Dinosaurs have long been a fascinating topic for kids of all ages, but it can be hard to find activities based around the ancient creatures that are both fun and educational.
This list of dinosaur-themed activities for preschoolers and toddlers will help you keep your little one entertained while teaching them about the prehistoric creatures that roamed Earth millions of years ago.
Handprint Crafts are an excellent choice when it comes to creating simple and fun handprint art activities and their dinosaur designs are no exception.
These would make great gifts or craft projects for any occasion. The best part? They’re super easy to do and only require a few supplies.
It might be a little messy when your child paints their hand though!
Add extras like googly eyes, cut-up cards or paper, and glitter glue for extra decoration.
Whilst we are on the topic of handprint-related arts and crafts for kids, this Dinosaur Handprint Craft by Mombrite is a cute idea for parents looking for something different to do with their little ones.
Simply trace your little one’s hand onto some construction paper, cut out the handprint and draw the neck and head of the dinosaur (with the thumb acting as the tail of the dinosaur).
You can then let your child decorate the dinosaur however they so choose!
Mombrite offers another, unique take on a dinosaur activity for kids.
This frozen dinosaur eggs ice excavation activity involves placing dinosaur figurines within balls of ice using a balloon and letting kids dig them out in their own mini excavation.
This is certainly going to be a lot of fun for kids but also educational, teaching fine motor skills and even a bit of science in the water to ice process that is used.
Math is always going to be a tricky subject for kids, especially at such a young age.
However, if you want to encourage your toddler to count and learn about numbers in a fun and engaging way, these Dinosaur Counting Sheets from Where’d My Sanity Go? are perfect.
The sheets encourage kids to count via cut and match dinosaur-themed puzzles wherein they will put the numbered strips in the correct order once they have cut them out.
There are also regular counting exercises and some count and trace sheets, where kids trace the numbers as they go.
There isn’t anything too taxing here – with the numbers only going up to 8 – but the dinosaur imagery is sure to make a much-maligned task such as teaching kids math a lot more fun.
Another arts and crafts page from The Artisan Life, these Dinosaur Do-A-Dot pages are a fantastic way to teach children how to create patterns and get creative with their artwork.
Kids simply need to dot the dots onto the page and then add details like eyes, scales, and tails.
Once complete, there are several options available for kids to use – including adding glitter or stickers to make the final product look extra special.
This DIY Dinosaur Swamp Activity Sensory bin is a fantastic sensory play experience for kids to enjoy.
Kids can explore the swampy environment and find all sorts of interesting items including rocks, sticks, leaves, feathers, moss, and of course- dinosaurs!
This particular activity- from Mum’s Creative Cupboard- involves creating a jello base to create a swampy landscape.
It’s a brilliant sensory bin for kids to get creative with whilst working on their motor skills and exploring textures.
Another simple yet super fun activity for kids, these dinosaur feet can be used to play various indoor and outdoor games.
All you need to do is obtain some green poster board and draw a pair of dino feet onto them before cutting them out.
Once that is done, flip the foot over, place it on another piece of green poster board and trace it with a pencil.
Get Your Holiday on goes on to offer a range of games that can be played with the feet, so make sure to check it out at the link above if this craft looks like something your little one would have fun with.
Kids love playing with salt dough, and this cute set of dinosaur fossils made from salt dough is a great way to introduce them to the world of paleontology.
These adorable dinosaurs were created by Busy Little Kiddie and feature a variety of prehistoric fossil decorations to make, such as a T-Rex footprint.
They’re easy to make and require just three ingredients: flour, water, and salt.
To make the fossils, simply mix together the flour, water, and a pinch of salt until it forms into a dough.
Then roll the dough into small balls and press them flat using a rolling pin or cookie cutter.
After that, all you need to do is decorate them with the fossil prints in any way you so choose!
Let your child add some glitter and paint for an extra burst of creativity.
Moveable dinosaur crafts are always popular amongst preschoolers and toddlers because they allow kids to move their creations around the room while having fun.
This particular craft was designed by Crafts By Amanda and features a dinosaur made from construction paper that is movable thanks to the use of paper fasteners.
These are particularly versatile crafts as you can pretty much make any kind of dinosaur that you choose.
All you need to do is maintain the general design to ensure that you don’t lose the maneuverability of the dinosaur once you’ve finished making it.
The last sensory bin on this list, this edible dig sensory bin is perfect for toddlers who love digging holes and exploring nature as well as offering a dinosaur-themed tasty treat!
You’ll need a jello base for this edible dig as well as some chocolate cookies to create the dirt of the archaeological dig as well as some cream, pudding, or cool whip on the top.
This is a great sensory STEM activity for toddlers and preschoolers. Just make sure they don’t accidentally take a bite out of the plastic dinosaurs!
This black slime tar pit is a great way to get your toddler’s creative juices flowing!
You can make black slime simply and easily with glitter glue, baking soda, contact solution (as long as there isn’t any boric acid included), and black food coloring or black washable paint.
Simply combine the ingredients and apply them to a container, then let it sit overnight.
In the morning, you’ll find yourself with a gooey black slime that will be perfect for creating a dinosaur-themed playground.
If you’d rather not make the slime yourself, you can buy it ready-made at most toy stores.
These dinosaur activity pages are a great way to encourage your little one’s interest in science and dinosaurs.
There are two sets available, each featuring different activities for toddlers and preschoolers including a word search, coloring pages, I Spy, and other various activities.
With these pages, your child can learn about dinosaurs without even realizing it!
Final Thoughts
Dinosaurs are fascinating creatures, and if you want to expose your children to the wonders of paleontology, then you should definitely check out some of these fun games and activities!
Not only are they tons of fun, but they also help teach your kids valuable life skills like problem-solving, concentration, motor skills, creativity, observation, and more.
So whether you want to keep your children entertained or educate them, these dinosaur-themed activities are a great place to start!
Hi, my name is Helena Waters and I was a teacher for 40 years before retiring last year.
During my time as a teacher I dedicated the majority of it to making classrooms as fun as possible, with educational parties, fun activities, and low cost entertainment that made the children excited about learning.
I taught children of all ages, from preschoolers to high school students. Now, with the pandemic having uprooted everything that children once knew about school and learning, I think that the need for my ideas is bigger than ever.
That is why I created School Sparks, a place in which I can write down and share all of my ideas on how to get students excited about going to school again. I hope that you’ll find some useful within a school setting, even at home too!
