Fossil Craft Fun for Preschool

Preschoolers love to play with dinosaurs. The idea of the gigantic creatures living so long ago piques the imagination of their curious little minds. Create a hands-on activity with this fun fossil craft for preschool to go along with the dinosaur theme!

What are fossils? Fossils are rocks that were formed a long, long time ago. They were formed when a plant or animal died and was quickly buried by mud, sand, or volcanic ash. Bones, leaves, and shells can all become fossils. Learn more about fossils on day 7 of the Dinosaur Preschool Unit.

Fun Fossil Craft Supplies

• Crayola Air Dry Clay
• Various items to press in the clay: shells, leaves, toy dinosaur feet, or bones
• optional paint to color after the fossils are dry

Setting up the Fun Fossil Craft Center

Give each student a ball of clay a little smaller than a ping pong ball. Next, the students roll the ball around in their hands and on the table to warm it up. Let them play with it to give their little hands a workout. Once the clay is warmed up and the students have had fun with it, the children flatten the ball with their hands, a rolling pin, or the bottom of a cup. They then press the shell or object into the clay. Lift it up and the fossil print remains. It is as simple as that! Next, place the tray of finished fossils in a safe spot to dry overnight. The students used about 1/3 of a 2.5 lb tub for the tray of fossils in the picture – a little goes a long way. Paint the fossils when dry or leave them as-is.

Why Play with Clay?

Playing with clay is so beneficial to preschoolers. Not only does it strengthen fine motor skills, but here are some more advantages of offering clay in the classroom:

• provides opportunities for communication during the activity
• builds imagination
• increases self-esteem

More Dinosaur Fun

There are so many opportunities for dinosaur fun. Try some of these activities in the classroom or at home:

• Use removable tape on the floor to show the size of different dinosaur footprints
• Play Dinosaur Bingo from day 7 of the Dinosaur Preschool Unit
• Fill the sensory table with sand or kinetic sand and add dinosaur stamps for excavating fun
• Set up a paleontologists dig site in the dramatic play area