Update June 1, 2020 for our new At-Home Summer Camp series
Dinosaur Fossils for Kids: A DIY With Salt Dough
Dinosaur fossils for kids are the best activity we've done in a while. You get to play with salt dough, dinosaur toys, AND make a cool craft that you can hide and dig up later.
What's NOT to love!?
Dinosaur Fossils DIY Supply List
This is SUCH an easy one you guys!
- A great whole wheat salt dough recipe {see recipe below}
- Toy dinosaurs: Amazon & Dollar Tree {big and small}
- Dinosaur Skeletons: Oriental Trading
- Cookie sheet: Amazon {I used a Silicone liner but it's not necessary}
Dinosaur Fossils for Kids Made EASY
Step 1: Roll Salt Dough Into Balls
Roll your dough into balls the size of a ping pong ball.
Step 2: Flatten Dough
Flatten with the palm of your hand to create a cookie shape.
Step 3: Imprint Dinosaur Fossils
Use your dinosaur toys to create impressions in the dough and see which ones you like best.
My favorite are these dino feet but the T-Rex head and Brontosaurus neck turned out pretty well too.
Step 4: Bake Dinosaur Fossils
Bake on cookie sheet at 250 degrees for 2 hours or until dry and hard. The color will lighten as they bake.
Dinosaur Skin Fossils {or any other part!}
You'll want to look for a toy with some texture for a dinosaur skin fossil to work but I love how this Tyrannosaurus Rex toy imprint turned out.
Enjoy Your Fossils
These dinosaur fossils are easy enough as an activity in and of themselves. But even better when incorporated into a dinosaur dig site where budding Paleontologists can try their hand at prehistoric discovery.
This is the perfect activity for a summer camp, dinosaur birthday party, or class activity at school. Although you won't have time to bake and use salt dough fossils for a dig the same day.
If you try these Dinosaur Fossils, let me know! I'd love to see how they turn out. Tag us @partieswithacause on Facebook and Instagram so we can celebrate with you!
Just remember, when kids are involved…your definition of “perfect” has to be fluid! Much of the joy is found in the journey!
Bri – Parties With A Cause
This recovering perfectionist momma is slowly figuring that out!
Whole Wheat Salt Dough Dinosaur Fossils
Equipment
- Cookie Sheet
- Silicone Baking Mat
- Optional: Kitchen Aid Mixer
Materials
- 2 cups Whole wheat flour
- 1 cup Table salt
- 3/4 cup Warm water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees
- Mix together flour, salt, and warm water with a wooden spoon {Kitchen aid mixer can also be used}
- Add a little more water if dough is crumbly
- Use hands to knead remaining flour until it's nice and smooth
- Roll into balls roughly the size of a ping pong ball
- Flatten with the palm of your hand to create a nice little dough "cookie"
- Use dinosaur toys to create imprints of skin, feet, and skeletons. Experiment with various toys to see which you like best.
- Lay out on baking sheet and place in oven at 250 degrees for 2 hours or until firm and dry
Notes
Summer Camp Activities: Week 1
Make these fossils while enjoying an at-home summer camp to keep your kids busy most of the summer! We've got 6 weeks worth of crafts, activities, snack ideas, exercise recommendations, books suggestions, and even themed tv show and movie ideas.
It's DINOSAUR Week!
After you make a few Dinosaur fossils you've got to try this Dinosaur Drool recipe from Jordan's Easy Entertaining! Eeeew gross!! Your little ones will LOVE this!
Join us each week for NEW summer camp ideas! Get a whole weeks worth of activity ideas sent straight to your inbox each Friday. Sign up here and receive a free printable Summer Adventure Field Guide!
Up next…..SPACE WEEK
Pin it for Later
Additional Dinosaur Activity Ideas
- Dino Dig Party Activity
- DIY Dinosaur Egg Piñata
- Dino Drool Clear Slime Recipe
- 21+ Dinosaur Crafts For Kids
Additional Dinosaur Food Ideas
- Dinosaur Pasta Recipe For Kids
- Prehistoric Dinosaur Food Ideas
- Dinosaur Cookies Edible Fossils {coming soon}
From the SHOP
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Dinosaur Rawr Party Welcome Sign$3.79 -
Dinosaur Rawr Party-saurus Birthday Party Invitation$11.39
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Dinosaur Fossil DIY Table Runner$3.79
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Dinosaur party welcome sign$3.79
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Dinosaur Party Food Tent Cards$4.39
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Dinosaur Party Activity – Dig Site Tool Kit Labels$7.39
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VALUE Bundle: Party-saurus Dinosaur Party Decor$24.42
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Dinosaur Prehistoric Birthday Invitation$11.39
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VALUE Bundle: Prehistoric Dinosaur Birthday Decor$24.42
Fun! That dough recipe is good for so many uses.
It is! You really could make anything. Love the idea of making Christmas ornaments with it. Might have to try that this year for the “kid” tree.
This is too fun!! I’m having a Dino Dig party for my sweet boy’s 5th birthday! Would it be possible to make the dough ahead of time? I’m not sure making the dough during the party would work out! But maybe that’s the only way?
It’s totally possible to make the dough ahead of time as long as you keep it covered and in the fridge. The only down side is that they won’ t be ready for the kids to hide or take home since they have to bake for so long. But if you want to bake them for a little while during the remainder of the party- at least they’ll hold their shape as they get carried home.
What a super cute idea! My kids would love doing this!
We had a great time making, then hiding, then finding them. Hours of fun here too!
These are so fun! I bet the kids loved this activity!
What a fabulous DIY! They really do look like fossils!
Om so these look so so good!!! I need to make some for me!!
Oh Bri!! These are so cute!! My boys would have adored these when they were little!!
Love this interactive activity to do with the kids! Putting this on my list of great activities for the next rainy summer day with the kids! Thanks, Bri!
Oh my god Bri! Thank you for sharing this diy ! I need to try these with my boys ??
Omg! These dinosaur fossils are such a fun idea! My daughter and I were just talking about dinosaurs a couple days ago.
Very cute, would be great for a Jurassic Park party!
This is such a perfect activity for kids. It’s fun that they can make the impression and then you can bury it and have them dig it up. There are so many possibilities with this…make a magnet, ornaments, wall art, etc…Pinned.
Wow! These are seriously so cool! My nephew loved dinosaurs when he was younger and would have gotten a kick out of these! Great project!
Cute idea! I bet your son and his friends will have a great time with these!
Can these be made with regular white flour?
They absolutely can! Play around with the water. You might not need quite as much.
This is such a FUN idea!! My son would have loved this for his dinosaur party! I bet your son and his friends had a blast!
What a cute idea! This is great for a kid’s party activity or just to put in their goodie bag. I really like the one with the dinosaur’s profile and paw imprint, it looks frozen in time. Love it!
These are too cute, Bri, and I’m sure your son and friends will have a blast at his dinosaur party!
These look like so much fun! Haha yes when doing stuff with kids you just have to roll with it sometimes. Looking forward to see his dinosaur party!
What fun the kids are going to have. From making the fossils to digging them up it is sure to be a blast.
I appreciate what you said about perfection having to be fluid where kids are involved. I am a retired elementary librarian. Always wanted to do some kind of ‘dig’ in the library when my students studied dinos. I am thinking these would be perfect for the kids to dig up. Maybe just in a plastic bin filled with sand or dirt. The kids could uncover them, use ‘tools’ to clean up the fossils and then match the head fossil with the footprint for that dino. Now to get myself hired somewhere as a sub librarian where I can put my idea into action!! Pinning for that day!
I bet these are going to be a huge hit! What a fun birthday party theme. Pinned.
Bri, how very clever and cute! My sons would have LOVED this when they were little. I still have saved all their dinosaurs. Filing this in my When I Have Grandkids board.
What a fun DIY. My kindergarten kids would love this too!!