Have you got a little dinosaur fan running around at home? Learn how to make your own Salt Dough Dinosaur Fossils and use them for some easy STEM activities. This dinosaur fossil activity is a fun and easy play idea for toddler, preschool and kindergarten classrooms.
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More Dinosaur Play Ideas for Kids
A Dinosaur unit is always a huge hit with young children. Here are some of my most popular dinosaur themed activities for toddlers, preschoolers and kindergarteners.
- Paper Plate Dinosaur Craft
- Dinosaur Sensory Bin
- Dinosaur Books for Kids
- Dinosaur Sensory Bin
- dinosaur stickers matching game
- Paper plate Dinosaur number match
- Toilet Roll Dinosaurs
- Hatch a Baking Soda Dinosaur Egg
- …
For more ideas, visit 15 Dinosaur Crafts
Materials Needed
- Small toy dinosaurs
- 1/2 Cup salt
- 1/2 Cup warm water
- 1 Cup Flour
- Rolling Pin
- Large mixing bowl
- Baking tray
- Circle cookie cutter
- Parchment paper
How to make Salt Dough Dinosaur Fossils
Step 1. Make the salt dough
Combine salt and flour in a large bowl, then add in the warm water.
I like to boil the water in the kettle before adding it to the dry ingredients. The hot water helps the salt to dissolve a bit and helps the dough forms a more smooth consistency.
Mix together these simple ingredients until they form a dough-like consistency.
2. Make the dinosaur fossils
Tip the dough onto the kitchen counter and flatten to about an inch thickness. You can use a circle cookie cutter, or just the end of a large cup to cut out circles from the dough.
Alternatively, you can just take small fistfuls of dough, roll them into balls and flatten them with your hand. If you are doing this fun dinosaur activity with your kids, then this second method may be the best option.
Finally, press the side of your small dinosaur toys into the center of each of the salt dough circles. Feel free to roll the toys around a tiny bit so that the imprint is incredibly clear.
3. Bake
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
Line a cookie sheet with baking paper and place the fossils on top. Then bake in the oven for about an hour.
Every now and then, turn each of the ornaments over to help them to dry faster. Thicker fossils will take longer to dry, so be sure to watch them.
Let the fossils cool down before playing or painting.
Enjoy playing.
How to Play with your DIY Dinosaur Fossils
There are a few different ways to play with your own dinosaur fossils, each of which teach your little paleontologists something different.
Dinosaur Dig
Hide the dried fossils in a tub filled with your choice of sensory bin filler. If you have a sandbox at home, then that would be perfect for this dinosaur STEM and sensory activity.
Use some yarn and sticks to create a grid pattern over your sandbox then let your kids dig up the fossils just like a real dinosaur excavation.
If you’re going to go this route, then you can experiment with different types of fossils. I’ve explained how to make a cast fossil, but you can also make body fossils (the actual bone shape) and hide the bone fossils in the sand instead.
Matching Imprints
Use the plastic dinosaur toys and the matching mold fossil to make a matching game.
When you are making imprints, you can choose to make an impression of the entire dinosaur, or just the dinosaur feet (to make footprints). Either way will work for a fun matching activity.
Dinosaur Eggs
Use this simple salt dough recipe to make dinosaur eggs. Wrap each of the dinosaur figurines in salt dough until the toy is completely covered. Then let the small balls dry until hard, which can take up to a couple of weeks.
Once the eggs are hard, then let the kids open them with a hammer, to discover which of their favorite dinosaurs is hiding inside.
FAQ’s
How do you make a dinosaur fossil without baking it?
If you don’t want to bake your homemade fossils then you can leave the salt dough fossils out at room temperature for a few days. Over time they will dry out and harden. Of course the amount of time it takes for the dinosaur impressions to dry will depend on the time of the year. It’ll take longer in winter than it will in summer.
Can you make dinosaur fossil prints on playdough?
You can definitely make dinosaur fossils for kids out of playdough. After you make your DIY fossils, bake them in the oven for at least 5 minutes until they harden. If you don’t have any ingredients for salt dough available, or you have old playdough that is on its way out. Then this is a great alternative.
How do you paint salt dough fossils?
Once your fossils are dry and hard, you can paint them with acrylic paint. This is a fun way for kids of all ages to get creative. Or you can choose to just paint the imprints left in the salt dough. This will make it easier to see the impressions left behind by the plastic dinosaur.
Are you going to make Salt Dough Dinosaur Fossils with your kids?
Don’t forget to Pin the idea for later.
Salt Dough Dinosaur Fossils
Learn how to make homemade dinosaur fossils out of salt dough and use them for STEM activities, sensory play and more.
Materials
- 1 cup of plain flour
- ½ cup salt
- ½ cup of warm water
- Toy dinosaurs
- Large mixing bowl
- Baking tray
- Circle cookie cutter
- Parchment paper
- Rolling pin
Instructions
- Combine the salt, flour and water in a large bowl
- Mix until your form a dough-like consistency.
- Roll the dough into 1 inch thickness
- Use a circle cookie cutter to make circlular cut outs.
- Press the dinosaur toys into the middle of each circle.
- Place the fossils onto a lines baking tray.
- Preheat oven to 200 degreed F.
- Bake the fossils for 1 hour.
Recommended Products
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Dinosaur Fossil Digging Kit for Kids, Dinosaur Eggs Excavation Kit, Dino Fossil Dig Kit, Great STEM Science Kit Gifts
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NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Mega Fossil Dig Kit – Excavate 15 Prehistoric Fossils Including Dinosaur Bones & Shark Teeth, Educational Toys, Great Gift for Girls and Boys, an AMAZON EXCLUSIVE Science Kit
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Bedwina Dinosaur Fossil Skeleton (24 Pieces) Assorted Figures Dino Bones, 3.7 Inch - for Science Play, Dino Sand Dig, Party Favor, Decorations and Stocking Stuffer