We hit the Dollar Store for some supplies for summer crafts and activities and while there we saw these dog bones and decided to grab a handful and use them for some outside fun. Who doesn’t love dinosaurs? This would be a great for all ages and as a game for a dinosaur birthday party. We left the plastic on the bones because the ground here is still pretty damp and the feeling of wet dog bones totally skeeves me out. Do what works for you!
- Gather your materials. You will need some dog bones, and any props you might want to use for your little paleontologists!
- Hide your bones! Can you see ours? You could do this egg hunt style like we did or use a whole bunch and make a whole excavation site, how cool would that be?
- Time to hunt for some dinosaur bones. Think he was excited?
- Dig them out.
- He closed his eyes while I re hid the bones.
- Hunt all over again.
This Backyard Dinosaur Dig can be a quick or a much longer adventure. After finding the bones don’t forget about writing or drawing a scientific report detailing your findings!
Books to go with Your Backyard Dinosaur Dig
Dinosaurs!
Encyclopedia Prehistorica Dinosaurs: The Definitive Pop-Up
Dinosaur Roar! Board Book
Amy @ FitMommas says
What a cute idea! My (dinosaur-obsessed) boys will love this!
Leah says
love this idea! 🙂 we did something similiar for my daughter’s 3rd birthday party (it was winter and had to be inside!) i used dog bones (as in the dental bones??) and hid them in an indoor sandbox…the kids had a blast digging for them..and all the neighborhood dogs had a treat at the end 😉
welcome to our wonderland says
your back yard is awesome!!!
my dogs would love any bones the girls don’t find 🙂
Julie says
We love the Encyclopedia Prehistorica books! DS received the dinosaur one for Christmas and I just bought the other two, sea monsters and prehistoric mammals. Both are just as good as the first.
Jeneva says
Love the hat, I totally need to get some for my kids! And I love the use of dog bones! You are so creative. We did a dino dig in a big water/sand table with soil and mini dino skeletons. I also considered buying those dino skeleton 3-D puzzles! but knew it would be too much right now. This stuff is a blast! http://thecaveschool.blogspot.com/2011/04/thee-dino-dig.html
admin says
Jeneva – we have a ton of those puzzles and you just gave me a great idea!!
danielle says
Now THAT is cute! And seriously…can’t you just buy that little cape cod down the street so I can send my hooligans your way for all the fun. Meanwhile stay home eating bon-bons and finally get to read a whole page of jane eyre without interruption! 😉
…danielle
Kim says
I am going to have to do this. I made a rock pit a couple of years ago for Cole out of a kiddie swimming pool that I drilled holes in the bottom of. i filled it with pea gravel and river rock. It is his little quarry. I am going to have to do this in that pit. The kids will have a blast. Fantastic idea!
katepickle says
Oh I’ve seen those bones at our local shop too… what a great idea, my kids would love to do this when the weather improves! Thanks!
Alana says
So much better than using chicken bones. Cleaning those are a pain and a risk for our dog, so we can’t hide them outside. She’ll love “cleaning up” too!
Paul Stickland says
Hi, thanks so much for the mention of Dinosaur Roar! Free Dinosaur Roar colouring pages here http://www.paulstickland.co.uk/#1056586/Free-Dinosaur-Downloads Roar!!
Kathy says
Terrific idea!