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By Kim Vij 3 Comments

Dinosaur Shapes Game for Kids

Creating dinosaur shapes with playdough is the challenge I’m sharing with you this month for Virtual Book Club for Kids.  This fun dinosaur game for kids was inspired by the book Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs.  This game is ideal for a toddler activity, preschool activity, and even Kindergarten activity.  Here’s how to play…

Dinosaur Shapes Game for Preschoolers and Toddlers

This post contains affiliate links. 

Dinosaur Shapes Game

Materials 

  • Playdough
  • Cardstock Paper 
  • Contact Paper or Laminator  
  • Markers or Crayons
  • plastic knife
  • rolling pin 
Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs by Mo Willems

Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs by Mo Willems 

Directions

1. Read the story Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs. Discuss the story and the characters in the story.  Now it’s dinosaur time!

2. Draw a dinosaur onto a piece of Cardstock Paper or construction paper. {Below is a link if you need help} For older kids I would have them draw the dinosaur themselves with some guidance from you. When you draw the dinosaur and the head, neck, body, legs, and tail but do not add any details on the back to allow for the playdough game pieces.

3. Cover the dinosaur with Contact Paper or send it through a Laminator to create a playdough workmat.

Dinosaur Shapes Fine Motor

4. Get out various colors of Playdough  for the shapes.  Use a plastic knife and plastic rolling pin like in this playdough tool kit  to create the various shapes including circles, triangles, squares, rectangles and diamonds.   This is the time to model for them how to do it and encourage them to work on those fine motor skills.  We used a different color for each shape to help us for the next part of this game.

Dinosaur Shapes for Kids with Playdough

5. Now that you have a many pieces of a shape cut out add them onto the dinosaur to create the back design for ways a dinosaur can protect themselves.  Ask your child to practice lining them up all the way down from the head to the tail one by one using those fine motor and counting skills.

6. Switch it up and do a different shape on the dinosaur.

Dinosaur Shapes Patterning with Playdough

7.  CHALLENGE: For the bigger kids at home challenge them to create a pattern with their shapes on the dinosaur.  My 5 year old came up with square square  triangle triangle circle for her first pattern… my mind was blown.  I totally thought she’d do the typical AB pattern with square triangle square triangle.  My guess is maybe they have been working on patterns recently at preschool, because we haven’t been.  She sat and made pattern for quite a long time, I could tell she really enjoyed making the shapes and doing this activity.

Dinosaur Game for Kids with Playdough and Shapes

You might enjoy this additional Dinosaur Activities plus our Virtual Book Club for Kids Ideas below… 

  • Watch a Read Aloud Video of Goldlocks and the Three Dinosaurs
  • Watch how to Draw a Dinosaur by Art for Kids Hub
  • Explore more Dinosaur Math Games 
  • Create your own DIY Dinosaur T-Shirt 

LOVE MO WILLEMS BOOKS?  Check out this post about the Pigeon and the Bus book activities and MORE!

More Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs Activities

  • Dinosaur Alphabet Board Game  ::  Mom Inspired Life
  • Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs Sensory Retelling  ::  Growing Book by Book
  • Hot Chocolate and Pudding  ::  Sugar Spice and Glitter
  • Dinosaur Ice Egg Preschool Experiment  ::  Preschool Powol Packets
  • Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs Gross Motor  ::  3 Dinosaurs
  • LEGO Norwegian Flag  ::  Mama Miss
  • Build a Trap for Dinosaurs  ::  Inspiration Laboratories
  • Dinosaur Letters  ::  The Pleasantest Thing
  • How Many?  Questions for Dinosaur Math  ::  Rainy Day Mum
  • Paper Plate Dinosaur Name Craft :: Toddler Approved
Button STEM Activity Challenge for Kids
The ultimate collection of shape activities for preschoolers
Playdough flower with rock and numbers

Like this idea? Pin for later or share now with a friend!

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Filed Under: Kids Games, Math Tagged With: Dinosaurs, math, Mo Willems, playdough, Preschool, Shapes, Toddler, Virtual Book Club for Kids

About Kim Vij

Early childhood teacher, author, speaker and mom of 3. Kim shares ways to make learning fun and parenting an adventure by sharing developmentally appropriate activities.

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Comments

  1. Jodie Rodriguez says

    May 2, 2016 at 7:50 pm

    What a fun way to learn about shapes!

    Reply
  2. Trisha Stanley says

    May 3, 2016 at 10:18 am

    I love that you used play dough for the shapes. Great activity!

    Reply
  3. Michelle says

    May 4, 2016 at 3:13 pm

    This is a cute idea. Clara loves play-dough so this would be perfect for us.

    Reply

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Kim Vij

Early childhood teacher, author, speaker and mom of 3. Kim Vij shares ways to make learning fun and parenting an adventure by sharing all kinds of easy kid crafts, activities and even recipes for kids!
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