Discovery toys are designed to not just to educate, but to entertain. Toys like archaeology kits encourage children to engage their minds and their hands as they play. They give children a fun opportunity to dig and discover artifacts, fossils, and gemstones. Keep in mind that some of the kits can get a little messy, so you may want to set it up outside or on an old sheet or papered table.
A good archaeology kit should be challenging but not impossible. As they are generally for one time use, you’ll want your young scientist to get a few hours of digging time. Many kits include unique ways to display the artifacts, extending the enjoyment beyond just digging. Some kits allow children to dig up pieces of a skeleton and then put together a model, encouraging both discovery and maker skills. Archaeology kids are an excellent way to combine science education and fun!
Discovery Toys: Top 10 Archaeology Kits
 | Dig a Dino Excavation Kit 3 Pack | Check price at |
 | Discover with Dr. Cool Gemstone Dig Science Kit | Check price at |
 | Discover with Dr. Cool Ocean Fossil Digging Science Kit | Check price at |
 | Thames and Kosmos Classic Science Archaeology: Pyramid | Check price at |
 | 4M Crystal Mining Kit | Check price at |
 | GeoCentral Excavation Dig Kit: Dino Skull | Check price at |
 | 4M Mammoth Excavation Kit | Check price at |
 | Smithsonian Diggin’ Up Dinosaurs T-Rex Lowest Price | Check price at |
1. Dig a Dino Excavation Kit 3 Pack
The Dig a Dino Excavation Kit 3 Pack includes excavation kits for T-Rex, Triceratops, and Stegosaurus. Young archaeologists will enjoy digging up and then assembling the dinosaurs. It’s archaeology fun and model making combined. The kit includes complete instructions and excavator’s tools. As far as dino excavations go, this one is by far the best.
2. Discover with Dr. Cool Gemstone Dig Science Kit
Good discovery toys should be both fun and educational, and the Discover with Dr. Cool Gemstone Dig Science Kit is a very well appointed kit. Kids have the opportunity to dig for real gemstones including quartz, tiger’s eye, and amethyst. In addition to the digging tools and actual dig, this kit includes an activity guide and a pamphlet with cool science facts. A great way to learn about geology. It lets you learn about the stones and feel like a real treasure hunter…. The rocks contained in the kit are big and clean up beautifully. It’s a fun afternoon project will get your kids asking more questions about gemstones.
3. Discover with Dr. Cool Ocean Fossil Digging Science Kit
The Discover with Dr. Cool Ocean Fossil Digging Science Kit gives kids the opportunity to excavate genuine ocean fossils! They’ll spend hours digging and finding bones. Expect a lot of digging, brushing off the bones and digging some more. It will give a couple of hours entertainment at least. Kit includes everything needed to dig up a sliced and polished ammonite, clam and brachiopod fossil as well as an info guide and activity book with puzzles games. All of the Dr. Cool discovery toys are both educational and really cool.4.
4. Thames and Kosmos Classic Science Archaeology: Pyramid
With the Thames and Kosmos Classic Science Archaeology: Pyramid children can explore ancient Egypt with their very own archaeological pyramid dig. Young scientists use archeological tools and techniques to uncover artifacts hidden within the pyramid including a sarcophagus with a mummy inside. A great kit with lots of educational extras. If your child is interested in Egypt, mummies, tombs or likes to explore this is a great, inexpensive durable find. The booklet also contained great information on what pyramid you were excavating, such as the Pyramid of Giza and who was inside. It shared the true story of this Pharaoh, which made it more interesting. This should be a must have for all teachers!
5. 4M Crystal Mining Kit
Using the 4M Crystal Mining Kit, kids can excavate crystals from the included plastic rock, examine and study them, and then display and admire them. This kit includes digging tool, leather pouch, and a display case.  A handy magnifying glass lets mineral hunters examine their treasures and study their different features. Once the crystals have been excavated, they can be displayed proudly in an attractive display case which is included.
6. GeoCentral Excavation Dig Kit: Dino Skull
The GeoCentral Excavation Dig Kit: Dino Skull includes a tool and brush for this archaeological dig. Kids can dig and then display their skull on the neat display stand. The only drawback to this kit is that you don’t choose the type of dinosaur. The company chooses either Triceratops, Stegosaurus, Pachycephalosaurus, or Tyrannosaurus when you order. You just start to dig and anticipate the first sight of the bone or fossil. It’s a great kit to enjoy together with your child!
7. 4M Mammoth Excavation Kit
The 4M Mammoth Excavation Kit has everything young scientists need to dig and display a cool mammoth skeleton. Follow the instruction and use the digging tool and brush to excavate the mammoth skeleton from a mound of clay. Children can the build, keep, and display the mammoth model. Kids will love the adventure of excavating the bones out of the rock with the provided tools. Imagine the excitement every time a piece is broken free! Putting all the pieces together to create the Mammoth is just another stimulating part of the activity. It would make a great presentation piece for his school project in the end. I would highly recommend this kit for excellent quality and as a great introduction to archaeology/fossils.
8. Egypt Mummy Excavation Kit
Using the brush and digging tool included in the Egypt Mummy Excavation Kit, young scientists get to carefully extract a mummy from an earthen block, then wrap the mummy and display it in the sarcophagus. This is a very cool and detailed archaeological find, one of the more unique discovery toys. This mummy kit will allow kids to work on it over a period of days and guaranteed they will get more and more excited as they close in on the hidden mummy. The “stone” is durable and the supplied tools are sufficient for working through the stone. It also gives us a chance to teach them about ancient Egyptians and mummies.
9. Smithsonian Diggin’ Up Dinosaurs T-Rex
Kids can put on their safety goggles and dig into the Smithsonian Diggin’ Up Dinosaurs T-Rex. After unearthing the plastic dinosaur bones, they can assemble the T-Rex skeleton and show it off to their friends. This is another amazing product and should keep your little one busy for days. Putting together and taking apart the skeleton is fun on its own too.
10. Dig Your Own Gem Mine!
The Dig Your Own Gem Mine! kit offers the opportunity to dig 12 naturally occurring gemstones. It’s somewhat easier to dig than some of the other kits and kids will enjoy keeping and collecting the stones. Includes an Ancient Treasures comic for extra fun. It’s easy for kids to dig themselves and find the sparkly gems. The guide was very informative and they’ll enjoy identifying the rocks after digging them out. Afterward they’ll have their own rock collection which they can keep and play with. Overall, a great product!
Looking For The Best Dinosaur Toys For Kids?
If you are looking for straight-up dinosaur toy fun, we’ve got you covered with our toy recommendation guide. We’ve also looked at the best dinosaur robots and top dinosaur games as well.
Discovery toys like archeology dig kits are both fun and educational. Do you and your child have a favorite discovery toy or kit? Share it in the comments below!
Feature image courtesy of Flickr, chase_elliott.
Only two of these have anything to do with archaeology at all. And those two are both Egyptology focused. This is a terrible list.
Thanks for the comment Isaac. Do you have any recommendations or specific toys you think we could add to improve the list?