Fossil Dough

Make sure your little one doesn't try to eat this unique dough!  It smells delicious (if you like coffee)!!

Supplies:

Fossil dough

-1/2 cup salt

-1.5 cups flour

-1/8 cup sand

-1/2 cup cold coffee

-1 cup coffee grounds (used)

(Mix all ingredients until smooth)

Shells, sticks, bones, etc.

1)  After making the "fossil" dough, roll it out.  Make imprints with various objects (shells, sticks, etc.).

2)  Fold up the dough and start over...or allow to air dry.

If you keep the dough, store it in an air-tight container!

"Dinosaur" Excavation for Kids

Try out your paleontology skills with this activity! 

Supplies:

Books about dinosaurs/paleontologists

Chicken bones

Container of sand

Tweezers (if desired)

Paint brush

1)  Read a book like Digging Up Dinosaurs (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2) to build background knowledge before you begin.

2)  Wash the chicken bones.  Allow to dry out for a day or so.

3)  Bury the bones in the sand.  "Excavate" the bones.  Use tweezers for an extra boost in fine-motor development!

4)  Dust the bones with a paintbrush!

This activity was perfectly-suited for my little one (she buried the bones over and over again), but I also used a Science Kit with my older daughters to excavate and build a model dinosaur!

Dinosaur Snacks: A Yummy (and Icky) Treat!

I found this idea in an issue of the Mailbox magazine from, umm...1992!! 

These dino snacks are a fun treat!  My girls ate this up (literally and figuratively).  They really believed I was mixing up these "dinosaur" ingredients!!  Make sure to say things like "Let's mix the dirt in with the crushed bones!"  Your kiddos will love it! 

Ingredients
4 tablespoons cocoa (DIRT)
2 cups sugar (CRUSHED BONES)
1 stick margarine or butter (FAT)
1/2 cup milk colored with green food coloring (SWAMP WATER)
1 cup peanut butter (DEAD BUGS)
3 cups oatmeal (DRIED GRASS)

1)  Boil DIRT, CRUSHED BONES, FAT, and SWAMP WATER.  Let boil for 1 minute.  Add DEAD BUGS and DEAD GRASS.  Stir.

2)  Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper.  Allow to cool. 


Yes, these are just no-bake cookies, so you can substitute your favorite recipe!

Paper Plate Dinosaur

Welcome to our Dinosaur theme!  Our very first project is a simple paper plate craft!

Supplies:

Paper plate

Scissors

Pencil

Paint

Glue or tape

Paper scraps (for eyes and teeth)

1)  Draw a line across a paper plate.  Free-hand a tail, legs, and head!  Cut out the pieces.

1)  Paint the body, head, feet, and tail.

3)  Tape and/or glue the parts to the body.

4)  Glue on an eye.  Add pointy teeth (if desired).

We have extremely colorful dinosaurs!