Fossil Fun

What You Need:

• Plaster of Paris
• Water
• Paper bowl
• Plastic spoon
• Paper plate
• Seashells
• Straw
• Hammer
• Ribbon

What You Do:

1. Mix 2 parts Plaster of Paris to one part water. (For example, if you use 1 cup of plaster, add 1/2 a cup of water into it.) Let your child stir it until it's completely mixed.
2. Pour the mixture into the paper plate and let it thicken. When you can poke it with your finger and leave an impression, it's ready.
3. Invite your child to press seashells into the mixture and remove them, leaving an imprint. If you have different kinds of shells, experiment with them and see what you end up with!
4. Press the straw all the way through the mixture at the top, and leave it in as the entire mixture dries overnight.
5. Remove the straw and peel the plate off the back of the plaster.
6. To make it look like a real artifact, gently use the hammer to chip away at the edges!
7. Tie a loop of ribbon through the hole in the "fossil" and hang it on the wall. It makes a great show-and-tell piece and will surely get your child interested in science!