Dinosaur Engineering Challenge For Your Little One

Dinosaurs, dinos, everywhere! Is your little in love with dinosaurs? I have taught so many children who can pronounce dinosaur names better than I can! Why not get their gears turning with this creative engineering challenge? This is a great way for littles to use their prior dino knowledge as well as learn a few new facts. Perfect dinosaur activity for kids! 

DAZZLING DINOSAUR FACTS FOR KIDS

Break out a few simple household supplies for this engineering challenge. But first, what is a dinosaur? Dinosaurs are simply different species of fossilized reptiles that reach gigantic sizes. The Greek roots for dinosaur are translated as “terrible lizard.”

Read on to learn about the five main types of dinosaurs. This information will help your little when they create their own unique dinosaur.

THEROPODS

The most popular theropod is the Tyrannosaurus Rex. They were meat eating carnivores, walked on their hind legs, and ranged from small with feathers to very large and armored.

SAUROPODOMORPH

Diplodocus is the famed sauropod. They were plant eating herbivores, walked on four legs, and were gigantic with enormous limbs.

MARGINOCEPHALIANS

Two well known marginocephalians are the pachycephalosaur and the ceratopsian. Both dinos were plant eating herbivores and while the pachycephalosaur had an incredibly thick skull like a helmet, the ceratopsian had hundreds of flattened teeth for plant grinding.

ORNITHOPODS

These giants were also plant eating herbivores. The impressive iguanodon was an ornithopod. Imagine its horny beak and cheek teeth for grinding plants!

THYREOPHORANS

This dino group is most famous for the stegosaurus and ankylosaurus. Spiky stegosaurus was a plant eating herbivore. Watch out predators! Those spikes must have hurt. Ankylosaurs were also not to be messed with, as their tails acted as heavy clubs to aid in their defense.

DINOSAUR ENGINEERING CHALLENGE

YOU WILL NEED:

• Play Doh
• Pipe Cleaners
• Straws
• Jewels
• Pom poms
• Construction paper
• Scissors
• Toilet paper or paper towel rolls
• Cardboard (cereal box cardboard is easier to cut)

INSTRUCTIONS:

STEP 1: Gather your supplies.

STEP 2: Talk to your little about dinosaurs. What do they already know? What would they like to learn? How can they use their knowledge and questions to create a new and unique dinosaur? Here are a few great questions to guide them through the process:

• Is your dinosaur a carnivore, herbivore, or omnivore?
• Does it walk on two legs or four legs?
• Does it have feathers or thick armor?
• How large or small is it? 
• What is its main form of defense against predators?
• What color or colors is it?
• What is its habitat, or where does it live?
• What is its name? Use the free Printable Dinosaur Naming PDF to create a name.

STEP 3: Introduce all the supplies and watch their creative juices flow! I think you will be amazed at what your little comes up with.

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES:

• Create a habitat for your dinosaur
• Create a unique imprint fossil for your dinosaur
• Share your new dinosaur with a friend
• Share your little’s dinosaur creation on social media @littlehandsonscience. I would LOVE to see what masterpieces they create!

DINOSAUR SCIENTIFIC NAMING GUIDE

Allo	Strange
Brachio	arm
Brachy	short
Cera	horned
Coelo	hollow
Corytho	helmet
Di	two
Diplo	double
Hetero	different
Hypsi	high
Mega	huge
Micro	small
Pachy	thick
Plateo	flat
Poly	many
Ptero	winged
Quadri	four
Raptor	thief
Rhino	nose
Salto	jumping
Saurus	Lizard, reptile
Stego	roofed
Thero	beast
Tops	head, face
Tri	three
Tyranno	tyrant
Veloci	fast