Children are natural scientists and have a curiosity about the world. One of the fascinating things about dinosaurs is that we don’t get to see them in real life like we see other animals. We don’t see them in zoos, and we definitely do NOT see them in our homes! Children are able to use their imaginations to explore things like size concepts; the toy that fits in the palm of their hand is imagined to be the size of a building, they create habitats and diets for their dinosaurs and often tell stories full of interesting characters and situations.
Did you know, thousands of years ago the Pembina Valley was once part of Lake Agassiz? Lake Agassiz was full of prehistoric fish and animals like the Tylosaurus Pembinensis which lived 80 million years ago! Not too far away in Morden you will find the Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre, a museum with many skeletons and fossils that have been found locally! They also have many programs for families with children. You can find more information on their website https://discoverfossils.com
There is also a dinosaur-themed play place in Morden called Sharptooth Adventures. You can find more info on their website https://sharptooth-adventures.com
Please send photos of you participating and/or your finished product to aafrc1998@gmail.com.
Create your own dinosaur skeleton! What you need: - Dinosaur outline - Dry pasta How to create it: When paleontologists find dinosaur bones in the ground, they carefully dig them up and bring them to a museum. What do you think a dinosaur skeleton would look like? Do you think dinosaur bones are bigger or smaller than yours?
Using dry pasta, create your own dinosaur skeleton. What will it look like? How many bones does your dinosaur have? What will you name your dinosaur skeleton?
Dino tracks in the snow
What you need:
- cardboard - string
How to do it:
Have you ever seen animal tracks in the snow? Maybe from a dog, bunny or bird? Were the tracks bigger or smaller than your feet? How BIG do you think a dinosaur’s feet would have been?
Using cardboard draw the outline of what you think a dinosaur’s foot would have looked like. Try to make it BIGGER than your own feet. After carefully cutting it out, use string to tie it to your foot or boot. Try taking your *new* dino-feet outside to make tracks in the snow! How does it feel to walk with different sized feet? Do you think other people will be able to figure out who made those tracks?
Dino fossils What you need: - Playdoh - Dinosaur toys How to do it:
Do you know what a fossil is? A fossil is a print in stone of something that was once living, like a plant or animal. Using playdoh and a dinosaur toy, try making your own dinosaur fossil by pressing the toy into the playdoh and removing it. Is there something else you would like to make a print of? Maybe a leaf from a plant, or your own hand!
Scientists have even found preserved footprints from dinosaurs. Can you make tracks in the playdoh with your little dinosaur?