A Roaring Good Time - DIY Dino Crafts

Craft ideas are the perfect activities for prehistoric playtime with your preschooler or your next party or playdate. Check them out – then do it up, dino style. Can you dig it?

Make Your Own Dino Fossils

What You’ll Need:

• 1 Batch of salt dough (our favorite recipe is below – you can prepare it ahead of time, but your kids might like to help you mix and knead!)
• Small plastic dinosaurs
• Baking pan
• Oven

Photo: Little Passports®

What To Do:

1. Divide your pre-made salt dough into 2-3” balls.
2. Flatten each ball with the palm of your hand until oval-ish.
3. Press a dinosaur into each flat oval firmly, to make a clear impression, then carefully remove the dinosaur.
4. Bake at 200 degrees for 2-3 hours.

And Then…

• Bury the dough in the backyard or sandbox and go on your own archaeological expedition! Use kid-safe tools to dig the dough dinos up and use paintbrushes to dust them clean.
• Paint them and keep them as treasures.
• Research the name and some fun dino facts about each one.

Salt Dough Recipe

1. In a large bowl, mix 1 cup of salt with 1 cup of flour.
2. Press a hole in the mixture and pour in ½ cup of water.
3. Knead until smooth and shape into a ball (add more water if needed).
4. Store in a baggie or air-tight container.

Older kids will love excavating and assembling a complete dino skeleton with our GeoSafari Dino Digs kits!

Design Your Own Dino-Mite Mask

What You’ll Need:

• A printout of our Dino-Mask Mask Template
• Scissors
• Crayons or markers
• Elastic string

What To Do:

1. Color the mask template to reflect your own personal Dino-style!
2. Cut out the mask, including cutting out the eyeballs and string holes.
3. Cut a piece of elastic string that fits around your head and string it through the side holes, securing with a knot.

And Then…

• Put on a dino show.
• Surprise your sister, brother, and friends.

DIY Brachiosaurus

What You’ll Need:

• Empty toilet paper roll
• Construction paper
• Glue
• Scissors
• Paints, markers, or crayons
• Brachiosaurus outline

What To Do:

1. Cut your toilet paper tube in half and cut a 1” slit at both sides of the top of both pieces of your tube—these are your Brachiosaurus’ legs.
2. Show your child the image below; print the Brachiosaurus outline or have them draw the same outline on a horizontal sheet of white construction paper; and help them cut it out.
3. Paint or color your Brachiosaurus however you’d like! Cut circles or stripes from your construction paper and glue them on. Don’t forget the eyes, smile, and toenails!
4. When dry, slip the body into the slits on the TP tube legs and… voila!

And then…

• Make more TP dinos! Try a T-Rex or a Stegosaurus with cut-out construction paper spikes.
• Put on a dino play!

Crown Yourself King of the Dinos

What You’ll Need:

• A printout of our Dino-Mite Crown Template
• Scissors
• Crayons or markers
• Glue or tape

What To Do:

1. Color the crown template to reflect your own personal Dino-style!
2. Carefully cut out both pieces of the mask.
3. Glue or tape one side of the band to the front piece and wrap around your head. Glue or tape the other side at the appropriate spot and cut off any remainder.

And Then…

• Crown yourself king or queen of the Dinos.
• Put on a dino show.
• Surprise your sister, brother, and friends.

Create a Dino Diorama

What You'll Need:

• Large cardboard box (packing or shipping box is great)
• Sand and/or dirt
• Small rocks (bigger than pebbles but smaller than boulders)
• Leaves
• Playfoam®
• Paints and brushes
• Plastic dinosaurs

Photo: first palette

What To Do:

1. Take a walk around the block or hit the park to collect the natural materials above.
2. Cut off the front, wide panel and top flaps of your box.
3. Use your paints to decorate the inside walls of your box to look like a dinosaur scene. Consider including trees, skies, and sunsets.
4. Use your natural “props” to design a dino environment. Place your dirt/sand first, then add your rocks and leaf “trees." Use your Playfoam® to make mountains, streams, or lakes.
5. Set up the plastic dinos and PLAY!