Dinosuar Excavation for Kids
Hey friends…check out this fun idea! Last week, Heather Smith emailed me and asked if she could share this fun activity with you and I thought you’d enjoy! Here she is…
On a sweltering summer day when kids are bored and tempers running as high as the temperature, don’t you wish you had some fun outdoor activity that could keep the kids entertained and also teach them some kind of lesson? Well, if that has ever been a problem for you, then here is the perfect, easy activity.
A dinosaur excavation, complete with archeology, geology, paleontology, erosion theory, and any other ology you’d care to throw in. Not only can you cover many lessons at once, but kids can learn the value of patience, strategy, and cooperation with this fun activity.
For parents that are just looking for an easy, fun activity, I included a simple version.
What you need:
· Water
· Plastic container that will fit in your freezer
· Food coloring
· Plastic dinosaurs and other animals
· Leaves/plants (plastic or real)
· Spoons or butter knives
· A water hose or bucket of water
· Notebooks and pencils
· A dinosaur guide
· A geology guide
Creation (full version):
1. Using a plastic container that will fit in your freezer, fill one quarter full of water. To the water add a dark food coloring. You will be creating four gradual layers, so it is up to you whether to use one color and gradate it, or use multiple colors. The bottom layer should be the darkest color. If you choose to do more than four layers, plan accordingly.
2. Using your dinosaur guide and geology guide, put the oldest dinosaurs in the bottom layer, along with representative food sources. Let sit in freezer until hardened.
3. Continue to layer the colored water and dinosaurs according to the guides. When the top layer is finished, if desired you can add a thin layer of clear water with cows, etc, to represent the modern day.
4. Once solidly frozen, remove the ice from the container outside, somewhere that will not be stained by the food coloring.
5. Have the kids use the spoons and water to excavate the dinosaurs, keeping a log of their findings. Have them look up what each dinosaur is called, what they ate, and when they lived. They can also make notes on which worked best, the water (through erosion) or the spoons.
Easy version:
1. Using a plastic container that will fit in your freezer, fill full of water.
2. Add plastic dinosaurs and blue dye if desired.
3. Once frozen, remove from bucket outside.
4. Have children excavate the dinosaurs using water and spoons.
This activity is fun for all ages, from tots to preteens. No matter what kind of kid you have, they will love getting outside and digging up their own dinosaurs. Remember to have fun and keep cool this summer with easy learning activities that everyone can enjoy.
Author Bio
Heather Smith is an ex-nanny. Passionate about thought leadership and writing, Heather regularly contributes to various career, social media, public relations, branding, and parenting blogs/websites. She also provides value to nanny service by giving advice on site design as well as the features and functionality to provide more and more value to nannies and families across the U.S. and Canada. She can be available at H.smith7295 [at] gmail.com.
That’s a really good idea. I love that you could do it with pretty much any plastic toys too!
– Adele @ Mammy Made