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Hi, I have used sandpit excavations in a number of different situations over the years. I'm afraid play sand is probably the safest thing to use as it is designed for youngsters and is safe- makes the risk assessment a LOT easier although it is heavy. For public events where it is a 'drop in' and not a structured activity I generally bury a mix of unstratified archaeological finds that don't matter if they stray or get broken. Check everything for sharp edges and consider choking hazards for toddlers who will furtle around in a sandpit even if you put notices around advising parents it's not for small children. Small paint brushes work well for tools and animal mandibles or maxillae with teeth are REALLY popular finds. Be prepared to rebury often- very often! For classrooms or structured public events I approach things a little differently and have excavations in a small trays where I made the footprint of a round house in clay and covered it with sand so children are looking for features rather than finds. You can have a grid printed on acetate to put over the top and get children to plan what they have uncovered. An extension of this would be to give children clay and get them to design and make a simple structure then dismantle it leaving only what wouldn't have rotted (a great discussion point!). They then bury this under sand and pass it onto another group who excavate, record and reconstruct what they think the original structure looked like. I give the children lollipop sticks and small brushes for this activity. + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + GEM list: Contact the list owner for assistance at [log in to unmask] For information about joining, leaving and suspending mail (eg during a holiday) see the list website at https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=GEM + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +