Dinosaurs, Legos and playdough were battling for favorite toy in our house. So getting two of them into one activity was a major win.
Kids press toy dinosaurs into playdough to make fossil prints, then match footprints and explore which dinosaurs had armor.
How to Make Playdough Dinosaur Fossils
Dinosaur Building Brick Mats
Get the printablePlastic dinosaurs
View on AmazonPlaydough
A tray
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Flatten the dough
Roll or press playdough flat on a tray.
Make prints
Press dinosaur feet, tails and bodies into the dough.
Match them
Make prints, mix up the dinosaurs and have kids match each print to its dinosaur.
Explore
Look at the textures. Which dinosaurs had armor or spikes?
Ways to Play
- Footprint match: Which dinosaur made this track?
- Armor hunt: My son loved the stegosaurus plates so much he made his own. Talk about which dinosaurs had armor and how others protected themselves.
- Make it last: Use salt dough and bake the fossils, like our dinosaur dig kit.
- Need dough? Try our easy playdough recipe.
More dinosaur activities
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Practice visual skills with our dinosaur I spy game.
Dinosaur printables include
- Hands-on dinosaur activities
- Picture-based directions
- Instant PDF download, nothing is shipped
Perfect for
- Dinosaur units
- Preschool and kindergarten
- Centers and brain breaks
Playdough Fossils FAQ
Press toy dinosaurs, feet and tails into flattened playdough to make prints.
Use salt dough and bake it, or let air-dry clay harden.
Matching, fine motor strength and early science.
About 2 to 6.
More Dinosaur Activities
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From families like yours
Did you try it? Tell us how it went!
We love seeing these activities out in the wild: the lumpy letters, the snack breaks, the proud “I made a B!” moments. Leave a star rating, tell other parents what worked (and what totally didn’t), and add a photo of your setup if you’d like.
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