Dino Fact or Fib Game: Free Printable Game for Year 4

Dino Fact or Fib Game is a free printable game for Year 4 (ages 8 to 9). Children read dinosaur statements and decide which are true facts and which are fibs. It needs only a pencil, it is screen free, and page 2 gives the grown-up notes, help for children who find it hard and a stretch idea.

It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.

What is on the sheet

Children play a fact or fib game about dinosaurs. They read each statement carefully and decide whether it is true or a fib. A grown-up can read the statements aloud, and the child answers with thumbs up or thumbs down. It works as a quick game, and it also gets children explaining why they made their choice.

Why fact or fib works for Year 4

Dinosaur facts to share

• A fossil is the remains or trace of a living thing that has been preserved in rock.
• Fossils form very slowly, over a huge amount of time.
• Scientists who study fossils are called palaeontologists.
• Footprints can become fossils too. They are called trace fossils.
• We know about dinosaurs mainly because people have found and studied their fossils.

Skills and curriculum link

• Scientific thinking
• Careful reading
• Giving evidence
• Listening
• Speaking in full sentences

Ideas to help children judge a statement

• Look for extreme wordsWords such as always, never, all and only can make a statement a fib. Ask your child whether there could be an exception.
• Think about what living things needAnimals need food, water and a place to live. Ask whether a statement fits what a living thing would need.
• Say how you knowAsk where an idea came from, such as a book, a museum visit or a programme. Knowing the source helps children trust a fact.
• Check with a bookIf you cannot agree, look it up together in a children's book or a museum website. Checking is what scientists do.

Key words

• FactSomething that is true and can be checked.
• FibA statement that is not true.
• FossilThe remains or trace of a living thing from long ago, preserved in rock.
• PalaeontologistA scientist who studies fossils.
• HabitatThe place where a living thing lives and finds what it needs.
• EvidenceInformation that helps you show whether something is true.

How to use it

1. Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has notes for the grown-up.
2. Read the rules out loud together, so everyone plays the same game.
3. Play it as a game. A grown-up reads a statement and the child does thumbs up or thumbs down.
4. Talk about each choice. Ask, "What makes you think that?" The reasoning matters as much as the answer.
5. Check with the notes on page 2, then come back another day. Repeating a familiar game builds confidence.

Help, stretch and game ideas

Talk about it

• How do you decide whether a statement is a fact or a fib?
• Which statement surprised you most? Why?
• What could you use to check a fact if you were not sure?
• Why do you think scientists use fossils to learn about the past?
• Can you think of a fib that sounds believable? What makes it tricky?
• What would you most like to find out about dinosaurs?

Take it off the page

Who it is for

Where this fits in learning

Before this game, children in Key Stage 2 meet ideas about living things and where they live. They sort animals and plants, talk about habitats and begin to ask questions about the world around them.

After it, children can go on to research a topic of their own, write fact files and check information in more than one source. The habit of asking "how do we know?" supports science lessons and reading with understanding in later years.

Questions parents and teachers ask

What age is Dino Fact or Fib Game for?

It is written for Year 4 (ages 8 to 9), in Key Stage 2. Younger children can play too if a grown-up reads the statements aloud. Older children may enjoy it as a quick game before writing their own fact or fib statements.

What will children practise?

Children practise scientific thinking, careful reading and giving evidence. They judge whether statements are true or false using what they know about living things and their habitats, which fits Year 4 science.

How do I play it?

A grown-up reads a statement and the child does thumbs up for a fact or thumbs down for a fib. Talk about each choice. Take turns being the reader, so everyone practises listening as well as knowing.

What if it feels too hard?

Cover the questions and answer in pairs. Talk about one statement at a time and say what you already know. It is fine to be unsure. Look things up together afterwards, then try the game again another day.

Is it free to print?

Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers, sisters or other groups. It is two A4 pages, and black and white printing works well on plain paper.

Is it a screen free activity?

Yes. It needs only paper and a pencil, so it suits quiet time, rainy days and school holidays. Children read, think, talk and write by hand, which gives eyes a rest from screens.

How long does it take?

There is no set time. Keep rounds short, because two quick games work better than one long one. Stop when interest fades and come back another day. Page 2 has ideas to make it easier or harder.