Dinosaur Lesson Plan & Dino Theme Unit
Kids are fascinated with dinosaurs. Movies, cartoons and other areas of entertainment have made dinosaurs a favorite with many children.
This is a simple way for teachers/parents to build a dinosaur lesson plan for kids or activities for teaching preschool children and kindergarten kids about dinosaurs, the different types and other unique facts using some fun creative learning ideas.
Use the simple preschool lesson plan ideas below to get preschoolers and kindergarten kids started and build out your dinosaur lesson theme from there as you wish.
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Starting Your Kids Dinosaur Lesson Plan & Dino Theme:
Dinosaur Lesson Plan Circle Time Activities:
- Read dinosaur stories to the kids or books that are about dinosaurs. Check out these dinosaur craft activities & ideas for kids.
- Bring in some plastic dinosaur toys. You can find these at the dollar store or other toy retailers for cheap. You can use these to identify the different type of dinosaurs by name. You can discuss or talk about all the things that we know about these dinosaurs.
- Talk about people who dig for dinosaur bones and what their job involves.
- Talk about fossils and what they are etc.
Dinosaur Books:
You can start your dinosaur lesson plan by getting some books about the different types of dinosaurs. There are many dinosaur books that have illustrations and fun facts about dinosaurs.
Try not to get too detailed with the facts and all the different information so as to overwhelm the kids.
Buy Dinosaur Books Like These
Coloring Pages & Pictures
Dinosaur Pictures & Coloring Pages:
- Get pictures of the different types of dinosaurs that existed.
- Hang these pictures around the room or have them accessible for the children to look through so they get familiar with the different types. The children will find their favorites.
- Dinosaur coloring pages can be placed out in the activity or coloring area for the children.
- Click on the images below to download dinosaur images you can print for your preschoolers and kindergarten children
Download & Print these Dinosaur images
To download one of the dinosaur images below for use with your lesson plan, CLICK then ‘right click’ on your mouse, the ‘save image as’ to your computer and print later.
Sing Songs About Dinosaurs
You can sing dinosaur songs or play music that teaches or talks about dinosaurs. You can find this online on places like amazon for example.
Here is a simple, fun song written by us @ www.preschoollearningonline.com:
I’m a T-Rex (Dinosaur Song):
(© 2012 www.preschoollearningonline.com)
I’m a T-Rex,
I’m BIG and MEAN,
I’m the BIGGEST,
BADDEST dinosaur
on the scene,
When you see me coming
You’ll RUN and SCREAM,
I’m a T-Rex,
I’m BIG and MEAN
Grrrrrrr..Rrrrrr
Dinosaur Creative Movement Activities
Talk about how different dinosaurs moved, walked and ran. You can put on some fun music and let the preschool or kindergarten children move around as they think their favorite dinosaur would have moved and run etc.
- You can ask different questions like:
- How did they move when they ate?
- How did they run?
- How did they move when they walked? etc.
Dinosaur Videos & Songs for Kids
Dinosaur Games & Activities for Your Lesson Plan
Play fun dinosaur theme games and dinosaur activities for learning things like math, counting and spelling etc. There are a few ideas below like dinosaur bean bag toss, flashcards and more for help with building your lesson plan for your kids.
These can include finding work sheets that use dinosaurs as a theme. You can see our dinosaur counting game here.
Dinosaur Game Ideas
Dino Science & Sensory Activities
Sensory Activities:
Hide some fake dinosaur bones (toys) or clean chicken bones etc. in the sand box.
Provide the preschool children or kindergarten children with small hand shovels and pails. Let the children search for the pretend dinosaur bones to see what a dinosaur paleontologist does.
Dinosaur Art Activities & Ideas
Art ideas and activities coming soon for use with your dinosaur lesson plan.
Get hundreds of dinosaur printable activities. Ideas include games, craft ideas, art ideas and more.
Dinosaur Lesson Plan for Preschoolers and Kindergarten
Lesson Plan Objective:
By the end of this lesson, children will be able to identify basic types of dinosaurs, understand simple facts about them, and engage in fun activities related to dinosaurs.
1. Learning About Dinosaurs
1.1. What Are Dinosaurs?
- Explain that dinosaurs were giant reptiles that lived a long time ago.
- Show pictures or models of different dinosaurs.
1.2. When Did Dinosaurs Live?
- Introduce the concept of “a long, long time ago.”
- Briefly mention that dinosaurs lived before people existed.
2. Types of Dinosaurs
2.1. Big and Small Dinosaurs
- Show examples of big dinosaurs (e.g., Brachiosaurus) and small dinosaurs (e.g., Velociraptor).
- Activity: Have children sort toy dinosaurs by size.
2.2. Meat-Eaters vs. Plant-Eaters
- Explain the difference between carnivores (meat-eaters) and herbivores (plant-eaters).
- Activity: Coloring activity where children color meat-eaters in red and plant-eaters in green.
3. Dinosaur Habitats
3.1. Where Did Dinosaurs Live?
- Discuss that dinosaurs lived in various places like forests, deserts, and near water.
- Show images of different habitats.
3.2. Dinosaur Eggs
- Explain that dinosaurs hatched from eggs.
- Activity: Have children decorate paper “dinosaur eggs.”
4. Fun Dinosaur Facts
4.1. Biggest Dinosaurs
- Introduce the biggest dinosaurs like the Argentinosaurus.
- Show a size comparison chart with a human for perspective.
4.2. Fast and Slow Dinosaurs
- Discuss that some dinosaurs were fast runners like the T-Rex, while others were slow like the Triceratops.
5. Dinosaur Activities
5.1. Dinosaur Stomp (Movement Activity)
- Play dinosaur-themed music and encourage children to stomp and move like different dinosaurs.
5.2. Dinosaur Dig (Sensory Activity)
- Create a “dinosaur dig” with sand and buried toy dinosaurs.
- Children can dig for dinosaurs using small tools.
6. Storytime: A Day with the Dinosaurs
- 6.1. Read-Aloud
- Read a dinosaur-themed storybook to the class.
- Discuss the story with questions like “What was your favorite dinosaur in the story?”
7. Closing: Dinosaur Song and Dance
7.1. Sing a Dinosaur Song
- Teach the children a simple dinosaur song with actions.
- Example: “The Dinosaurs Stomp Around” (to the tune of “The Wheels on the Bus”).
7.2. Review and Recap
- Ask the children to name their favorite dinosaur and share one fact they learned.
8. Take-Home Activities
8.1. Dinosaur Coloring Pages
- Provide dinosaur-themed coloring pages for children to take home.
8.2. Dinosaur Sticker Chart
- Give each child a sticker chart to track their favorite dinosaurs.
Materials Needed:
- Dinosaur pictures or models
- Dinosaur storybooks
- Coloring supplies (crayons, markers, dinosaur coloring pages)
- Toy dinosaurs
- Sand or sensory bin
- Music for movement activities
- Dinosaur stickers and charts
This dino lesson plan is designed to be interactive and fun, allowing preschoolers and kindergarten children to learn about dinosaurs through visual aids, activities, and play.