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Fossils are the imprints of plants or animals of a past age that have been preserved in the earth’s crust. Real fossils take millions of years to form.

You’ll be able to make one in just one or two days! To get an idea of how a fossil is formed and what it might look like you start with a mudpie!

• soil
• water
• containers to mix soil and water
• spoon for stirring
• fossil items like leaves, small snail or sea shells, pieces of wood, or nuts in their shells.
• wax paper
• cookie sheet

1. Fill a contaner halfway with soil. Soil with a high clay content will work best. Potting soil is too rich and will crumble too easily.
2. Mix some water with the soil until you get a thick mud that can be shaped by hand.
3. Gently stir the fossil item(s) into the mixture.
4. Place the wax paper on the cookie sheet.
5. Pour the mud onto the wax paper and form a mudpie. Make sure the fossil item(s) are totally hidden in the mud. If you have more mud, make more mudpies the same way.
6. Put the cookie sheet outside in the sun or on a warm window sill so the mudpies can dry.
7. After 24 hours, check to see that they are dry throughout. If you live in a humid area, you might ask an adult to put the mudpies in an oven at low heat to finish drying.
8. When your mudpies are thoroughly dry, carefully break one open with your hands and see what a fossil looks like.