Investigating dinosaur bones

A Dinosaur topic is a great opportunity to take children on a prehistoric journey that covers art, craft, science, maths and much more. Our fun activity to discover and investigate Dinosaur bones will also create discussion and the chance for role play being on an archeological dig or at a museum. First of all we set up a discovery and investigation area for our little helpers to explore.

Our Investigation Area Includes:

digging for dinosaur bones

Our helper was immediately attracted to the tray of sand filled with Dinosaur bones, digging them out and counting how many he had found.

Dinosaur Bone Pictures

Black paper was the perfect background for placing the bones on to create a picture and try and work out where they came from.

Dinosaur bones activities

The investigation are included a piece of hessian to further examine the bones and other excavated objects which included stones and shells. The magnifying glass was great for getting a closer look before trying to sound out and write down some of the dinosaur names on the notepad.

Dinosaur bone sorting

Cardboard modelling rolls are just about the right shape and size for popping the Dinosaur bones into to keep the safe.

Dinosaur maths

A ruler was useful for measuring the dinosaur bones and developing early maths skills.

Dinosaur bones EYFS

The interesting textures and colours of the objects were great for investigating.

drawing shells

A magnifying glass also allowed our helper to get a really close look and have a go at drawing some of the patterns on the shells.

This Activity Covers the Following Areas of the EYFS Framework:

Communication and Language

  • Asking questions, discussing and explaining.
  • Archaeological dig or museum role play.

Physical Development

  • Using the magnifying glass to look at the bones and pencils and a ruler.
  • Fitting bones into dubes.
  • Moving about, digging in a sandpit when dinosaur bones are hidden in an outdoor area.
  • Stacking and sorting stones and bones.

PSED

  • Choosing which way to play with investigation area.
  • Working in pairs or larger groups.

Literacy

  • Reading and writing dinosaur names.
  • Writing signs for a dinosaur museum.
  • Exploring books about dinosaurs, both fiction and non fiction.

Maths

  • Counting, sorting and measuring.

Understanding the World

  • Discussing dinosaurs and their extinction.
  • Talking about why animals and dinosaurs have bones and why they are preserved in the ground.

Art and Design

  • Using pencils to draw shells.
  • Placing dinosaur bones onto black paper to create pictures.

What fun dinosaur activities have you been doing with your class? You can discover more ideas on our Dinosaurs page or by following us on Pinterest

Follow The Consortium Education’s board Dinosaur Topic on Pinterest.