I am a blog ambassador for Lakeshore and am compensated for my work. I received product free of charge, but all thoughts and opinions are 100% mine. The sweepstakes prize is provided for the winner free of charge from Lakeshore.
A few weeks ago a friend and I took our kids on a field trip to a museum of paleontology (side note- I’m pretty sure one of the cutest things a toddler can say is “Tyrannosaurus Rex” and “paleontologist”. I smile every time I hear them try to get all those syllables out!) They had a great time looking at the fossil displays, but I think the biggest thrill was when they were able to dig for fossils in the sand pit! When we got home we continued our learning about dinosaurs and fossils, and true to preschool form, they kept reminding me of their one favorite experience- digging for dinosaur bones! So when I saw that Lakeshore Learning offered this Dino-Dig Kit we jumped at the chance to make our own at-home fossil dig!
Supplies:
- Lakeshore Learning Dino-Dig Kit
- Play sand
Springtime is a great chance for us to get outside and discover/learn before the heat of summer kicks in. With our Dino Dig kit we were able to have fun and learn together in the fresh air of the spring! The Dino-Dig Kit from Lakeshore Learning came with everything we needed (but the sand) to make a fun paleontology site right in our backyard! I wouldn’t expect anything less from Lakeshore. I’ve been using their products since I was a teacher and now that I’m a mom we continue to go to their store for our educational toys! The kids love going to Lakeshore because it’s like a big toy store to them, and as a parent I love going there because I know the products were also made by former educators with the goal of helping kids love to learn.
The kids dug right into the play sand and loved discovering fossils! They searched for matching fossils, counts and compared who found more, and cleaned their fossils carefully with bushes (great fine motor work!)
In between digging for fossils the kids also had a chance to play with their new All-Around balance board (also from Lakeshore Learning).
My three year old in particular loved the challenge of shifting his weight back and forth while trying to stay steady on the board.
This is the type of product I’d also have used as a classroom teacher! I would have it in one of our quiet centers so that during brain breaks kids could get some wiggles out and work on their coordination in a fun way. It also worked right under a child’s feet while they sat at their desks. It gave students who needed to fidget a way work their muscles while concentrating on assignments.
How would your munchkins like the All-Around Balance Board or Dino-Dig Kit? Enter now for a chance to win a $25 e-gift card!
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Can’t wait? Lakeshore has offered Munchkins and Moms readers a 20% off coupon for all your shopping needs right now!
Here’s some other fun ways to play with dinosaurs: Dinosaur Archaeology (from Busy Toddler), Excavating Dinosaurs! (from Playground Pakrbench, and this fun dinosaur inspired treat (from Sugar, Spice, and Glitter)!
Pin these activities to come back to later:
I’d actually get the dino dig kit. I’ve been looking for these so we can take them to Brownie Beach to sift through the rocks to find shark teeth
The boys would love the dino fossil dig! I think they’d also end up adding in some of their toobs.
I love the balance board! My toddler would love this!
How much fun is this??? I remember going on a field trip in elementary school and doing a simulated fossil dig. We had to find different pieces to make the whole puzzle on our papers. It was so much fun!
My twin boys would love the balance board!!
Love this! I have a title boy who LOVES dinosaurs so this activity will be a winner for him =)
My girls would LOVE the ladybug balance board… I have to restrict myself from visiting too often – it’s like Target… I go in for one thing, and come out with the store!
Thanks for the shout-out. We love our balance board – we actually have that one and another one shaped like a bridge which we use in our yoga practice, too!
Thanks for the dino ideas 😉