Dinosaur Fossil Dig Activity

By Kayla • April 3, 2018

The preschool kiddos at All About Children childcare center recently completed "Dinosaur Week" and learned a lot!

They started by discussing dinosaur basics - the difference between plant eaters and meat eaters, the difference in the length of their necks and shape of their teeth, their size, the fact that they are extinct (most of the kids didn't fully understand and said they "stink"!), etc.

Then, to give the kids a hands-on/visual demonstration of just how big dinosaurs were, they were given two lengths of string that had been cut to the size of a Tyrannosaurus Rex (i.e. height and length) and were invited to stretch them out across the classroom/hallway.

To wrap up the day, the kiddos went on a fossil dig!

Materials

plastic tubs

oatmeal

sand

lentils

dinosaur skeletons

Fill the tubs with a mixture of oatmeal, sand, and lentils, hiding the dinosaur pieces within the mixture. You'll want enough tubs so that your students can work in groups of two or three.

Completing the Activity

Explain how important fossils are to our understanding of dinosaurs and, providing students with paint brushes, invite them to carefully sift through the material in order to unearth the fossils.

After the kiddos have unearthed the fossils, have them examine the pieces and observe how finding fossils is similar to finding the pieces of a puzzle.

About the Author

Kayla Johnson headshot

Kayla Johnson

Kayla is a creative homeschool mom and co-owner of SupplyMe. She's passionate about teaching her kids through hands-on learning and faith-based education. Whether she's crafting with her kids or planning lessons, she loves inspiring others to make learning meaningful and fun. Read more about Kayla →

👉 Check out a couple of my favorite articles:

Customer Reviews

Be the first to write a review
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)

Disclaimer: The content on this page is for informational purposes only and reflects my personal experience and opinions. I’m not a financial advisor, and this is not financial advice. Please do your own research and consult with a qualified professional before making financial decisions. Some of the links on this page are affiliate or referral links, which means I may earn a commission or bonus if you use them. There’s no extra cost to you—and it’s a great way to support the site if you find the content helpful.