Stay Home Summer Camp 2020 Archives: Dinosaur Camp!

Mamas Facing Forward Stay Home Summer Camp was a project I developed during the isolated summer of 2020. For each theme I provide a menu of options to choose from, including: virtual learning resources, easy craft & snack ideas, simple activities, books, and movies/TV.
Trust me, whether you do it for a full week or just for a day, there’s something magical about doing a bunch of activities that all share the same theme. In fact, even though my kids will be traveling and attending regular summer camp this year, they’ve also requested some Stay Home Camp – so stay tuned for a couple of new themes!! I’ve also added “field trip ideas” to themes from past years as well.
I hope these ideas will provide your family with a little fun – while at the same time making summer a bit easier for you!!
Love, Mariah

DINOSAUR CAMP!

Below you’ll find a menu of ideas for learning, crafts, activities, books, and things to watch that all focus on dinosaurs. I’ve tried to keep ideas pretty simple and make use of items you may already have – while also making it fun for the kids! I’ve also included a free printable you can hang up at home while you work on this theme.

Download

NEW! Field Trip Ideas:

To local playground with dinosaur features
- COLORADO: Dinosaur Ridge; Wind’s Rec Center; Denver Premium Outlets; East Boulder Community Park; McWilliams Park; a list of other Colorado dinosaur parks
To the natural history museum (is there an IMAX showing about dinosaurs??)
To the pool or beach or creek with dinosaur toys
To the library to get more books about dinosaurs

Things To Learn:

How to draw (Source: Art for Kids Hub)
- Allosaurus
- Stegosaurus
- Triceratops
- Dilophosaurus
- Pterodactyl

Explore together online
- American Museum of Natural History
  - Dinosaur Facts
  - What is a Dinosaur
- Brain POP Arts & Music (If your school does not provide you with a BrainPOP account already, you can request free access during school closures)
  - Dinosaurs
  - Extinction
  - Fossils
- PBS Kids Dinosaur Games
- Science Kids: Fossil Pictures

Things To Make:

Dinosaur Masks
- Recommended materials: paper, printer, something to color with optional
- Free printable: itsy bitsy fun

Fossil Pasta Picture
- Recommended materials: paper, dry pasta, glue
- Instructions: Love & Lollipops

Handprint Dinosaurs
- Recommended materials: paper, paint
- Instructions: Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls

Paper Plate Dinosaurs
- Recommended materials: paper plates, colored paper, scissors, paint
- Instructions & free printable: Learn with Play at Home

Pterodactyl Flying Puppets
- Recommended materials: string, hole punch, scissors, tape, printer
- Instructions & free printable: The Craft Train

Tissue Box Dinosaur Feet
- Recommended materials: wide tissue boxes, duct tape, paint, glue
- Instructions: A Bird and a Bean
- (If you don’t have the right tissue boxes, here are some instructions from Red Ted Art that just uses cardboard)

Things To Do:

Dinosaur Bones Made of Twigs
- Recommended materials: sticks
- Instructions: Kiddominds

Dinosaur Fossil Stomp
- Recommended materials: dinosaur toys, playdough
- Instructions: Roll out some playdough and then let dinosaurs “walk” across the dough – see what kind of footprints they make! You could also try doing something similar with paper and paint.

Dinosaur Stand Up Show
- Free printable: The Craft Train
- Instructions: Print out the dinosaur joke cards and have the kids take turns reading them. See if you can guess the punchline or have a contest to try not to laugh! Then maybe mail the jokes to a friend!

Hatching Frozen Dinosaur Eggs
- Recommended materials: balloons, mini dinosaur figures (or you can just use colored water)
- Instructions: Little Bins for Little Hands