A lot of kids love dinosaurs and our Cub Scouts are no different. This is what makes Digging in the Past, the Wolf optional adventure so exciting. While they're learning about the process by which fossils form, Scouts are able to participate in exciting dinosaur-related activities, like this dino dig.

Wolf Elective Adventure Digging in the Past 3B. Make a dinosaur dig. As a paleontologist, go through a dig that was created by a different member of your den. Discuss how a paleontologist conducts digs.

Plaster of Paris is highly recommended for free fossils in the Wolf handbook. But most people don't have this lying around in their home. I did some research to determine what else I could do.

Corn starch

It is possible to create a dino-dig using corn starch and water. It is likely that you have a bag of it in the back of your pantry.

Mix corn starch and water to create the oobleck.

I was short of it, but it was a lot more convenient to visit the dollar store or grocery store to buy corn starch instead of heading to the craft store or Home Depot for Plaster of Paris. It's also cheaper.

Materials to DIY Dinosaur Dig activity

Corn starch

Water

Mix Pan

Dinosaur toys and fossil skeletons

Container

The amount of cornstarch you'll require will depend on the size of the container. I purchased two 16 oz. I used one-half of them to make the pie dish that is deep.

When I was shopping for the rocks and minerals for kids products, I went to Dollar General and Walgreen's. Both stores did not have any dinosaur toys or skulls. I was searching for something like this.

The sale took place right after Halloween and Walgreen's had these skeleton garlands for as low as 80 percent. The skeleton garlands aren't dinosaurs, but they're skulls. Scouts are thought to be Thrifty.

So, I actually have a human skeleton digging instead of a dinosaur one.

Steps to Make the Dinosaur Dig

Keep in mind that your Cub Scouts are expected to make the dig therefore, don't do it for them.

If you're able get the Cub Scouts outside to mix up the Oobleck. It's likely that you'll be cleaning the corn starch off of the floor for many days! This is something I have never personally experienced.

To make oobleck, mix the corn starch and water in a big bowl. It is recommended to mix twice the amount of corn starch water to get the ideal texture.

For instance, add 3 cups of cornstarch for 1 1/2 cups of water. You can add more cornstarch in case the mixture becomes too watery.

Pour the oobleck into the container. The dinosaurs are buried in the oobleck in a way you don't have them visible.

It is possible to put your bones back into the mix as they do not wish to be buried. It's OK if a couple of them poke out of the mixture but make sure that most of them are totally submerged in the Oobleck.

Place your container outdoors for a day or two to dry. The container will need to be taken inside in the event that it rains.

Once the oobleck has hardened, you'll start to detect cracks.

If this is a den activity You'll likely be tempted to take all the containers home with you. This will guarantee that everyone comes for the next meeting. A large shallow box would facilitate their transportation.

Scouts must excavate the dig of an other member of the den. To ensure that everyone receives their dig, Scouts must mark their names on masking tape and place it in the container. It is also possible to randomly distribute the digs.

Digging for Dinosaur Bones

Find some dinosaur-themed digging tools. You can let your children play with their imaginations. However, you could also make use of everyday items such as toothpicks and paintbrushes for help. A lighter hammer could also be a good option. You can have your Cub Scouts bring their own digging equipment from their home.

We've had this hammer for a while. It was given to one of my boys at a Lowe's workshop for children. Lowe's seems to have ended the program.

This will get messy. Corn starch dust will be all over the place. I highly suggest you take this exercise outside. Picnic tables are perfect to do this if you have access to a space to set them up.

Bring something to the Scouts to work on. I made use of a pan, however newspaper will work perfectly. Put the newspaper on the table.

Make sure to turn the container upside down on the work surface. The digging tool should now be able to slide out of the container.

It is possible to see your dig crumble little bit, which is normal. The Cub Scout can hit the dig using a hammer to make it break If it does not.

The Scouts are able to brush and dig in the dried oystercrack. Instruct them that whenever they spot a bone they should carefully excavate around it, and then remove the corn starch debris with a brush.

Soon, they'll be able to find their dinosaur bones!