What you'll need:
- a kiddie pool
- aluminum pie pans
- rocks
- gold spray paint
- sand (enough to fill the pool just over half way)
- buckets for collecting gold
First, you'll want to spray paint your rocks gold a couple days before the event to be sure they're 100% dry on the day. Then, poke holes in your aluminum pans with a hammer and nail, just big enough to let sand slip through. Fill your kiddie pool just over half way with sand water (for older kids, add a few extra inches of water, for a bit more of a challenge), and bury your "gold" throughout. Have the kids use the pie pans as the sifting pans to scoop up a pile of sand and rocks. Move the pan from side to side emptying out the pan to reveal if there are any gold nuggets. No hands allowed - kids must only use their pans, and whoever discovers the most gold nuggets wins! Or, you can even set up a mini trading post, where kids can exchange their nuggets for prizes or candy.
