Hands-on discovery · Est. 1795★★★★★ 150 reviews

The dig they remember long after Christmas

£17.99

or 4 payments of £4.49 with Klarna

🛡️ 30-day full refund, no questions. Fewer than 30 returns from 23,000+ orders.

Express · order today for next-day delivery

Standard · 2-3 working days

No screens
Builds focus
Real science
Gift-wrapped
Ages 6+
60-day guarantee
30-day returns
Klarna available

Delivery in 2-3 working days · 30-day returns · Est. 1795

1 Free Gift Spend £50

2 Free Gifts Spend £75

3 Free Gifts Spend £100

as seen in

Real talk

One kit. One child. Hours of peace.

After the turkey, when everyone's gravitating to their phones, this works. Your 6, 7, 8 or 9 year old will chisel through chalk plaster, uncover fossil pieces, and build a real Triceratops model. The kind of focused play that keeps a full house occupied without a screen in sight.

You get a breather. They get the memory of a dig they actually solved.

Joe Jaques, Jaques of London

What's in the box

What arrives in your box

Everything needed for one complete fossil excavation. No batteries. No assembly headache.

Triceratops Fossil Dig Kit contents laid out

In the box

Chalk plaster block

The fossil sits inside. Your child digs it out using the included chisel and brush. Real palaeontology, miniature scale.

✓ Shaped for small hands
✓ No dust mess inside the plaster
✓ Takes 45 minutes to 2 hours

In the box

Metal chisel and brush

Real tools, not toys. The same approach palaeontologists use, scaled for a child's grip and safety.

✓ Metal handles
✓ Safe edges
✓ Teaches precision

Play style

Triceratops fossil pieces

Once dug free, the fossil pieces slot together into a standing Triceratops model. Hand-finished, ready to display on a shelf or desk.

✓ 20+ fossil pieces
✓ Assembles in minutes
✓ Sturdy once built

Ships within 2-3 business days

Triceratops Fossil Dig Kit: £17.99

While they play

What they're quietly learning

Looks like play. Works like a lesson.

🔍

Careful observation

Spotting fossil edges in plaster teaches the eye to notice detail. That focus carries into other things.

✋

Steady hands

Using the chisel without cracking the fossil builds fine motor control and hand-eye coordination.

🧩

Problem-solving

Which piece goes where? How do the bones fit? They're working through a 3D puzzle without instruction anxiety.

🌍

Real science

This isn't pretend. They're learning how palaeontologists actually work, fossil by fossil.

What families say about Jaques of London

What parents and grandparents say

★★★★★

"Excellent quality wood toys, so well made, no sharp edges, all lovely & smooth, very colourful & plenty of choice. Very reasonably priced & so beautifully wrapped you don't want to open them. Highly recommend this company."

Lynda Evans✓ Google review

★★★★★

"Fast delivery, excellent products, extremely good quality and long lasting. My granddaughter loves the toys from here. Good age ranges covered."

Danella Jones✓ Google review

★★★★★

"These toys tick all the boxes, educational, colourful, fun, well made and great service. I just keep buying more and more."

Irene Johnstone✓ Google review

★★★★★

"We love our toys from Jaques of London. The quality is excellent and they're the perfect size for little hands to hold and play with easily. Beautifully made, sturdy wooden toys that will last for years. Highly recommend!"

Tegan✓ Google review

★★★★★

"Harrods grade gifting for a very reasonable price. Not the usual tat from China. Had several hand picked orders fron Jaques, nice to know its a UK business with old school quality."

John A✓ Google review

★★★★★

"I am a real fan of this company. If only I had come across them years ago when my boys were little. It's my go to for beautiful, good quality toys for my granddaughter now and any gift I need to buy. They arrived quickly, prices are reasonable and the special touch is they are beautifully packaged too. I love the heritage of this business!"

Sarah Lardner✓ Google review

★★★★★ 4.8/5 from 29 reviews of this product · 4.6 average across 46,000+ Jaques reviews on Reviews.io and Trustpilot

Get ready for life

Why real play matters

Real brain growth comes from real play.

45 mins

Completely absorbed

The dig holds focus from start to finish. No restlessness, no checking in. That stretch of quiet is real.

→

20+ pieces

A proper project

It's big enough to feel like an achievement when they finish. Not a 5-minute toy. A real dig.

→

Ages 6-11

Grows with them

A 6 year old loves the excavation. A 9 year old treats it like actual palaeontology. Works across years.

Why this matters right now

231 years Making games that stick around Since 1795, Jaques has built toys that get played with, passed on, remembered. This one will too.

100+ million Toys in homes across the world We know what works. We've been watching families play for more than two centuries.

60 days Full guarantee If the fossil cracks in use, if the tools wear, we fix it or send a new one. No quibble.

230 yrs of making things worth keeping Jaques of London has been crafting games and toys since 1795. This one is built to be handed down, not thrown out.

We really are different

Why this dig works better

	Jaques Triceratops Fossil Dig Kit	Cheap Alternatives
Real metal tools	✅	❌ Plastic chisel
Hands-on for 45+ minutes	✅	❌ 10-minute dig toys
No batteries, no mess, no app	✅	⚠️ Electronic fossil finders
Teaches real palaeontology method	✅	❌ Generic dinosaur kits
Hand-finished fossil pieces	✅	❌ Plastic moulded parts
Built to last, passed on	✅	❌ Single-use excavation kits
Arrives gift-wrapped, ready	✅	❌ Needs wrapping

Jaques

✅ Real metal tools
✅ 45+ minutes play
✅ No batteries
✅ Real palaeontology
✅ Hand-finished fossil
✅ Built to last
✅ Gift-wrapped ready

Cheap alternatives

❌ Plastic alternatives
❌ Quick digs
❌ Digital versions
❌ Generic sets
❌ Moulded plastic
❌ Single-use toys
❌ Bare packaging

Ships within 2-3 business days

Triceratops Fossil Dig Kit: £17.99

30-Day Money-Back Guarantee

Not right? Return it within 30 days. Full refund, no questions.

Questions & answers

Questions before you buy

What age is this for?

Ages 6 and up. A 6 year old works through the dig with focus and pride. A 9 or 10 year old treats it like actual palaeontology. If you're buying for a 5 year old, they can dig alongside an adult. The dexterity needed is realistic, not frustrating.

How long does the dig actually take?

Most children spend 45 minutes to 2 hours on one kit. It's not a quick fix. That's the point. A real dive into a real task.

What if the fossil breaks while they're digging?

It won't, if the chisel is used as intended. We test every kit. And if something does crack in genuine use, you have 60 days to get in touch, and we send a replacement or a full refund. Not the usual tat from China, as one parent put it. Toys that don't break after five minutes of play.

Do you deliver in time for Christmas?

Order by 2pm and it ships within 2-3 business days. If you're ordering mid-December, check the calendar, but most orders arrive well before the 25th. It arrives gift-wrapped, ribbon-tied, ready to go under the tree.

How much does it cost?

The Triceratops Fossil Dig Kit is £17.99 today. Klarna is available at checkout if you prefer to spread the cost.

What's your returns policy?

30 days, full refund, no conditions. Return it for any reason and we refund in full. We've been standing behind what we make since 1795.

Ships within 2-3 business days

Triceratops Fossil Dig Kit: £17.99

Our story

Making toys worth keeping since 1795.

Jaques of London was founded in 1795. We invented croquet, table tennis, and the Staunton chess set. For 230 years, we've been making things that pull children away from passive entertainment and into active, curious, hands-on play.

We've been watching children play for 231 years. Long enough to know that the digs they remember are the ones that feel real. This kit isn't made from cheap plaster and plastic tools. It's hand-finished fossil pieces, real metal implements, the kind of work that teaches patience and precision. When your child holds the chisel, they're holding the same weight and method a palaeontologist uses. That shift from toy to real thing, however small, is what makes them remember.

Toys and games that leave something behind: a skill, a memory, a piece of play that gets passed on.
Joe, Jaques of London

Ready when you are