of Mars. You could even add some real hematite which is actually on the surface of Mars. If fact the iron in hematite rusts and helps give Mars its signature red color. Avoid using food coloring if possible as it tends to stain little hands and surfaces. 

 

Items to excavate. I like using little aliens or glowing insects just for fun. Another really cool option is to purchase a real meteorite and hide it in your out of this world excavation. While these can be quit expensive, another cool option would be to by tektites which are thought to be natural glass that is formed when a meteorite impacts the Earth's surface. 

 

 

Pro tip: Get some dehydrated astronaut ice cream and have a super cool treat after your out of this world excavation.

 

If you are looking for another out of this world activity, be sure to check out our Excavating Adventures Outer Space Odyssey:

 

 

Now for the fun and easy part!

 

Add some of your washable paint to about one cup of water. Doing this before mixing with the cornstarch seems to color the oobleck a bit better. 

 

If using glow powder. Hold it close to a bright light for several seconds to charge it up. Black lights seem to really charge this stuff up if you have one available. Mix a heaping teaspoon of glow powder with two cups of cornstarch. You may need to add more later but this will get you going. 

 

Now mix the one cup of colored water with the two cups of cornstarch. Work the mixture with your hands to create your oobleck. 

 

 

Hide your excavation items in the oobleck and you have now created your super cool out of this world excavation! 

 

This quick, fun, and inexpensive excavation is awesome for homeschool lessons, in class instruction, and space themed birthday parties. Now turn down the lights (if you added glow powder), dig in, and get your hands dirty with this out of the world excavation!

  

If you love excavating as much as we do, be sure to check out our Excavating Adventures monthly subscription by clicking the link below and get an awesome new excavation delivered each month loaded with rocks, minerals, gemstones, fossils, and more!