Sam and I spent many afternoons this summer on the back deck being paleontologists (dino hunters according to Sam). We froze some of his smaller plastic dino models in a block of water and used a toy hammer to chip them out of the ice. This is a pretty simple activity to get setup, it makes hot afternoons go a bit faster, and you get to cool down eating ice chips as you go. You just have to remember to start freezing the dinos the night before. Also, I recommend not using your child’s favourite dino toys. We accidentally broke off the head of one dino and some spikes from a stegosaurus as we enthusiastically hammered away. Perhaps you can pick up a small bag of dinos at the dollar store. We scored some at the thrift store one day and have designated them for crafty use.
Here are the supplies you will need for this project:
- small dino toys (4-6)
- plastic food storage container (we use a square Ziploc brand one that is 32 oz/946 ml)
- water
- freezer
- toy hammer (wood, not plastic)
- toy screw driver (again, wood not plastic)
- hot summer day
If you’ve got quite the dino lover in your life, I think they will really have fun with this activity. If you’re looking for some other dino ideas, I’ve started a Pinterest board that might inspire you! Happy dino hunting!