Dinosaur Footprints | Activities

Where will YOUR dinosaur go?

This activity is very easy to set up. All you need to do is grab some plastic dinosaurs (or other animals), paint, a few sheets of paper and a paper plate. Set up an area that can get messy and place a couple of pieces of paper down for your kiddo to make the prints on. Add paint to a paper plate and then drop a dino’s feet in the paint. Then have the dinosaur “walk” across the paper to add their footprints to the page. If you have other dinosaurs or animals, try each one to see if your kiddo can spot the difference in the tracks! Through this activity with it's simplicity, you child is going to add to there scene of self. Most toddlers enter that "I do it myself" phase and this is a great way to help your child understand that they can do it them-self and they are capable in creating something all their own.

🎨Messy Alert! This activity uses paint, so set up your environment to avoid a big mess. Lay down a sheet to protect surfaces and don’t have your child wear their favorite outfit.

📚 Books to explore: Lift-the-Flap Questions And Answers About Dinosaurs by Katie Daynes, If You Happen to Have a Dinosaur by Linda Bailey, and Tiny T. Rex and the Impossible Hug by Jonathan Stulzman.

🤔 Decisions, decisions. Let your kiddo be the one to take control of this activity by making their own decisions — it will be a huge confidence boost.

Materials

For this activity you will need:

White paper

Paint (any color)

Paper plate

Plastic dinosaurs

Messy mat or sheet

Learning Outcomes

Domain

Emotional

Skills

Sense of self

Indicators:

Seeing self as “doer” who is powerful

Instructions

Step 1:

Lay down a messy mat or sheet to protect your table or floor.

Step 2:

Pour out some paint on a paper plate.

Step 3:

Lay out a piece of paper.

Step 4:

Dip a plastic dinosaur’s feet in the paint and then press them into the paper.

Step 5:

Repeat with different paint colors or dinosaurs.

⬆️ For preschoolers: Encourage your older kiddos to make patterns and get more creative with the prints. You can also challenge them to identify which dinosaur the prints came from if you are using multiple toys.

⬇️ For younger toddlers: Some kiddos might need some hand over hand to complete the activity. Also, be extra attentive to make sure they don’t put any paint in their mouths.