Fine Artist and Crafty Mom, Rebecca Shapiro, came up wtih this fun craft to keep kids entertained on lazy summer days.

Coffee Fossils are a fun twist to home-made doughs. Kids love the dark color and smelly dough. Once the dough is formed, they can press sticks, shells and beads to leave a "fossil" imprint. The fossils take several days to dry and lighten as they dry looking like old fossils when they're done.

Supplies:

• 1 C used coffee grounds (available at home or coffee shops - just ask)
• 1/3 to 1/2 C cold coffee
• 1 C flour
• 1/2 C of salt
• Wax or parchment paper
• Mixing bowl
• Some small objects to make impressions in the dough (twigs, shells, sticks)
• Toothpicks, optional
• String or yarn to hang your fossil, optional

Directions:

• Stir the together the coffee grounds, cold coffee, flour, and salt until well mixed. Start with 1/3 C cold coffee. You don't want the dough too wet or imprints won't stick well.
• Knead the dough together and then flatten out a circle onto the waxed paper.
• If you want to hang the fossil, use toothpick to poke a hole in the top of the circle.
• Press objects firmly into the dough. When you take the object out, you have your "fossil".
• Let the fossil dry and then hang with a piece of yarn or string.

Tips:

Depending on the temperature outside and the thickness of the fossil, it may take several days for the fossil to dry. You can speed up drying by placing in an oven at a very low temperature, like 170 degrees, for several hours or overnight.

You can find more great ideas from Rebecca on this website or this one.