It’s Jurassic Week here at Ivy League Kids Summer Camp! That means, we’re learning about different types of dinosaurs and making dino-themed crafts. Our campers love dinosaurs and we know your child will love to make their own as well!
Paper plate dinosaurs can entertain your child for a while, as there’s painting, cutting, gluing and playing involved with the craft. They’re also great teaching tools as you can learn and explore the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods during and after your child creates their dino.
Dinosaurs you can make:
- Diplodocus longus – one of the most common sauropods native to North America, this long-neck dinosaurs is one of the most recognizable.
- Tyrannosaurus – knows as the “T-Rex,” the king of all dinosaurs is one of the most popular seen in movies and in museums.
- Triceratops – the iconic three-horned dinosaur is a favorite of all kids and was one of the last dinosaurs to exist in North America.
- Stegosaurus – this spikey behemoth was the size of a bus but had a brain the size and shape of a hot dog!
- Pterodactyl – the name actually refers to the larger grouping of flying dinosaurs that are among the longest-surviving dinosaurs.
Supplies:
- Paper plates
- Colored heavy stock paper
- Scissors and a hole punch
- Items to decorate your paper plates with
- Paint/markers/crayons/colored pencils
- Stickers
- StampsDiplodocus.pdf
- Googly eyes
- Glitter
- Glue or tape
How to make your Paper Plate Dinosaurs:
- Print off your template from The Craft Train:
- Cut the paper plates in half. You’ll need half as many plates as you want dinosaurs.
- Decorate your plates. Use paint and sponges, markers, crayons, colored pencils or any other craft supplies your child wants to use on their dinosaur.
- Cut out the template for the dinosaur you want to make. Use whatever color paper best matches the dino you’re creating!
- Use a hole punch to create an eye for your dinosaur, or glue googly eyes for a goofy-looking prehistoric creature!
- Glue or tape the paper cutouts to the paper plate to assemble your dino!
Take a journey back in time
Now that you have created your dinosaur, take an adventure back into the Jurassic or Cretaceous Period. Lay out some vegetables for your child to “feed” to your dinosaur (if it’s an herbivore), or maybe bites of meat for the T-Rex.
If you’d like to teach your child more about the dinosaur(s) they created, Live Science provides great information about each species that you and your child can read together, or that you can use to read facts to them.
Share your paper plate dinosaur with us on Facebook or Instagram using #ivyleaguekids!