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Dinosaur Dig Party -5yr- Dinosaur Excavation

March 2010

Julie in Bakersfield, CA, USA

Honorable Mention

INVITATIONS:   I first transferred an egg shape outline into a word document.  Each invitation required two eggs.  On one egg I typed, BREAKING NEWS in a dinosaur font I had downloaded for free.  On the other egg I typed Dinosaurs Found In (Hometown).  Please join us for a dinosaur dig to celebrate (Name's) 5th birthday.  Address, Date, Please don't be extinct, Phone Number.  I also put a light clipart of a dinosaur breaking out of an egg in the background. 

After I printed both eggs, I cut them out.  I then cut the first egg in a zig-zag pattern horizontally.  I cut about ¾ of the way down the egg.  I glued the bottom 1/4 of the first egg onto the second egg, making sure that I did not cover up any of the party information.  I then punched a hole near the top of both eggs and connected them with a brad.  So basically, the top 3/4 of the first egg swung open to reveal the party information on the second egg. 

ACTIVITIES/GAMES: 
Dinosaur Excavation:  I buried 100 small dinosaurs and 300 small clam shells in our sandbox, both ordered from OTC.  The kids used sifters and paintbrushes to excavate the dinosaurs.  I put up a sign reminding the kids to take 5 dinosaurs and as many shells as they wanted. 

Volcano Beanbag Toss:  I made a volcano by covering a tomato cage with brown butcher paper.  The paper crinkled as I wrapped it around which made it look more authentic. I used red paint to make lava flowing down the sides.  The kids threw homemade dirt clod shaped beanbags into the volcano. 

Fossils:  I bought air-dry clay, but you could make your own from recipes found on the internet.  I gave each child a ball of clay to flatten, but not too flat.  They pressed a small dinosaur into the clay and removed it.  The clay will dry hard leaving an imprint of the dinosaur. 

Picture Frames:  I ordered dinosaur picture frames from OTC which the children got to assemble.  When they arrived at the party I took their picture on our Kota the Triceratops. I sent their pictures in their thank you notes. 

Lava Falls:  I hung green crate paper streamers on the sides of our monkey bars to look like vines.  Below the monkey bars I placed a plastic kiddie pool filled with a red plastic table cloth and ball pit balls to represent lava.  The kids tried to cross the bars without falling in the lava.  The crate paper streamers weren't too hard to hang, but my original idea was to use inexpensive grass skirts.  Unfortunately, I couldn't find any. 

Dinosaur Slide:  It gets really hot where we live and I wanted to get a slide cover for our slide.  I found a dragon one, which could pass as a dinosaur online at Sam's Club. 

Erupting Volcano:  I made a clay volcano and let the kids watch it erupt. This only takes a few minutes so I did it after we sang Happy Birthday while my helpers were cutting the cake.  You can find the how to for this on the internet. 

Ice Age:  I froze small dinosaurs in ice cube trays and put them in our water table without water.  I hung a sign on the table asking: What happened to the dinosaurs during the ice age?  

FAVORS:  The kids got to take home their dinosaurs and shells, picture frames, and fossils along with the favors from our dinosaur egg hunt.  Dinosaur Egg Hunt:  I filled large plastic Easter eggs with goodies like dinosaur gummies, a dinosaur stamp, and dinosaur tattoos. I placed the eggs in a nest made out of an old wreath and some greenery. Standing guard over the nest was our Spike the Ultra Dinosaur. 

I also taped off the nest with caution tape and signs that said keep out.  The kids all saw this when the arrived.  While the kids were occupied by watching my son open his gifts, a few of my helpers stole the eggs and hid them in the yard. When my son was done opening gifts, Spike walked outside via remote control and roared. I told the kids somebody had stolen his eggs and they each were to find one.

CAKE:  I made a dinosaur landscape cake.  There are many pictures and ideas for this on the internet.  

DECORATIONS:  I kept it pretty simple because I wanted to focus my time, money, and energy on the activities.  I did draw big dinosaur footprints up our front steps with sidewalk chalk.  

FOOD:  Just sandwiches, salad and fruit.  Too many kids for the dinosaur chicken nuggets or homemade dinosaur PB&Js.

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