How to Make Dinosaur Fossils for Kids {From Salt Dough!}

Make DIY dinosaur fossils with your toddler, preschooler, or school age kids! This easy dinosaur craft lets kids make dinosaur “fossils” from a simple salt dough recipe with a little twist to make them look old. 

My kids, like most, have always had a thing for dinosaurs. Who can blame them?

I can almost guarantee that these DIY dinosaur fossils made with salt dough will be a hit with your little ones too!

DIY DINOSAUR FOSSILS

I made these dinosaur fossils for kids for my son’s dinosaur birthday party and the kids LOVED them!

We had a big dinosaur dig and I hid toy dinosaurs, dinosaur eggs, and these DIY dinosaur fossils.

These dinosaur fossils are double the fun. My kids got to help make the salt dough fossils and then get to dig for them.

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DINOSAUR FOSSILS FOR KIDS

DINOSAUR CRAFT SUPPLIES

• 2 cups flour (I used wheat flour to make a darker dough that looked more natural)
• 1 cup salt
• 1/2 cup warm water
• Plastic dinosaurs 
• Plastic dinosaur skeletons

HOW TO MAKE DINOSAUR FOSSILS

Step 1.  Mix the flour, salt, and warm water together to make the salt dough.  I use my Kitchen Aid to mix, but you could also use a wooden spoon.

Make a small ball of dough, then press it flat with the palm of your hand.

Step 2.  Gently press a dinosaur skeleton toy into the dough.

Gently lift the toy up to reveal a cool impression!

Dinosaur feet work great too!

Repeat with the plastic dinosaur toys for another cool look!

Let your kids get creative!

My daughter wanted to add a leaf to hers so she pressed it in and left it for baking.

She also made a dinosaur nest with little dino eggs. Too cute!

Step 3.  Line up all your “fossils” on a baking sheet and bake on 250 degrees for 1-2 hours.  Remove once they are hard.

Aren’t these DIY dinosaur fossils so cool?!

I love how each one is different and unique.  It also helps the kids find their specific dinosaur fossils that they made.

Trust me, you might not know whose is whose, but they will find and claim theirs!

Now it’s time to play! Kids of all ages will love making this fun dinosaur craft, then burying each one into the dirt or sand and uncovering it, just like a real paleontologist.Hope you and your kids have a roar-ing good time making these dinosaur fossils!

MORE FAVORITE DINOSAUR IDEAS:

How to Make a Dinosaur Dig Cake (and amazing chocolate cake recipe!)

How to Make Breakable DIY Dinosaur Eggs (with a surprise inside!)

DIY Dinosaur Dig Activity

Dinosaur Snack Mix Recipe

Originally posted in September 2017, updated in March 2020.