Get ready to embark on a paleontological adventure with DIY Salt Dough Dinosaur Fossils! Delve into the fascinating world of dinosaurs as you create your very own fossils using a simple salt dough recipe. This engaging craft project allows children to unleash their creativity while learning about the ancient creatures that once roamed the Earth. With just a few basic ingredients and a touch of imagination, you can transform your home into a prehistoric excavation site and discover the wonders of the past. So, grab your tools and let’s get ready to uncover the secrets of the dinosaurs with these DIY salt dough fossils!
Unearth Prehistoric Fun
Salt dough fossils are a fantastic hands-on activity that combines arts and crafts with a dash of scientific discovery. By molding and shaping the dough into fossil imprints, children can explore the process of fossilization and gain a deeper understanding of paleontology. This craft project not only encourages creativity and fine motor skills but also sparks their curiosity about Earth’s history and the creatures that once lived here.
WILL YOU TRY MAKING SALT DOUGH DINOSAUR FOSSILS WITH YOUR LITTLE ONE? Pin it for later!
Materials Needed DIY Dinosaur Fossils with Salt Dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup salt
- 1 cup water
- Mixing bowl
- Mixing spoon
- Rolling pin
- Dinosaur toy figures or plastic skeletons
- Optional: Paints, paintbrushes, and varnish for decorating the fossils
Salt Dough Recipe:
- In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt.
- Gradually add water while stirring until the mixture forms a dough-like consistency.
- Knead the dough with your hands until it becomes smooth and pliable. If the dough feels too dry, add a little more water; if it’s too sticky, add more flour.
- Break the dough into several small balls
- Roll out the dough balls on a flat surface using a rolling pin, to a thickness of about 1/4 inch.
- Press the dinosaur toy figures or plastic skeletons firmly into the dough to create imprints.
- Carefully remove the toys or skeletons, leaving behind the imprint of the dinosaur shapes.
- Use additional dough to create rock-like textures around the imprints, mimicking the appearance of fossils.
- Place the salt dough fossils on a baking sheet and bake them in a preheated oven at 200°F (93°C) for approximately 2 hours or until they are completely dry and hardened.
- Once the fossils have cooled, they can be painted and varnished for a more realistic and finished look. Let your creativity shine as you decorate your dinosaur fossils! Or you can use the in a fun sensory bin!
Dinosaur Fossil Sensory Bin
Creating your own salt dough fossils is a thrilling and educational activity that allows children to connect with the prehistoric world in a hands-on way. As they excavate their “fossils” and study the imprints left behind, they can let their imagination roam and envision the mighty dinosaurs that once inhabited the Earth. Encourage discussions about different dinosaur species, their habits, and the scientific process of fossilization. With each handmade fossil, your child becomes a little paleontologist, unraveling the mysteries of the past and uncovering the beauty of Earth’s history.
To create the dinosaur fossil sensory bin, add sand or kinetic sand to a sensory bin along with rocks, sticks and real or artificial leaves and dinosaur toys. Bury the salt dough dinosaur fossils in the sand and then invite your child to use a paint brush to uncover the bones like a real archeologist.
Toddler and Preschooler Curriculums, Books & TV Show!
Play2Learn Toddler & Preschool Programs for Curious Toddlers
There is no limit to your toddler’s energy and curiosity. That energy and curiosity although a joy can be challenging at times. Their interest in just about everything around them is what makes them great learners. One and two year olds can soak up so much just from their senses!
But as a teacher or parent that thirst for learning can be exhausting. That is why I created this toddler and preschooler program. To help you get the most out of this time with your curious toddler without having to come up with creative ways to play and interact with them.
Play2Learn for Toddlers includes 20 Units for toddlers. Each 2-week toddler unit has 20 super easy to set up and engaging activities for toddlers 18 months to 3 years.
Play2Learn Preschool which includes 20 Units for preschoolers. Each 2-week preschoolers unit has 20 unique and easy to set up and engaging activities for preschoolers 3 years to 5 years. That’s over 800 learning activities for your toddler and preschooler at your fingertips! So many ideas you and your child will never be bored again!
These toddler and preschool lesson plans and activities will definitely keep you and your toddler and preschooler busy playing and learning!
Click here for more information: Play2Learn
Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.
Book: Exciting Sensory Bins for Curious Kids
Did you know I wrote a book of sensory bins? Click here for more information Exciting Sensory Bin for Curious Kids. Or grab your copy at Amazon.
Boring afternoons are made exciting with awesome animal-based bins, like Salty Shark Bay or Yarn Farm. Pretend play bins like Birthday Cake Sensory Play or Bubble Tea Party encourage creativity and imagination. And your kids will have so much fun they won’t even know they’re getting smarter with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activities like Sink or Float Soup, Magnetic Letter Hunt or Ice Cream Scoop and Count.
Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.
Book: Super STEAM Activity Book for Kids
Learning all about science, technology, engineering, art, and math sets kids up for scholastic success―and it can be so much fun! Watch kids enjoy building STEAM skills as they color friendly fish, help water find its way to tree roots, solve math problems with mazes, and more.
Find out more and grab your copy here.
Designed for preschoolers 3 years old and up.
Book: Big Book of Riddles for Kids
Riddle me this: What’s an exciting way to practice critical thinking while having a blast? The Big Riddle Book for Kids, of course! From hilarious puns to tough brain teasers, kids can build problem-solving skills with hundreds of riddles that show them how to think outside the box.
- 350 riddles for kids—Have hours of fun with riddles, puns and jokes, and math and logic puzzles that’ll get their wheels turning!
- Level up their skills—Riddles get trickier as kids progress through the book, challenging them as they get better at solving puzzles!
- Double-check their work—Kids can check their answers in the back of the book with a handy answer key.
Help children expand their minds while having fun with this puzzle book for kids!
Designed for kids ages 6 years old and up.
TV Show: Curious Crafting
I’m so excited to share my crafting TV show Curious Crafting which launched in July 2022 on TVOkids and TVOkids YouTube! Season 2 airs in the summer of 2023! We were also nominated in 2023 for Best Live Action Preschool Series by the Youth Media Alliance Awards of Excellence.
Set in the ultimate crafting space, Curious Crafting is a short form pre-school age series about the joy of making crafts. I lead a rotating cast of adorable little preschoolers (including my own) making magic out of common household objects.
In each episode we transform recycled items into magical crafts like a milk carton school bus, paper bag puppet or cotton pad turtle. The crafters learn and laugh their way through each activity while demonstrating what their young imaginations can create.
Curious Crafting shares the adventure and joy of making art with takeaway lessons for creating crafts at home.
This show designed for toddlers and preschoolers 2.5 years old and up.
WILL YOU TRY MAKING SALT DOUGH DINOSAUR FOSSILS WITH YOUR LITTLE ONE? Pin it for later!
