Cosmic Dig Kit by Big Discoveries - Explore The Planets of The Solar System with Gem & Fossil Excavation Kits for Kids | STEM Toy Science Dig Kits with Gemstones for Boys and Girls

Good fun for kids

This is a fun excavate activity. You have to chip away at it to see what is inside. It was fun to do, but messy (though you can keep it contained). No complaints.

This review is for the Neptune cosmic dig kit. Overall, by 9yo enjoyed the activity, but for reasons I'll explain below, I think the target group for this should be kids 4-8.What's in the box: You get the planet, a small chisel, a small brush, a two-sided poster, and a magnet you can affix to a "badge." The badge is a circular cutout of the planet at the top of the box. On one side of the poster, it has a picture and lists facts about the planet. On the other side are instructions and details about the rocks inside.Accuracy of product photos: Ours did not look like Neptune, nor any known planet or moon in the solar system. It looked like a white ball that got a short burst from a few different spray paints. Inside, it was a white and chalk-like (product photos show a sand color). I think sand color would have been perfect since the plaster was fairly soft. That's why I also think this product should be marketed to younger kids. Other plaster dig sets tend to be harder to break apart, but this one was fairly easy in comparison.Specimen sizes: the specimens are about 1/2 inch in size. My kiddo was hoping for bigger, but this isn't their first plaster dig set. The actual specimens are still nice. They're polished, not rough stone.What my kid didn't like was the plastic "fake diamond." In part, because four stones were uncovered next to each other right at the start. We had to meticulously break apart the globe only to get a piece of plastic. My kiddo saw it and then flicked it. It would have been much, much better if it were made of glass or quartz. I think younger kids would still be absolutely thrilled by it, though.I recommend this set for ages 4-8, or as an introductory set for those who haven't done anything like this before. If your kiddo has, or if they're near the 10+ age group, there are other sets. One star off for product not matching photos.

The Cosmic Dig Kit appears very interesting. It came with a planet where you can dig out gems and fossils. There were a chisel & brush for the digging as well as an educational poster. My child enjoyed the digging but was sorely disappointed when the 'gems' did not even match the poster! The digging created a mess of dust and plaster bits which was expected but the end results should at least match the poster! I understand the 'diamond' is not going to be real but you can definitely create a fake one. We had in the past completed other digs with stones and those matched the pictures. He kept asking if there were more stones since the gems did not look like the pictures.

I love the informational poster that was included in this. My astrology buff child's first reaction was, "Jupiter is a gass giant! It's not solid!" But they were quickly won over when they started digging.I definitely recommend doing this activity outside. The "planet" is very chalky and can make a squeaky sound when you use the wooden digging tool. It made me cringe, but my child didn't seem to mind.My child was a little disappointed by the "diamond" which is an angular plastic blue gem. This is obviously not a multi-use toy. You can only dig out the gems once but it was still fun and my child treasures the stones.Otherwise, it was fun, educational, and occupied my child for about 30 minutes. Would recommend.

I got the Mercury kit for my 8 year old and was rather disappointed. First, it didn’t come with any digging tools whatsoever. Thankfully I had some from a previous dig kit so my daughter could dig. All 5 of the “gems” were just barely below the surface and it took her less than 5 minutes to get them all out. She barely had to dig so it wasn’t much of a challenge for her.The “gems” are quite small and the “diamond” was just a chunk of red plastic. The opal looks nothing like an opal either. I didn’t expect a real diamond or fancy opal at this price point of course but they could have looked a little more realistic.Mine also didn’t have the Mercury explorer fact sheet so it wasn’t an educational experience at all.If you’re looking for a quick dig that may or may not come with digging tools and don’t want to spend much money then this kit is fine. If you want to learn something from the kit though I’d look elsewhere.

I like how fun it was for our daughter. It is easy to use because while they do have to excavate to get the gems out, it is not too hard for even a 4-year-old child to do! It is great to open up a whole lot of subjects to talk about. Very dusty while doing it but nothing that can't be easily vacuumed. Make sure hands are washed thoroughly after. Definitely giftable, very entertaining. Value for price is good.

This is exactly what it intends to be: an interesting toy that will give a toddler an hour-ish of fun. It is challenging to dig through (and comes with all necessary exploratory tools, including a brush). It occupied my nephews for probably 30-45 minutes and more than one of them. There are jewels inside, which are extremely exciting to find (it’s not easy).It’s exactly what it intends to be.