The holidays are in full swing, and if you have a family of dinosaur enthusiasts, nothing will keep them occupied quite like a slew of dinosaur themed crafts. Here are some of our favourites you can try. 
 

1. Handprint Triceratops

This super simple craft is great for all ages. Take some coloured card and get your kids to draw around their hands and cut them out. Then, taking some card of a different colour, get them to draw around their hands again but this time, cut the fingers off to leave a palm print. Stick the palm print over the handprint, then add eyes, a snout and horns to create a friendly Triceratops. 

2. Salt dough fossils

Salt dough fossils are an engaging activity that help children to understand the process of fossil formation. All you need is flour, salt and water to make the dough, plus some pictures of bones to use as inspiration for shaping the dough. Alternatively, break the dough into pieces and shape them like pebbles. You can then press a plastic dinosaur into each to create an imprint before baking them. 
 

3. Paper plate dinosaurs

Cutting a paper plate in half and using it as the body of a dinosaur is a great way to get kids to use their imagination. They can paint or colour the plate as they like, then add a head, legs and a tail made of coloured card - plus any extras they want like Ankylosaurus spikes or Stegosaurus plates. 
 

4. Dinosaur habitat (with a shoe box & plastic dinos)

The kids are bound to need new school shoes over the summer, and what better way to reuse the box than by creating a dinosaur habitat? Provide your kids with tissue paper, coloured card, foam and paints, and let them create a home for their dino toys. Get them to think about plants, water sources, rocks and more. 

5. Dinosaur eggs 

This craft needs some supervision, but is great fun and yields beautiful results. Half-fill a large rectangular container with water and add a few drops of coloured marbling inks. With the end of a paint brush, swirl the inks around to create a pattern, then carefully place a piece of paper on the surface so that the pattern transfers. Leave it to dry, then cut out an egg shape. 
 

6. Dinosaur wax resist painting

This easy craft is great for younger children to get involved in. Draw or print out a dinosaur on some A4 paper and get your kids to colour it using wax crayons. They can then take some watery paint and paint over the dinosaur to create a background of blue sky or green vegetation. The wax from the crayons will resist the paint, creating a fun and textured picture. 

Head out on a dinosaur adventure live

If you’re looking for a dinosaur adventure for the kids this summer, don’t miss Dinosaur World Live. This fantastic children’s theatre UK show introduces the whole family to a few of the most fascinating dinosaurs, from the enormous Giraffatitan to the tiny microraptor. It’s perfect for kids aged three and up, and is currently touring the UK. Search ‘dinosaur event near me’ and book tickets at your local theatre.