Are you a fossil finding expert?
Get out your hammer and chisel and step into the shoes of a palaeontologist! Can you answer our fossil questions and discover all the fossils hidden within prime fossil locations around the UK? Share your findings with us in the comments!
What is a fossil? 🔍
Fossils are like nature’s own time machines, real-life evidence of animals and plants that lived millions of years ago! When a creature dies and gets quickly buried under layers of mud, sand, or silt, it has a better chance of becoming a fossil. Over time, those layers harden, and the remains are preserved in rock.
But fossils aren’t just cool to look at, they’re super important. They help scientists piece together the story of our planet. From ancient climates and how species evolved, to what dinosaurs ate and even what illnesses they had.
So next time you see a fossil, , you’re holding a piece of history that’s been hidden for millions of years!
If you want more fun facts about fossils, check out 'What is a fossil?' and 'How fossils are made?' on Bitesize!
Where can I find fossils in the UK? 🇬🇧
There are lots of exciting places across the UK where you can go fossil hunting. Here are three top spots that give you a great chance of discovering something cool:
West Runton, Norfolk – This beach is a brilliant place to find a variety of freshwater fossils, including shells, seeds, and even remains of fish, birds, frogs, and mammals. It’s most famous for the discovery of the West Runton Mammoth - a steppe mammoth found in 1990!
Barton on Sea, Hampshire – The clay beds here are packed with fossils. People have found everything from shark teeth to fish bones and even mammal remains.
Charmouth, Dorset – Part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, Charmouth is one of the most famous fossil-hunting locations in the world. With a bit of luck, you can find ammonites, belemnites, and other types of fossilised sea creature!
Scalby Ness, Yorkshire - Here you can find some very good plant remains from the boulders on the shore.
Parton Bay, Cumbria - There are a variety of Carboniferous fossils in Parton Bay. Fossils washed up onto the shore contain plant remains, fish scales and corals.
Red Wharf Bay, Wales - You can find coral fossils, Brachiopods and crinoid pieces here in Red Wharf Bay.
We'd love to know if you've been fossil hunting and where you've been to find them - let us know in the comments!
Enter Blue Peter's BRAND NEW Walking with Dinosaurs Competition! 🧡
A brand new competition is here. Now is your chance to put your dino head on and wow the Blue Peter judges with your incredible ideas! You could be in with a chance to win some out of this world prizes.
If you love all things dinosaur, the world they lived in, how they looked, how they behaved, and the fossils they left behind, then Blue Peter’s Walking with Dinosaurs Competition is for you.
Click here to find out all the details and get entering now! 🦖
Go dino! 🦖
Check out the all the raaaawwwesome dinosaur quizzes, clips and shows from around CBBC.
And , you can play games and quizzes, enter our competitions, get creative with recipes and crafts, and chat to other BP fans over on the Blue Peter page! 💙
If you want to find out more about dinosaurs, head over to Bitesize and impress your friends with heaps of dino facts!
Where can I watch Blue Peter? ⛵️
Abby, Joel, Shini and Henry the dog and watch Blue Peter on CBBC and BBC iPlayer, you won't want to miss it!