Week Six - Dinosaurs - Science Time

This will be a short post because one of the links I will provide is such a wealth of options that anything else I would provide would be superfluous.

First, keep it simple. Break out the play doh (recipe for make your own) and the dinosaur toys (other bone shaped objects optional) and make your own fossils. In my house this is often an explosion of imagination. Talk about how long it takes to make a fossil in play doh vs how long it takes in real life, what makes a fossil, and how heavy do they think are (info here).

Second, dig your own dinosaurs using ice. You need bowls of different shapes (balloons, ice trays, anything that will hold water and freeze without damage), dinosaur toys or other plastic items to freeze, water, tools to liberate the toys once frozen (rocks will do), a place to set ice and pound on it, and a freezer. Working together fill your containers with water. Then place the toys in the containers. Freeze the containers (about two hours). Remove your ice from containers and get to work "digging up" your fossils. Talk about what dinosaurs they are finding and how hard it is to get the dinosaurs out of the ice. Ask them to imagine digging out real fossils from layers of rock. Talk about the differences between your "digging" and actually digging for fossils.

Last (and I apologize in advance - if your child is as interested in dinosaurs as Little Man you will be here forever) the Dinosaur Train parent site. The have detailed instructions on over twenty different activities grouped by games, arts crafts and cooking, investigating nature, and hands on. As a Jim Henson company product these activities bring in dinosaurs to other core learning for the preschool set including; colors, senses, movement, etc.

They also have a great program called Nature Trackers Club that has a monthly science challenge, activities, and printable pages. This is all about getting kids involved in nature and the environment. Fun and nice to have someone else come up with the ideas once a month!

On a side note - is your child asking more questions about dinosaurs? here is a link with lots of facts on all types of dinosaurs. Amaze your child with all the things you know about their new obsession!