Dinosaurs, and their fossil remains, have captured the imagination of learners of all ages since the first dinosaur bone was discovered in 1677 by English chemist Robert Plot. Despite it taking over 150 years for the term “dinosaur” to be coined, naturalists and scientists have been digging into the ancient lives of these fascinating creatures through the study of Paleontology ever since.
Beyond the fun of Hollywood blockbusters and museum exhibits, bringing dinosaurs into your classroom or home learning is a great opportunity to encourage children’s critical thinking, increase their knowledge of natural history, and explore life sciences from millions of years ago to today.
Learn more about our prehistoric pals and their modern-day descendants with the engaging videos, activities, and crafts below. Then, keep the fun going with Learn Along Bingo sheets full of printable activities and everyday learning ideas for children grades Pre-K to 2!
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Dig into Dinosaurs & Paleontology!
Dinosaur Exhibit Field Trip
Grades PreK-K
Penny and the KidVision VPK Kids experience the Dinosaurs In Motion exhibit! They go head to head with Triceratops and Tyrannosaurus Rex, dig for fossils, create a dinosaur skeleton, and see life-size dinosaurs in action. It’s a roaring good time!
Let’s Explore Dinosaurs!
Grades PreK-3
If your child is fascinated by the dinosaurs in Dinosaur Train, here are a few activities that will capture their imagination and help them think like paleontologists!
Discussing Dinosaurs with a Paleontologist
Grades 3-12
Mark Norell, the Chairman of the Division of Paleontology at the American Museum of Natural History, discusses the field of paleontology in this clip from SciTech Now. Norell describes how the field of paleontology has changed over time and how dinosaurs are studied today.
Birds Are Living Dinosaurs
Grades 6-12
Birds have colonized every environment on Earth, and they come in an astonishing variety of shapes, colors, and sizes. There are more than 10,000 species of bird alive today, so how did they come to be everywhere and so diverse? Scientists began understanding the evolutionary history of birds with the discovery of a dinosaur fossil called Archaeopteryx in Germany in the 1860’s.
An Illustrated History of Dinosaurs | Eons
Grades 9-12
Our image of dinosaurs has been constantly changing since naturalists started studying them about 350 years ago. Taken together, these pictures can tell us a whole lot about just how much we have learned. Let’s explore the history of dinosaur science as seen through the history of dinosaur art.
Crafts, Interactives & Activities
Fossil Finder Game | Dinosaur Train
Grades PreK-K
Your child can dig for fossils in this game while learning about deep Earth creatures and fossilized animals.
Dinosaur Fact Cards | Dinosaur Train
Grades PreK-K
Use this collection of 49 Fact Cards to learn about dinosaurs—from Adocus to Zhejiangopterus!
Dig Into Dinosaurs! Booklist
Grades PreK-4
Behind every bone is a story waiting to be discovered. Travel back in time to when dinosaurs ruled the Earth and and then bring them back to life with this collection of prehistoric page-turners for kids ages 0-9.
Make Dinosaur Feet
Grades 1-3
Have you ever wanted to stomp around like Buddy or tip toe like Tiny? Compare the differences between Tyrannosaurus rex and Pteranodons while making your own prehistoric model feet out of tissue boxes!
NOVA Evolution Lab Game
Grades 6-12
Create phylogenetic trees and explore genetic relationships between species with NOVA’s Evolution Lab. What could you possibly have in common with a mushroom, or a dinosaur, or even a bacterium? More than you might think. In this Lab, evaluate similarities in the traits and DNA of species, and conduct your own investigations in an open-ended interactive tree of life.
Learn Along Bingo
With Learn Along Bingo, children can view, explore, and play as they learn alongside their PBS Kids friends on the PBS Kids 24/7 channel. We hope your family will use it to inspire learning each and every day.
This time, we’re learning all about dinosaurs and paleontology! Paleontologists identify dinosaurs by looking at fossils and comparing their physical characteristics. Kids will learn to describe dinosaurs by their sizes and shapes.
Grades PreK-K
Play & Learn: In this packet, there are printable activities and everyday learning ideas for you and your child to choose from. As you complete each square, mark it off to celebrate the learning!
Grades 1-2
Play & Learn: In this packet, there are printable activities and everyday learning ideas for you and your child to choose from. As you complete each square, mark it off to celebrate the learning!
For even more games and educational resources for young learners, go to the Dig into Dinosaurs Collection on PBS Kids for Parents.