Hands-on · Ages 4–10
Dinosaur Crafts for Kids — A Weekend's Worth of Ideas
01
Paper plate dinosaur
Cut a paper plate in half. One half becomes the body (lay it dome-side up). Glue cardboard triangles along the curve for plates, add a googly eye, and you have an instant Stegosaurus. For a Triceratops, glue three small cones to the front and a folded paper frill behind. Best for ages 4–7. Total time: 15 minutes.
Pairs with: /dinosaurs/stegosaurus or /dinosaurs/triceratops
02
Toilet paper roll T. rex
Stand a toilet paper roll on end. Glue two tiny construction-paper arms on the front, a long tail behind, and a triangular head with paper teeth on top. Paint it green or brown. Kids love that the arms are deliberately small — that's an accurate fossil detail, not a mistake. Total time: 20 minutes.
Talk about: why T. rex arms were so short (it's still an open question in paleontology).
03
Salt dough fossils
Three pantry ingredients, a small toy or leaf, and an oven set to 200°F. We have a full step-by-step recipe on its own page — it's the single best activity for talking about how real fossils form, because it's literally the same process, sped up.
Full recipe: /activities/salt-dough-fossil-activity
04
Egg carton Stegosaurus
Cut a strip of four cups from a cardboard egg carton — that's your Stegosaurus body. Paint it. Glue triangular cardboard plates along the spine in a zigzag (the latest reconstruction has the plates staggered, not in pairs — fun fact to share). Add a small head on a pipe-cleaner neck. Total time: 30 minutes.
Pairs with: /dinosaurs/stegosaurus
05
Dinosaur footprint art
Trace the outline of your kid's foot on construction paper, then add a head, tail, and legs to turn the footprint into a dinosaur body. For older kids, make 'trace fossils' with paint — dip a small dinosaur toy's feet in poster paint and walk it across paper. Real paleontologists study trackways to figure out dinosaur speed and group behavior. Total time: 15 minutes.
Talk about: trackway sites like the Lark Quarry in Australia.
Pro tip
Pair each craft with a printable
Crafts plus printables is the move. Make the egg carton Stegosaurus while reading the Stegosaurus fact cards out loud. Bake salt dough fossils while doing the word search. The print material gives the craft context, and the craft turns the reading into something three-dimensional.
Our weekly expedition packs include both: ten print-ready pages of fact cards, scenes, puzzles, and a parent guide that suggests which crafts pair best with that week's dinosaur.
Start with a free pack
Make this weekend an expedition
Download the free Spinosaurus pack, pick a craft from this page, and you have a full Saturday morning planned.
No credit card required.