My White Crate is a local business that aims to make learning fun and accessible to young children, and a lot of thought has clearly been put into the crates and mini kits that they offer. I’m a huge advocate of learning through play, so I was more than happy to receive the Paleontology Crate for N.
To be completely honest, N isn’t a HUGE fan of dinosaurs. He likes them, but isn’t obsessed enough to pick out dinosaur-related books to learn more about them, which is why I thought this would be a good learning opportunity for him.
So excited to receive the Paleontology Crate
The Paleontology Crate contains materials for FIVE different activities, which can be split up and completed over an extended period of time. We started working on this crate during the June holidays, and only just completed it in mid-August, as I let N decide when he wanted to do the activities.
What’s inside
Activities
N’s favourite activity was definitely the second one, where he got to excavate the fossil pieces from the dynamic sand. He was very diligent about using the map to mark where he found the different pieces, and was quite careful when he was digging in the sand. Using dynamic sand also allows the child to see the imprint left by the fossil, and N was quite excited whenever he was able to remove the fossil carefully enough so that the imprint would still be intact.
There are three sets of fossils provided, which means he got to do this whole excavation process thrice! The tools provided were put to good use, though I had to give him some toothpicks to dig out the sand trapped in some of the grooves. I also had to help him to put some parts together, as they can be quite tricky.
This second activity allows for plenty of role play and exploration, so don’t rush your child. N spent a lot of time digging and then examining each fossil that he excavated, before trying to put the entire skeleton together.
For the next activity, there are three fact sheets provided, and you can check your child’s understanding of the information by letting him organise the 12 facts, using the table and cut-out facts.
N found the Secret Messages activity quite easy, so he completed it quickly, but he was surprised by the decoded messages. At least he learnt another two facts through this activity!
The last activity is probably more suitable for younger children, so I let the twins work on it. After all, KorKor shouldn’t be the only one having fun, right? (They actually wanted to play with the dynamic sand, but I didn’t trust them to NOT make a mess, so I didn’t let them touch it. I think it’s actually perfectly fine for kids aged 2.5 and above to play with the dynamic sand, but the twins would have probably thrown the sand all around the house and driven me bonkers, so I’ll probably allow them to play with it when they’re older.)
If you’re looking for activities to entertain your dinosaur-loving kid, then I would definitely recommend getting this Paleontology Crate. It has a good mix of hands-on activities as well as reading and writing activities, which will keep your child busy for ages.
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DISCOUNT CODE
Use the code ‘TANS15‘ to get 15% off your entire order (no minimum purchase required) from My White Crate. They have crates, mini kits, and accessories to choose from, so I’m sure you’ll be able to find SOMETHING to buy. 😉 Hurry, because this discount is valid from now till 31st August 2019 only!
GIVEAWAY!
My White Crate is giving away an item of your choice from their website! To participate, please visit our Instagram page. Terms and conditions apply.
Terms and Conditions: This giveaway will end on Thursday, 22nd August 2019, at 2359h, and is open to readers with a Singapore mailing address only. The winner will be contacted via the particulars provided when entering this giveaway, and will have 24 hours to respond, failing which a new winner will be selected. All incomplete entries will be disqualified, and all entries will be verified before the winner is announced. To be fair to our sponsor, please note that all fake Instagram accounts (accounts set up purely to take part in contests, with no or very few real posts), will be disqualified.