How to make DIY dinosaur fossil eggs
Are you looking for a fun alternative to candy for Easter? Or for the perfect favours for the guests at your dinosaur birthday party? These dinosaur fossil eggs are wonderful and educational, they take almost no time to make, and are cheap, simple and fun. And egg-scavating them is the best bit of all!
Easter is just around the corner. In our house, that means a discussion about ‘eggs’ for our Little Dinosaur Aficionado that aren’t just chocolate. Dinosaur fossil eggs are a wonderful, educational alternative to chocolate for little dinosaur fans for Easter. These DIY dinosaur eggs take almost no time and are so easy to make yourself – even with assistance. And egg-scavating them is the best bit of all!
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Parry’s Activity Summary
Name: Dinosaur fossil eggs
Activity: Careful fossil excavation
Dinosaurs: Whatever you fancy
Best for: Birthday parties, Easter, any time your child needs to let off some steam
Ease: Very – both the making and the excavating!
Dinosaur fossil eggs for Easter?
If you are like me, you are always on the lookout for something egg or bunny related for Easter, especially something that is not chocolate. These DIY dinosaur eggs are perfect!
Not only will your child not be overdosing on candy, but they can practice their fine motor skills while removing the fossil from the egg. It’s much more educational too – will your child be able to identify their discovery?
There are various sets available if you don’t want to make your own (though this one is so easy, you will want to make your own):
- A pack of 12 dinosaur eggs
- For a specific dinosaur: a Parasaurolophus kit (buy a set, then keep the tools and use them to excavate your DIY dinosaur eggs)
- A larger set with three dinosaurs
- STEM set from the Smithsonian
- These fossils glow in the dark
- This brick has real fossils inside, waiting to be excavated.
DIY dinosaur eggs are great for birthdays too!
Are you throwing a dino-themed birthday party for your child? these dinosaur fossil eggs make great party favours. They are inexpensive, easy to make and your little dinosaur fan can tell their friends that they made them.
If you are looking for activities for your guests to do at the party, fossil discovery is a great, simple game and the guests can take any fossils they find a home with them.
Why you want to make these dinosaur fossil eggs
There are so many reasons to make these DIY dinosaur eggs:
- You are likely to have almost everything you need already – possibly everything, depending on your little dinosaur fan’s collection of toy dinosaurs and toy fossils. And who needs an excuse to drink coffee? If you don’t have a sandpit, sand can be purchased at a hardware store.
- They are relatively cheap – even cheaper if you already have the toy dinosaurs.
- They are so easy to make. You can do it even if you are distracted. With just a few instructions, your little dinosaur fan could even make them on their own – our LDA did most of the work and she is only 5.
- They take almost no time to make – even less time if you decide to dry them in the oven.
- Your little dinosaur fan can uncover the fossils at almost any time, regardless of the weather.
You can fill the eggs with dinosaur fossils, fossil skulls, small dinosaurs, dinosaur bones and even real fossils. If you are making some for someone who is not as keen on dinosaurs, you can fill them with things that have nothing to do with dinosaurs – unicorns.
The best thing about these dinosaur fossil eggs: the egg-scavation
The real fun for your little dinosaur fan is not in the making of these dinosaur fossil eggs, but in their excavation. A tip from one Mum to another though: make sure any excavation takes places outside because it will make a mess!
What you might need to excavate these dinosaur fossil eggs
Let your little dinosaur fan experiment with how to get the fossil or other hidden treat out of the eggs!
For safe and more thorough fossil extraction (and to extend the time that your dinosaur fan will need to extract them), you might want to have the following things on hand:
- a hammer, one that is not too heavy for your child to use
- protection for their eyes, whether it is safety glasses, a pair of goggles or the safety goggles from a toy construction set (I love this set for the glasses and hammer)
- a paintbrush or old toothbrush for the finer work
- a small wooden “chisel” or sculpting tool to help chip away at the rock
- an art smock (even one with dinosaurs on it!)- their clothes will get very dusty without one
- a magnifying glass.
Easy DIY dinosaur fossil eggs
These DIY dinosaur fossil eggs are so easy to make - and excavating them is the best bit! They're perfect for Easter, birthday parties or any time your little dinosaur fan needs some distraction.
Materials
- 1 cup plain flour
- 1 cup used coffee grounds
- 1/2 cup salt
- 1/4 cup sand
- 3/4 cup water
- 5 small toy dinosaur fossils (or similar)
Tools
- 1 mixing bowl
- Measuring cups
- Baking tray
Instructions
- Add all of the dry ingredients to a mixing bowl.
- Slowly add the water, mixing and kneading with your hands until it forms a "dough" that holds together.
- Take a small handful of dough, add a dinosaur fossil or other toy and add another handful of dough on top. Form the dough into an egg shape that entirely covers the toy, adding more dough as needed.
- Let the eggs air dry for 2-4 days or until hard. If you need the eggs earlier, place them on a lined baking tray and bake at your oven's lowest temperature for 15-20 minutes or until hard.
Notes
Add the water slowly until the ingredients just hold together enough. If your coffee grounds are still damp, you won't need as much water.
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Cheap, simple and fun: make some of these dinosaur fossil eggs for your little dinosaur fan
Hopefully, your problem of what eggs to get your little dinosaur fan for Easter or what to get as guest favours for your dinosaur-themed birthday party is solved! Personally, I’m wondering how easy it is to find these eggs in the garden… This wonderful educational alternative takes almost no time to make and is cheap, simple and fun – especially when it’s excavation time.
Are you going to make these dinosaur fossil eggs with or without your little dinosaur fan?
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