Rose's Rock Excavation

Rose and her mom, Lara, are regulars at Speckled Frog Toys & Books. To be honest they started visiting before we even opened our doors! During their weekly downtown adventures, they would stop by the store to check on the progress as we were setting up the space. We thought it would be appropriate for Rose to be our first toy reviewer. 

Rose is 8 years old and she enjoys building toys, miniature dolls, and cats. Lately, she has been playing with Legos and Lincoln Logs.  We gave her a choice between three toys, it is no surprise that she chose to try the science themed toy-  I Dig it! Rocks Real Minerals.  When Rose saw the kit,  she instantly knew it was the toy she wanted to try. She started telling me about some of the minerals listed on the box. Her namesake Rose Quartz is her favorite, of course.

We asked Rose what she enjoyed most about the I Dig it! Real Minerals kit. She likes that there is more than one gem included in the kit. She found the activity challenging but enjoyed getting to excavate the gems. She was little disappointed that there was only one piece of Rose Quartz because it is her favorite gem.

We asked Lara for her opinion on the toy as well. Lara let us know this toy was a success. She enjoyed that there was a surprise element and Rose felt a sense of accomplishment after completing the dig. Sometimes toys like this can feel like a one-time activity.  While the digging itself can only be done one time, Lara noticed its open-ended play and extension opportunities emerge as Rose started to play with the gems after the dig.

Overall, Lara and Rose agree that this toy is a hit! 

The I Dig It! Real Minerals kit is available in store at Speckled Frog Toys & Books and online at www.speckledfrogtoys.com for $12.95. The kit includes a plaster block with five minerals hidden inside, a sponge, a chisel, and a hammer/pick tool. The goal of the activity is to excavate the minerals using the tools like an archeologist. The kit includes a leaflet of information about each of the included minerals.

Check out our variations on archeological dig kits: 

I Dig It! Dinos-T Rex Tooth	I Dig It! Dinos Tyrannosaurus Rex
Dig it! - Stegosaurus	Dig it! -Triceratops