Dinosaur Dig

Youngsters from 4-8 typically love dinosaurs and will enjoy learning about what real paleontologists do. 

Set Up: You’ll need to get lots of plastic dinosaurs. If you’d like to make it an educational party, you should read up on the names of some of the most common creatures, and be ready to give a little lesson on them. Before the party you should bury several dinos in a sandbox or wading pool filled with dirt. Hide enough that each guest will be able to find 3 or 4. You’ll also want to provide some large spoons or small shovels to dig with.  

Arrival: Have someone greet each child and tell him or her, about what paleontologists and geologists do. Let them know they will get a prize if they can remember those big words until the end of the party. 

Main Event: If you do a mini-lesson, you’ll be surprised at how quickly the kids learn the complicated names for the dinosaurs. Hold up a plastic model of each animal as you talk, to will keep the kids listening. A fun game to get started would be “Pin the Horn on the Triceratops” or “Pin the Armour on the Stegosaurus.” You can make this by enlarging a coloring book picture on a piece of poster board. Kids enjoy being blindfolded and trying to get the part in the right place. Next, let them dig for the buried dinosaurs. Keep reminding them about real paleontologists, and geologists and how they work. There are lots of good videos on this subject for kids you could use as well. 

Refreshments: There are many kinds of dinosaur fruit snacks and cookies you can buy for treats, or use them to decorate a cake. Don’t forget to award prizes for those who learned the words for the day.