Uncle Milton Dr Steve Hunters-Dig - Build - Paint - Play - Scientific Educational Toy

Unlike some cheaper dinosaur themed sets today which may have been created solely for the purpose of selling toys, and whose educational value might be questionable, I thought this set –developed and shopped by a paleontologist- was much more scientifically worthwhile. I’d much rather expose my child to science through the eyes of an expert, whose goal is to get more children interested in science, than in selling product.The set contains three separate activities –digging for bones and assembling them, painting a dinosaur model, and reading and studying another model. Once you’ve completed the activities the replay value is pretty low because unless you glue the bones together (which is something to consider) they’ll fall apart if you try to play with them aggressively.That said, the activities are enough to keep you busy on a rainy day –though the star of the set, I think, is the digging for bones and assembling them into the skeleton. This is very much like the “treasure X” toys, where you pry toys out of compressed powder, and since my son likes those so much, he also liked this. He also liked pretending he was a scientist and “digging the dinosaur out of the ground”.He also liked painting the dinosaur, and listening to all the facts about the dinosaurs (included as the third activity).Recommended for those interested in dinosaurs, but adult supervision/help is required due to the mess that the powder makes (in the digging activity). Be sure to dig the dust in a box or something so it doesn’t get everywhere…

What a blast my son had with the Uncle Milton Dig - Build - Paint - Play - Scientific Educational Toy. We homeschool so I used this as part of my son's study on dinosaurs to give what he was learning a hands-on-approach. With this kit he got to do his own excavation in uncovering the bones of a t-rex. He loves puzzles the putting the bones together to form the skeleton of this great lizard king was a hit. He also got to put together and paint what the t-rex would look like not in its skeletal form. After he was able to proudly show these 3 figures off on a shelf in his room!The value of what you get in this set is very good. The instructions are easy to follow and all the material in the set are pretty well made. The paint wasn't dried out in the least bit. The excavation tools durable enough to withstand the hammering of a seven year old boy. The only issue we bumped into was that sometimes if picked up and moved around some of the skeletal parts would pop out of place so we'd have to reconnect them together again. Since my son wanted to play with the fossil instead of just look at it on the shelf, we ended up hot gluing any weak points it had.The hammering and digging away at the brick did get messy but it wasn't so bad that we needed to move it outside. I didn't have to go looking for educational facts as the data cards which come in multiple languages provided so much information and facts. The tyrannosaurus rex holographic card in the kit was pretty neat too.My son really liked this set. He only asked me a couple of time to help maneuver a part or two into another part. He was able to do the digging, painting, and reading the fact card all on his own.The detail that went into making a kit most can afford on a budget makes me happy. I think it's pretty cool that expert paleontologist Dr. Stefano Piccini (Dr. Steve) authentically designed each part of this set to a scientifically accurate scale from the anatomy, posture, and proportion.This kit is great. It's perfect for any boy or girl that loves dinosaurs! Note that if they'd rather play with the figures they put together, you may want to have a super glue or a hot glue gun around.

Ahhh! This set was so much fun! I may not be a kid, but I sure felt like one excavating the bones and leaving a mess behind with my hammer and chisel. And trust me, this is messy. I kept the box so all the mess would be contained (as much as possible), which helped immeasurably. I totally felt like a paleontologist. My only complaint were that I felt most of the bones were lumped together, but it didn't hamper my fun. Although a brush wasn't included, I used the paintbrush they provided to sweep away dust to feel even more professional. Also included is a Tyrannosaurus rex figurine and a "white" articulated T-rex that can be painted with the provided paints, both of which differ from each other so it's not same ol', same ol'. All the items are well-made, although my skeleton T-rex's tail does fall off so I might end up gluing it eventually. Overall, this is a great set given as a gift to any kid, and perhaps to many adults as well!

My grandsons got this set for Christmas. Chiseled out the bones one day and couldn't wait to paint the model. Opened up the paints only to find them all dried up. So disappointing.

The individual project sets are much better quality. This multiple project set was just more cheaply made than the the other sets in the product line. While my boys did love this one just as much as others, the quality just wasn't on par with the other sets.

I have had a lot of these kits with 12 kids in the household... my kids seem to never bore of them and they are a frequent birthday present around here. I loved this one even better... not only is it a much bigger set, but you also get to paint and play with them... much better than the previous types that were left in a drawer until I (under the cover of dark!) removed them after a few years and "cleaned" it up. LOL This one has been added to our play dinosaur set and it is regularly being used.The set is good quality too, and will make a mess of course when they are "digging" it out. So outside or on an old tablecloth or sheet is ideal while they are excavating. Same with the painting, make sure they use old clothes! But if you are prepared for that, then definitely order this set, it's been a great hit in our house and I'm saving it in my wishlist for a couple years down the road when a younger child will appreciate it all over again!