Dinosaurs and their magnificence amuse children. Hence, they like to engage in drawing and painting these creatures. You may introduce some unique dinosaur crafts for kids from our post that can interest them and motivate them to learn about these ancient lives that once ruled the planet. We bring you a list of creative activities that can make learning about fossils and dinosaurs even more fun and easier for the kids. Read through and keep the materials ready to make these crafts with your children.
25 Dinosaur Crafts And Activities For Kids
These crafts and activities will make children happy and help them learn new skills. You can try all or pick the ones that are most likely to interest your child.
1. Shape-A-Saurus
When you bring together shapes and ask your child to make a dinosaur, it means your child gets a chance to use their creativity to its maximum extent. Manipulating shapes in this way supports emerging geometry and spatial awareness skills. You will need:
Construction paper Glue Scissors Marker or crayons
Instructions:
Cut the paper into shapes – oval, circle, square, rectangle, and triangle. Cut as many stars and hearts as you wish for decoration. Name the shapes with your child as you cut them. Ask the child to glue the pieces in different ways to create different dinosaurs. Use a marker or a crayon to draw the eyes, teeth, and other details.
2. Contact paper dinosaur
This is a fantastic dinosaur craft for kids. It can help improve their gross motor skills, and they can have loads of fun making new dinosaurs. You will need:
Black or any dark-colored construction paper Clear contact paper Scissors White crayon
Instructions:
Trace a dinosaur on the black construction paper using the white crayon. You can download dinosaur templates from the Internet. Cut out the dinosaur. Cut out the middle of the dinosaur, leaving a thin border. Peel off the back of the contact paper and stick the dinosaur outline on it. Cut the excess contact paper. Make small pieces from the construction paper and stick them on the contact paper for the eye and the smile of the dinosaur.
3. Fossil cookies
Older children who are interested in dinosaurs are naturally drawn towards dinosaur fossils. You can use this activity to explain how fossils are created and excavated. Cooking with your children supports early math skills and reading skills also if they can follow the recipe themself. You will need:
For cookie dough 4 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup sugar ½ cup salt 1 ½ cups water For the fossils Food color Paint brush Dinosaur toy
Instructions:
Make the dough by mixing all the dough ingredients. Roll out the dough flat with a rolling pin. Press the dinosaur toy on the dough so that it leaves an imprint. Bake the cookie at 350°F for an hour. Once it has cooled, paint the dinosaur imprint with a food color of your choice. Hide the cookies in a box or under cereal for children to excavate it like real fossils.
4. Paper bag dinosaur
Children love playing with the unlikeliest of things, such as grocery bags. You can encourage them to use the bags to make their very own dinosaur. You will need:
Grocery paper bags Paints and brushes Pencil Scissors Glue
Instructions:
Draw an outline of a dinosaur on the paper bag with a pencil. Draw different parts of the dinosaur separately if you wish. Cut out the paper dinosaur and other pieces. Glue them together and leave to dry. Once dry, paint the eyes, nose, mouth, and other parts of the dinosaur.
5. Dinosaur sock puppet
This is a great craft for preschool children. This Sock-A-Saurus will lead to hours of imaginative play for children. Playing with sock puppets is a great way to practice emerging storytelling and sequencing stories. Try taking turns with one of you telling a short story using the puppets. When you’ve finished, the other has to remember the sequence of events happened. You will need:
Two colorful socks 4 googly eyes Red and black felt Scissors Fabric glue Marker
Instructions:
Put the sock on your hand. Wiggle it around to form a mouth between your thumb and fingers. Mark the edge of the mouth with a marker. Cut several pointy teeth-shaped pieces of red felt. Stick them on the marked edge of the mouth to create teeth. Cut pointy pieces of black felt. Stick them at the back of the sock to create the dinosaur’s spikes. Stick the googly eyes. Repeat the steps for the other sock. Leave the socks to dry for a few hours. Once dried, it is ready to play.
6. Dinosaur color match
If your toddler is learning colors, use this dinosaur game for kids to teach colors in a fun way. This game provides a great sensory play experience for your child. You will need:
Thick white chart paper Colored construction paper set Scissors Marker Glue Plate or tray Raw rice
Instructions:
Draw the outline of a dinosaur on a construction paper. Cut out the shape of the dinosaur from the construction paper. Create dinosaur cutouts of multiple colors. Cut the chart paper into small, rectangular, card-shaped pieces. Stick each dinosaur cutout on a piece. Bury the dinosaur cards under a pile of rice placed on a plate or tray. Ask the toddler to find and remove each card, and say the name of the dinosaur’s color. Place all dinosaurs of a particular color together.
7. Dinosaur eggs
When you think of dinosaur eggs, your imagination is the limit. They can be of any size and color for maximum fun. This is an excellent fine motor skill practicing activity. You will need:
Large Styrofoam eggs Serrated knife Paints and brush
Instructions:
Let the parent use a serrated knife to cut the bottom of the Styrofoam eggs so that they sit flat. Paint the eggs as the child desires or stick additional pieces of foam on it. You may check pictures of real dinosaur eggs on the Internet and recreate them using paint and brush.
8. Dinosaur fossils
Your family can become paleontologists as you and your child dig out fossil pieces and piece them together. This activity will develop your child’s imaginative and deductive skills as they learn how to piece together various parts of a dinosaur fossil. You will need:
Lightweight cardboard (cereal boxes will work) Shallow pan or tray Uncooked rice Scissors Glue Dinosaur fossil templates (you can find them on the Internet)
Instructions:
Download images of dinosaur fossil templates from the Internet and print them. Glue the template to a piece of lightweight cardboard. Cut the picture into pieces. You can cut multiple pieces based on how complex you wish the activity to be. Take a tray or shallow pan and fill it with rice. Bury the pieces of the picture in the rice. Ask the children to pick them out and piece them together.
9. Handprint dinosaur
Nothing will cheer your child more than knowing that there is a dinosaur right in their hand. This dinosaur game for kids is one of the easiest and best games that will ensure hours of unbridled fun. You will need:
Paper Finger paint Pencil
Instructions:
Draw a dinosaur on a sheet of paper. Let the child dip their fingers in finger paints and then paint the dinosaur with their hands. You can also ask your child to create a shape of a dinosaur through their hand imprints on the paper.
10. Dinosaur pom-pom mat
This dinosaur game for kids lets the child match colors. It is also a good activity to exercise the fine motor skills of younger children. You will need:
Printable dinosaur color matching mat Glue Small colorful pom-poms
Instructions:
Print out a dinosaur color matching mat from the Internet. Spread out the pom-poms in front of the child. Ask them to pick a pom-pom and stick it to the dinosaur of the corresponding color. Continue the activity until all pom-poms are glued on top of their corresponding dinosaurs
11. Paper plate dinosaur
This dinosaur activity for kids is one of the most favorite ones since the dinosaurs can stand, and children can place them in their play areas. You will need:
Nine-inch or seven-inch paper plate Foam sheet Googly eyes Glue Scissors Stapler Black marker
Instructions:
Cut each paper plate in half. One half is for the dinosaur’s body. Cut out a little tail and head for the dinosaur from the other half of the plate. Cut the foam sheet into small square pieces. Roll each piece and staple the ends to form a tube. Stand the tubes up and cut two quarter-inch slits on the end of each tube. Glue the head and the tail to the half plate (dinosaur’s body) at the opposite ends such that it forms a dinosaur. Glue googly eyes on the dinosaur and draw a mouth. Slide the dinosaur body into slits of a couple of foam tubes. These tubes now form the legs of the dinosaur and can be used to make the dinosaur stand.
12. Dinosaur snow globe
Snow globes are easy to make and make great gifts for children. These will be good for displaying on your children’s desks or in their bedrooms. You will need:
Snow globe containers (available in craft stores or the Internet) ½ tsp vegetable glycerin White and silver glitter Hot glue Distilled water Waterproof dinosaur toys
Instructions:
Stick the dinosaur toys to the base of the snow globe container securely. Let the glue dry completely. Fill the globe nearly to the top with distilled water. Leave just enough space at the top to screw on the base. Add the vegetable glycerin to the water. Then, add the glitter and other decorations if you have any. Close the cap and shake well.
13. Paper pterodactyl puppets
The flying pterodactyls are every child’s favorite dinosaurs because they resemble birds. Also, creating a flying dinosaur puppet can lead to more imaginative play for a child. You will need:
Two strings Stick Hole puncher Scissors Light card paper
Instructions:
Trace out an outline of a pterodactyl on light card paper and cut it out. Have your children paint it in the color of their choice. Fold it vertically (along the spine) and fold the wings in the opposite direction. Cut out two triangles and stick one over the head and the other below to form a gaping mouth. Using the hole puncher, punch two holes over the spine fold to keep the puppet balanced. Tie a string each through the holes and tie the other end of each string to the stick. If you feel the dinosaur is unbalanced, adjust the length of the string.
14. Paper dinosaur mask
Children love crafts that involve cutting and coloring their own masks. This dinosaur activity is guaranteed to keep them occupied for hours. You will need:
Paper plates Paints and brushes Black marker Googly eyes Scissors Glue Hole puncher String or elastic band
Instructions:
Paint one side of the paper plate and let it dry. Draw the nose, mouth, eyebrows, and other details of the dinosaur’s face on the painted side. Paste the googly eyes to create the dinosaur’s eyes. Punch a couple of holes on the nose to create nostrils. Punch a hole on either side of the plate. Tie a string or an elastic band. The dinosaur mask is ready for use.
15. Cupcake liner dinosaurs
This dinosaur craft for kids is best for preschoolers and early school children. Just cut out various shapes of dinosaurs and let their imagination do the rest. You will need:
Craft paper in different colors Cupcake liners Googly eyes Scissors Glue Pencil Color markers
Instructions:
Trace and cut out head, tail, and feet from craft paper. Fold a cupcake liner in half to make the body. Cut small pieces from another liner to create spikes. Glue the shapes in the correct positions. Fix googly eyes and draw a mouth and other designs on the body using markers.
16. Dinosaur soap
Dinosaur soaps are a great idea for children since they can use soap regularly. They also make good return gifts for birthdays and even Christmas. You will need:
3 cubes shea butter melt & pour soap base Soap color Dinosaur soap mold Measuring cup Wooden stir stick
Instructions:
Melt the soap base in the microwave for 30 seconds. If not melted fully, heat in ten-second intervals stirring in between until fully melted. Put two drops of soap color and mix well. Pour the melted mixture into the dinosaur molds. Let the soap set for a couple of hours. Remove from mold. The soaps are ready for use.
17. Dinosaur handprint card
These adorable dinosaurs are made using handprints. Children love making these cards, especially for occasions, such as Mother’s Day or Father’s Day. These cards look cute and are easy to make. You will need:
Card paper in different colors Pencil Googly eyes Black marker Scissor
Instructions:
Place your child’s palm on a couple of card papers and trace the shape of their hand on it. Cut out the handprints and stick them together to create a card. Take another piece of card paper and cut out the dinosaur head and neck. Glue it to the handprint card on the part that lies opposite to the thumb. Stick the googly eyes on the dinosaur’s head and use a marker to create a smile. Write a cute message on the inside of the card.
18. Egg carton dinosaurs
Let your children make these cute, colorful, and friendly dinosaurs using egg cartons. You can make large or tiny dinosaurs in this dinosaur craft activity for kids. You will need:
Egg cartons Googly eyes Paints and brush Felt Scissors
Instructions:
Cut each egg holder out of the egg carton. Paint the egg holders with colors of your choice. Stick two egg holders together at the edge, leaving a gap at the front to form the mouth of the dinosaur. Cut a long strip of felt with zig-zag cuts on it. These will form the teeth of the dinosaur. Stick the felt teeth at the top and bottom edge of the open end of the egg holder to create teeth. Stick googly eyes on top of the head. You may add more felt pieces on the head to create spikes. Stick the head of the dinosaur to an inverted egg holder. It will form the stand for the dinosaur.
19. Dinosaur handprint art
It is another dinosaur project for kids that involves handprints and endless fun. Your children’s imagination can go wild with this craft as they mix and match colors and designs to make different dinosaurs. You will need:
Thick art paper Watercolors Paintbrush Black marker
Instructions:
Paint your child’s hand with their favorite color. Press their hand on the art paper. Allow the paint to dry completely. The handprint becomes the body of the dinosaur. Paint a head, tail, spikes, and some designs around the body of the dinosaur. Draw some other details like grass, trees, and mountains to complete the illustration.
20. Cardboard dinosaurs
This activity is one of the best dinosaur crafts for older kids. If your child is a dinosaur fan, they will enjoy this activity a lot. You can even make dioramas using these dinosaurs. You will need:
Cardboard Paints and brush Glue Scissors Paper
Instructions:
Get a dinosaur template from the Internet and print it out on a sheet of paper. Cut the templates out and trace them on the cardboard. Cut the dinosaur shapes from the cardboard. Paint the dinosaurs in your favorite colors. Add designs and other details, such as eyes and mouth with black paint. Allow the paint to dry completely. If your dinosaur is in separate pieces, glue all the pieces together and let dry.
21. Dinosaur planter
If you have plants at home, then you can get the planters/pots decorated as dinosaurs by your child. This activity is a productive one since it lets you use the decorated planters for a long time. You will need:
Planters of different colors Large googly eyes Foam sheets of different colors Glue Hole puncher Scissors
Instructions:
Cut a large circular piece of felt. Punch two holes to create the nose. Cut long strings of felt with zig-zag patterns. These would make the teeth. Stick the googly eyes on the planter, the nose, and two rows of teeth. The dinosaur planter is ready. You may cut additional pieces of felt and stick them on the planter in different patterns to create detailing.
22. Dinosaur stick puppets
All children love puppets. It makes it even more fun when the puppets are on sticks, and you can use them to create dinosaur shadow art. You will need:
Dinosaur printable Popsicle sticks Scissors Glue Marker
Instructions:
Print out your favorite dinosaurs from the Internet on card paper and cut them out. Stick a popsicle stick on the back of each dinosaur cutout. Leave them to dry. You may add detailing, such as scales and spikes, on the dinosaur with a marker. Turn off the lights. Place a flashlight or a lamp pointed towards wall or ceiling. Slowly bring the dinosaur puppet in front of the light. Enjoy the realistic shadows on the wall.
23. D is for dinosaur
If your toddler is learning letters, make learning fun by making a dinosaur out of D. This is a simple dinosaur craft for kids designed especially for preschoolers. You will need:
Card paper Glue Scissors Googly eyes Marker
Instructions:
Print out or draw a big D on colored card paper. Cut out head, tail, legs, arms, neck, and spike shapes from another piece of card paper. Paste them on the D; making D the body of the dinosaur. Stick a pair of googly eyes and draw a mouth.
24. Perler bead dinosaur
It is one of the easiest dinosaur crafts for kids. In this activity, you make a dinosaur with Perler beads in minutes. This craft develops your child’s fine motor skills since they learn to use bead tweezers. If these beads are too challenging for your child, try moving up a size as they come in different sizes. Slowly work your way down to the smallest size over time. You will need:
Square Perler board Bead tweezers Perler beads 2 parchment paper sheets
Instructions:
You can use any Perler bead dinosaur pattern available on the Internet. Count out the pegs and start arranging the beads on the pegs based on the pattern. Use the tweezers to pick and arrange the beads. Once done, place a parchment paper on top. Let an adult iron on top of the beads using a regular iron. Flip the board, and the beads will stick to the parchment paper. Remove the board. Place another parchment paper on the beads and iron again. Gently remove the parchment papers, and let the fused beads cool. The Perler bead dinosaur is ready.
25. Play-Doh dinos
Your toddlers will love making dinosaurs with Play-Doh in this activity. Since the child is using modeling clay, they can easily change shapes and create new patterns after making the final model. Top tip: Put the playdough in the fridge before use. When it comes out it is stiffer, making those tiny finger muscles work harder. You will need:
Play-Doh modeling clay pack Piece of cardboard
Instructions:
Pick a color of clay and shape a part of the dinosaur. For instance, make the body blue, the spikes green, and so on. Gently stick the different pieces of clay together to create the dinosaur. Use the sharp end of the piece of cardboard to add detailing, such as wrinkles and eyes.
