1Prepare the clay or dough.

To create a stone tablet on which you can write hieroglyphs on, you can either use commercial air dry clay or make your own sand dough or salt dough. I love using sand dough because it dries into a somewhat gritty stone-like material.

All three materials can be colored by adding a bit of brown acrylic paint or poster paint. Knead the dough or clay until the color is evenly mixed.

2Form dough into a slab.

Take a chunk of dough and flatten it into a slab approximately ½-inch thick. You can use your palms to press on the dough or use a rolling pin or tall bottle to flatten a larger chunk of dough into a wide slab.

3Cut the slab into a rectangle.

Cut the slab into a rectangle with a plastic knife or you can just shape the slab with your hands. You don't have to make it perfectly geometric, a little bit of unevenness around the edges makes it look more ancient!

4Write some hieroglyphs.

Now you can try writing some hieroglyphs like the ancient Egyptians. Carve hieroglyphs onto the dough with a plastic knife, a small popsicle stick or the opposite end of a spoon. Use your little finger or the tip of a pencil to make dots and large depressions.

Below are resources to help you learn more about hieroglyphic writing and ancient Egypt:

• Ancient Egypt for Kids: Hieroglyphics
• Egyptian Hieroglyphic Writing

5Let dry.

Allow your hieroglyphic stone to air dry. It may take 1 to 2 days to completely dry.