Dinosaurs are a forever-favorite for toddlers and preschoolers. And while the internet is overflowing with dino-themed crafts and Pinterest-perfect worksheets, you don’t need hundreds of themed printables to make dinosaur activities joyful AND meaningful.
With just a few simple routines, you can use your child’s interest in dinosaurs to build the invisible skills that matter most for future learning.
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Sound Dinosaur Activities
These sound games build phonological awareness, which is the foundation of future reading.
Dino Stomp Syllables: Say a dinosaur name and stomp once for each syllable: di-no-saur, al-ber-ta-saur-us.
Roaring Rhymes: Say a word and have your child ROAR a rhyming word. Ex: “Tree.” “BEE!”
First Sound Hunt: Hide a few dino toys and give sound clues: “Find one that starts with /t/!” (T-Rex!)
Dinosaur Books for Interactive Reading
Interactive reading helps kids become active participants in the story, which builds vocabulary, comprehension, and confidence.
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Dinosaurs Galore by Rally Felt Book: Felt and book pairings are great for retelling a story.
Saturday Night at the Dinosaur Stomp by Carol Diggory Shields: Repeat fun phrases together (“STOMP, STOMP, ROAR!”) to build rhythm and memory.
Tiny T. Rex and the Impossible Hug by Jonathan Stutzman: Practice emotional vocabulary by asking, “How does Tiny feel?” Act out this story to practice sequencing.
How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? by Jane Yolen: Ask open-ended questions like, “What might happen next?”
Dinosaur Roar! by Paul Stickland: Point and name features, then (if available) find a matching toy dino.
We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins: Ask questions: “Why did she eat the classmate? What should she do now?”
Oh My Oh My Oh Dinosaurs! by Sandra Boynton: Practice opposites by taking turns reading the words.
Hello World! Dinosaurs by Jill McDonald: Prompt your child to describe the dinosaurs by saying, “Tell me something you notice about this dinosaur.”
Dinosaur Activities That Build Real Language
Each of these play-based dinosaur activities builds rich vocabulary, background knowledge, and oral language skills- all while connecting and having fun.
Act Out a Dino Story: Use blocks to act out a dinosaur story with dinosaur figurines or use cushions to pretend you are the dinosaurs!
Vocabulary: cave, stomp, crash
Background Knowledge: animal habitats, shelter
Oral Language Skill: storytelling, using dialogue
Parent Prompt: “What’s this dino’s name? What happens next?”
Paleontologist Play: Act out being a paleontologist. Dig for “bones,” “dinosaur eggs,” and “fossils.” Carry a magnifying glass and a notebook to record notes.
Vocabulary: fossil, dig, discover
Background Knowledge: science jobs, earth history
Oral Language Skill: asking questions, describing findings
Parent Prompt: “What did you find? Can you describe it?”
Outdoor Dino Hunt: Hide dinosaur toys outside and give clues to find them. Take turns hiding and finding them.
Vocabulary: under, beside, behind
Background Knowledge: position and location words
Oral Language Skill: following directions, giving clues
Parent Prompt: “Where did you find him? Can you give me a clue where to look?”
Play Dino Kitchen: Play kitchen, but pretend you are making meals for dinosaurs. Make sure it is something they’ll eat!
Vocabulary: herbivore, hungry, cook
Background Knowledge: dinosaur diets, food routines
Oral Language Skill: pretend dialogue, sequencing steps
Parent Prompt: “What are you cooking for the dinos today?” “How do you make it?”
Field Trip Talk: Visit a dinosaur-themed playground, a dinosaur exhibit, or a fossil museum. Nothing nearby? Check out these virtual field trips: Virtual Tour of Dino Hall – English | Natural History Museum, The David H. Koch Hall of Fossils: Deep Time, and Dinosaur Walk – Melbourne Museum
Vocabulary: museum, exhibit, fossil
Background Knowledge: connecting new info to prior knowledge
Oral Language Skill: summarizing, comparing
Parent Prompt: “What did we learn about dinos today? What was your favorite part?”
Sensory Bin Play: Check out this post on 3 Dinosaur Sensory Bins!
Move Like a Dinosaur: Challenge your child to move like various dinosaurs.
Vocabulary: stomp, creep, fly
Background Knowledge: different types of dinosaurs and how they moved
Oral Language Skill: verbs and action words, role-play narration
Parent Prompt: “Can you show me how a T-Rex moves? What about a flying dino?”
Observation + Categorizing Dinosaur Activities
Observation and perceiving help children notice and make sense of what they see and hear- important skills when beginning to read!
Play Dino Detective: Make a row of dinosaur toys or pictures. Share hints and have your child find the right dinosaur. “Find a dino with 3 horns! Now find one with a long tail.”
Sort & Label: Group dinos by meat-eaters vs. plant-eaters, or bumpy vs. smooth.
Outline Matching: Trace dinosaur toys or pictures. Have your child match the dinosaurs to their outlines.
Shadow Matching: Take dinosaur toys outside and trace their shadows with sidewalk chalk. Have your child match the dinosaurs to their shadows.
Build Thinking & Memory with Dinosaur Activities
Add a few simple dino-themed games to stretch your child’s memory, sequencing, logic, and attention
Which Dino Moved?: Set up 3 dinos. Have your child close their eyes, and then move one of the dinosaurs. Ask, “Who changed spots?”
Footprint Memory Match: Play Memory Match with this free set!
Sound + Action Memory Chains: Make up a silly combo like “Roar, clap, stomp” and repeat together. Keep adding one step at a time to stretch auditory memory.
20 Questions Dino Edition: Think of a type of dinosaur. Let your child ask yes/no questions to guess it. Builds logical thinking, working memory, and language skills.
Dino Treasure Trail: Hide a dinosaur. Give 2–3 verbal directions in a row (e.g., “Go behind the couch, then under the table, and look inside the basket.”). After your child follows the sequence of directions, give them clues such as “hotter” as they get closer to the dinosaur and “colder” when they move away.
Dino Sorting Challenge: Create a rule such as “Only red dinosaurs.” Don’t tell your child the rule. Have your child hold up a dinosaur and have them ask Does this fit the rule. Tell them yes or no until they figure out your rule.
Keep It Simple, Stay in Rhythm
You don’t need 15 crafts or a dinosaur curriculum. A few simple dinosaur activities, repeated with intention, build far more than a busy day full of noise. Follow your child’s lead, provide rich language, and build in rhythm.
I’m rooting for you!
