Bury several plastic dinosaurs in a large pan of cornmeal or in a sandbox.
Let the kids take turns going on a "fossil hunt"
give the kids spoons to use to dig in the cornmeal or sand. When the "fossil" is discovered, ask the kids to identify it by looking carefully at its characteristics.
Stegosaurus (roofed reptile)
The stegosaurus had large bony plates along its back and a spiked tail. It was 20 feet long and weighed 3,000 pounds or more. It was a plant eater.
Tyrannosaurus (tyrant reptile)
The Tyrannosaurus was the larges meat eater, weighing up to 7 tons. It measured as much as 46 feet from tip of it nose to the end of its tail. it had 60 very sharp teeth.
Apatosaurus (deceptive reptile)
This dinosaur used to be called "brontosaurus. It weighed about 30 tons and stood 15 feet tall at the shoulder. Its long neck allowed it to feed on vegetation that was up high.
The Triceratops had three horns, one on its nose and one over each eye. It also had a shield of bone, called a "frill" around its head. It was a plant eater.
