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!)
Originally posted in September 2017, updated in March 2020.
This was such an inspiration for my 5yr olds birthday party! Thanks for all the great ideas.
Oh good, I”m so happy to hear this! My little guy is obsessed with dinosaurs, so this was the perfect party for him. 🙂
Thank you, dinosaur salt dough idea was so much fun for our kids, we made great fossils and the activity take us as least 30 min that’s is already a big deal to have them entertained!
I was super dinosaur fan when I was a kid and now my kids are in return, we have all fun even the big ones!
Thanks Laura!
Awesome, I’m so glad you and your kids loved this activity! I have to admit I had a lot of fun with these too. They’re pretty addicting to make!
About how many “fossils” can you make from one batch? I am trying to figure out if I need to double it for my 12 preschoolers. Thank you!
Great question Natasha! I wish I could remember if I doubled this batch or not. I would double it to be on the safe side. If your preschoolers are anything like my kids, they will LOVE making these and will want to make as many as possible!
About how many ‘fossils’ did this recipe make? I’m looking to do this with my pre-k class and was wondering how much I need to actually get.
Great question Angela! I wish I could remember exactly how many the recipe made. It’s always better to have too much than not enough though, and luckily the ingredients are very inexpensive for this. If you use a Kitchen Aid it’s just as easy to make a bigger batch too. Good luck!