Papier Mache Dinosaur Egg
Cover a balloon with newspaper strips and papier mache paste. When dry, paint the egg with the kids, discussing the color of "real" dinosaur eggs. Make a nest for the egg in the corner of the room and after a few days cut it open (out of sight of the kidds!)) and put in a handful of the teeny tiny plastic dinosaurs (available at $ stores). Use these little dinosaurs for activities throughout the rest of the theme
Sue (COOPTEACH)

Stuffed Dinosaurs
Cut out 2 large dinosaur shapes from mural paper. Staple 3/4 the way closed. Stuff with scrunched up newspaper and staple the opening closed. Paint.
Ruth (RUTHJRC)

Dinosaur Eggs
Place small dinosaurs inside a balloon without the children seeing; blow up and paper maché leaving the knot of the balloon exposed When dry, cut the knot and remove just the balloon leaving the dinosaur behind. Patch the hole. Paint the eggs. Children can break open their eggs and 'hatch' their dinosaur to see what kind they have.
Ruth (RUTHJRC)

Clay Fossils
Make play clay with the children. Have them press plastic dinosaurs into the clay and then remove to create fossils. Let dry.
1 cup cornstarch
1 - 1lb box of baking soda
1 1/4 cups water
Mix cornstarch and baking soda in a pot. Add water and stir - mixture will be very liquidy. Cook on medium heat until thickened (it will look like mashed potatoes). Place on a pastry board and knead well. store in a damp cloth in a plastic bag.
Ruth (RUTHJRC)

Dino Bones
Have the children make their own dinosaur by gluing pasta noodles to dinosaur shape of choice, and then painting. The pasta can represent the bones. Dinosaur Sponge Painting Supply the children with sponges of dinosaurs and paint and have them make a pre-historic scene with them.
Beth (RYJACK16)

Sticker Art
Supply the children with stickers of dinosaurs and have them place them on a piece of paper to make a pre-historic scene.
Beth (RYJACK16)

Stamp Art
Supply the children with stamps of dinosaurs and have them make a pre-historic scene with the stamps. These can be embellished with markers, crayons, or watercolors.
Beth (RYJACK16)

Collecting Fossils - Group Activity
Send a notice home asking each child to bring one item next week for a fossil. This will need to be something the child does not expect back! (eg. McDonalds toy, hair barrett, lego, bottle caps, etc.) This is a group activity. Make a bed of sand in the bottom of a box, press all the items gently into the sand, pour in plaster of paris to cover all items. When it dries we pop it out of the box and the kids can brush away the sand to see their very own fossil. The finished item is used as decoration in our playground garden.
Sue (COOPTEACH)

Fossel Hunt
Put cornmeal in the water table instead of water. Collecting washed and bleached chicken bones and I hide these in the cornmeal. Include magnifying glasses, paint brushes, trays to put the bones on, plastic bags for collecting. This is really popular!!
Sue (COOPTEACH)

Dinosaur Cereal Art
Cut out dinosaur shapes from cardboard and have the children glue cereal on to add texture. When the glue has dried the children can paint their dinosaurs!

Fossils
Set out a display of rock fossils and let the children view with magnifying glasses. They can hypothesize as to what created the fossil.
Ruth (RUTHJRC)

Bones
Dinosaur bone kits can be purchased to build the skeleton of a dinosaur.
Ruth (RUTHJRC)

Volcano
Make a volcano use vinegar and baking soda to make it work.
Ruth (RUTHJRC)

Dino Sorting
Sort dinosaurs into categories of Meat Eaters (carnivores) and Plant Eaters (herbivores).
Ruth (RUTHJRC)

Dinosaur Hide and Seek
Have all the children hide their eyes while you "hide" a dinosaur in the room. (It should be placed in plain view) Tell the children to find the dinosaur, but not touch it. Once they spot it they should sit back down in their spot. The first one to sit down again will get to hide the dinosaur.
Beth (RYJACK16)

Dinosaur Hide and Seek
Play the game the same as above, except hide the dinosaur. Then tell the children individually whether they are "hot" or "cold" to the relation of the dinosaur. Allow the other children to have a change to hide the dinosaur, and tell children whether they are "hot or cold". It may be a good idea to discuss the meaning of hot and cold before you play this game.
Beth (RYJACK16)

Cave Play
Place a blanket over a table to create a cave.
Beth (RYJACK16)

Search for Dinosaurs
Place plastic dinosaur shapes in the sand table. Hide them from view. Have the children search for them.
Beth (RYJACK16)

Vote and Graph it
Have the children vote for their favorite dinosaur and graph the results. Which dinosaur did most children like the best?
Beth (RYJACK16)

Would a Dinosaur be a good pet?
Have the children vote if a dinosaur would be a good pet. Record the results on a graph. What is the result? Discuss with the children that a dinosaur would not be a good pet and reasons why.
Beth (RYJACK16)

Dinosaur Shape Hop
Cut out large dinosaur shapes from colored paper. Laminate them and cut them out. Place them on the floor and ask the children to hop from one shape to another. These may also be used at seat markers for group time.
Beth (RYJACK16)

Ideas for dinosaur plastic figures

--Have the children sort the animals by size.
--Have the children sort the animals by the kind they like the best to least.
--Buy two or more sets and have the children sort the animals by type.
--Supply the children with a balance and let them experiment.
--Have the children count the animals.
--Supply the children with cards with numbers on them. Large playing cards work well. Have the children place the appropriate number of animals on each card. I.e. 4 animals on the card that has a 4 (or 4 of diamonds) on it.
--Let the children play with the animals in the sand and water table.
--Put the dinosaurs in the block area, encourage the children to create mountains with the blocks for the animals to live and play on.
--Supply the children with paint and white paper, and give them a figure of a dinosaur. Have them dip the animal’s feet in the paint them press on the paper to make dinosaur tracks.
Beth (RYJACK16)

Dinosaur Stomp
Play the bunny hop song and have the children pretend to be dinosaurs stomping around.
Beth (RYJACK16)

Oh, I wish I were a great big dinosaur
That is what I truly want to be
And if (child's name) was a great big dinosaur
He would be a (their response) yes indeed!

As each child gets a chance to respond they head off to the bathroom to wash hands or
to get ready for outside or whatever.

All Around the Swamp
Sung to: "The Wheels on the Bus"

The Pteranodon's wings went
Flap, flap, flap,
Flap, flap, flap,
Flap, flap, flap.
The Pteranodon's wings went
Flap, flap, flap,
All around the swamp.

Add additional verses with other dinosaurs and actions.

Dinosaurs Lived Long Ago

Dinosaurs lived long ago
When the world was new
They were very big and strong
Very scary too.
Some of them had plants to eat
From the ocean floor
Some of them would rather eat
Another Dinosaur!

Dinosaurs
Sung to: "Oh, My Darling Clementine"

Great big dinosaurs, great big dinosaurs,
Lived so long ago.
Some liked land and some liked water,
Some flew in the air.

Great big dinosaurs, great big dinosaurs,
Lived so long ago.
Some had horns and some had spikes,
Some had wings like bats.

Great big dinosaurs, great big dinosaurs,
Lived so long ago.
Some ate plants and some ate meat,
But now there are no more.

Where Did The Dinosaurs Go?
Sung to: "Where, Oh Where, Has My Little Dog Gone"

Oh, where, oh where did the dinosaurs go?
Oh, where, oh where can they be?
They were much too big to just disappear.
It sure is puzzling to me!

A Big 'Ol Dinosaur
Tune of : If you're happy and you know it

Oh, I wish I was a big ol' dinosaur.
Oh, I wish I was a big ol' dinosaur.
Oh, I'd roam day and night and growl with all my might.
Oh, I wish I was a big ol' dinosaur.
From DLTK Kids
Submitted by Patti (PattieG6)

Dinosaur Count (Poem)

Dinosaurs, dinosaurs, how many do you see?
Dinosaurs, dinosaurs, count them with me.
One in the grass
One near the tree
One at the river
And that makes three!
Dinosaurs, dinosaurs, how many do you see?
Dinosaurs, dinosaurs, count them with me.
Three at the river vOne swims away
Two dinosaurs
Can stay and play.

5 Enormous Dinosaurs

5 enormous dinosaurs, shouting out a roar
Along came an alligator, then there were 4.

4 enormous dinosaurs, sitting in a tree
‘Til the wind blew by, then there were 3.

3 enormous dinosaurs, were taken to the zoo
‘Til one got away, then there were 2.

2 enormous dinosaurs, were having such fun
‘Til a volcano blew up, then there was 1.

1 enormous dinosaur, he must have weighed a ton
‘Til the lakes dried up… then there were none!

Here he comes just a-stompin’ with his feet
Singing "dino ditty, ditty dum, ditty do."
Searching all around for something good to eat
Singing "dino ditty, ditty dum, ditty do"
He’s huge (He’s huge) He’s strong (He’s strong)
He’s huge, he’s strong. Won’t be hungry very long.
Dino ditty, ditty dum, ditty do. Dino ditty, ditty dum, ditty do
Submitted by Joni (AB DAYCARE)

One Friendly Dinosaur

One friendly dinosaur wants to play peek-a-boo.
She finds another, then there are two.

Two friendly dinosaurs look behind a tree.
They find another, then there are three.

Three friendly dinosaurs want to find some more.
They find another, then there are four.

Four friendly dinosaurs in the water do dive.
They find another, then there are five.

Five friendly dinosaurs play in the sun.
They all run to hide, now there are none.
Submitted by Tammy(militarymom)