A dinosaur theme or interest in a preschool curriculum can occur on its own or within a focus on reptiles and other animals. The theme might stem from an interest among the children. The topic can focus on one day, over a week, or longer.
Introduce the Dinosaur Theme at Circle Time
Dinosaurs are a fun topic for both preschool boys and girls in any early childhood setting.
Before the dinosaur theme begins, ask the children what they know about dinosaurs. Record their answers down for a bulletin board display for parents to read. Some fun facts to relay to preschool children about dinosaurs are:
- Dinosaurs lived millions of year ago
- Dinosaur lived and evolved on earth for 185 million years!
- Dinosaurs are extinct
- Scientists who study dinosaurs are called Paleontologist
- There are many theories to why dinosaurs suddenly became extinct. One theory is that a meteor landed on earth, and changed the temperature of the earth causing the plants to die, and consequently the dinosaurs
- Dinosaurs who eat plants are called herbivores and those that eat meat are called carnivores
- The name dinosaur means terrible lizard. Dinosaurs, like other reptiles, laid eggs.
- We know about dinosaurs from finding fossils
- Not all dinosaurs were big, some were the size of chickens
In addition, during the introduction of dinosaurs, the Educator could also ask the children what they want to learn!
Use Visual Aids
Find some pictures or plastic dinosaurs to show the preschool children, and show them how their features will often relay whether they were plant eaters or meat eaters. For instance, the plant eaters often had armor on their bodies to protect themselves from the meat eaters, such as the Stegosaurus, or had long necks to reach the plants, like the Brachiosaurus. Meat eating dinosaurs, such as the T-Rex, had sharp teeth and claws.
When focusing on a theme or a interest, placing activities surrounding the topic can help to implement new concepts to preschool aged children while still giving opportunities to meet their developmental needs.
Some examples are:
Some examples are:
- Collect dinosaur figurines, big and small, and place inside sand tables, with blocks, on tables, in the sand box outside...
- Fill the sand table with fossil bones and old toothbrushes so children can pretend to be Palaeontologist. “Fossil” bones can be made out of bleaching chicken bones in hot water if plastic bones cannot be found.
- Find cookie cutters with dinosaurs figures to place with play dough, baking or paint stamping.
- Try making large dinosaur figures out of old cardboard boxes and place around the room.
- Ask children to bring in some of their dinosaur toys for the length of the theme.
- Posters and pictures can be used at circle time and other areas around the room, such as the art center, drama area or the block shelf
- Dinosaur books can be placed onto the library shelf
- Dinosaur puzzles.
Dinosaur Preschool Song
This song can be sung to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
We know dinosaurs from long ago
Some were big and some were small
In the air, and on the land
In the sea, and on the sand
We know dinosaurs from long ago
Some were big and some were small
Dinosaur Circle Time Activities
1. Make dinosaur sticks by gluing a cut out dinosaur and placing it onto a large popsicle stick. Give each child a dinosaur and sing the following song:
The Dino Pokey (to the tune of the original Hokey Pokey)
You put the dino up, you put your dino down,
You put your dino up and you shake him all around
You do the dino pokey and you turn yourself around
And that’s what it’s all about!
You put your dino in the front
You put your dino in the back
You put your dino in the front
And you give your knee a whack
You do the dino pokey and you turn yourself around
And that’s what it’s all about!
You put your dino to your head
You put your dino to your toe
You put your dino to your head
And you wobble to and fro
You do the dino pokey and you turn yourself around
And that’s what it’s all about!!
2. Make matching fossil bones or dinosaurs eggs for the easel board. These pieces can be made out of paper, foam or felt material. Have different colors and sizes for matching. Each child is given a piece to bring to the easel board to match which fosters cognitive development. Similarily, create matching pictures of dinosaurs or different sizes for children to bring to an easel board at circle time, or play at a table.
Dinosaur Creative Art Activities
1. A Shoeasourous: Each child will have his shoe traced onto a piece of paper, and the children can then turn the shape into a dinosaur using felt pens. This works well with a demonstration.
2. A Stegosaurus: Prepare the side view of a stegosaurus’s body for each child and have different color plates cut out. For the older children, have them write one through to five on their plates. Then they can glue the plates onto the body in the correct order. Finish the project with a googly eye and a tail which can be attached with a butterfly pin. Other versions of this idea are to use half a paperplate for the body, and for the plates, the children can use their handprints dipped into paint, or wooden clothespins.
3. Dinosaur Stamping OPEN ENDED ACTIVITY : Let the children place plastic dinosaurs into a shallow container of paint and then stomp the dinosaurs onto a piece of paper creating a fun art project.
4. Create a dinosaur scene in old shoe boxes. Provide each child with background pictures and dinosaurs, paper or even possible, some plastic ones to place into the prehistoric stage.
