Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Dinosaur Colour By Number
- StageEarly Years
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Dinosaur Colour By Number is a free printable activity sheet for primary age children. They follow a number code to colour in dinosaurs, bringing colour to the Cretaceous and joy to the Jurassic. It needs only colouring pencils or crayons and a little patience, and it suits a quiet moment at home or in class.
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. Page 2 has notes on how to use the sheet, help for children who find it hard and a stretch idea.
What is on the sheet
Children use a number code to decide which colour goes where on the dinosaurs. They read the number in a space, find that number in the code and colour the space to match. The sheet asks for careful looking, steady colouring and patience. When it is finished, the dinosaurs are ready to display, talk about or use as a starting point for learning about prehistoric life.
What children practise while they colour
Reading a key
The number code works like the key on a map. Children learn that a symbol or number stands for something else, and that they must check it each time.
Careful looking
Each space has to be matched to the right number. Children slow down, scan the picture and notice small details.
Pencil control
Colouring inside small spaces builds the hand strength and control that later help with handwriting.
Staying with a task
A picture grows slowly, one space at a time. Children see their effort turn into a finished piece of work.
Dinosaurs, the Jurassic and the Cretaceous
Dinosaurs lived during a very long stretch of Earth's history called the Mesozoic Era. It is split into three periods: the Triassic, the Jurassic and the Cretaceous. The Jurassic came before the Cretaceous. These periods last for millions of years each, and the dinosaurs died out long before the first people appeared.
We know about dinosaurs from fossils. A fossil is the remains or marks of a living thing, preserved in rock. Scientists called palaeontologists study fossils to work out how animals looked, what they ate and how they lived. Fossils have been found in many places, including the United Kingdom, so children can connect this topic to real places.
Dinosaur facts to share
- Some dinosaurs ate plants and others ate meat.
- Dinosaurs hatched from eggs.
- The word dinosaur was first used by a British scientist called Richard Owen.
- Birds are living relatives of the dinosaurs.
- For most dinosaurs, scientists cannot be sure what colour they were, so colouring them is a chance to imagine.
Skills and curriculum link
- Following a number code
- Number recognition
- Fine motor control
- Attention to detail
- Prehistoric vocabulary
Ideas for the grown up helping
- Say the dinosaur wordsSay words like Jurassic and Cretaceous aloud together before colouring. Long names feel easier once children have heard them a few times.
- Talk about orderExplain that the Jurassic came before the Cretaceous. A simple strip of paper with two labels can show that one period followed the other.
- Look for cluesFossils are clues in rock. Ask your child what clues they would leave behind if someone studied them millions of years from now.
- Imagine with evidenceScientists often cannot know a dinosaur's true colour. Let your child say why they would pick certain colours for a dinosaur and where it might live.
Key words
- DinosaurA kind of reptile that lived on Earth millions of years ago.
- JurassicA period of time in the age of dinosaurs. It came before the Cretaceous.
- CretaceousThe last period of the age of dinosaurs.
- FossilThe remains or marks of a living thing, kept in rock for a very long time.
- PalaeontologistA scientist who studies fossils to learn about life long ago.
- Number codeA list that tells you which colour to use for each number.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes, help ideas and stretch task.
- Look at the number code together. Ask your child to point to a number and say which colour it asks for.
- Colour one number at a time. Find every space with that number, colour them all, then move on.
- Check the picture when it is finished. Look for any spaces that were missed or coloured with the wrong colour.
- Talk about the dinosaurs. Ask which one your child likes best and what they think it ate.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Pick one number from the code. Find every space with that number and colour them all before moving on. Tick the number in the code when it is done. A finger or a ruler under the row helps you keep your place.
To stretch confident children
Make your own number code picture. Draw a simple dinosaur outline, split it into spaces, write a number in each one and make a key. Swap with a friend and see if they can colour it correctly. Then write two sentences about your dinosaur.
Make it a game
Play Call and Colour in pairs. One player calls a number from the code. The other finds a space with that number and colours it. Swap roles after each turn until the picture is finished.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child colours a space with the wrong colour because they forgot the code.
Try thisKeep the code beside the picture. Say the number, then the colour, aloud before each space. Touch the code each time until it feels automatic.
Watch forA child misses small spaces and the picture has gaps.
Try thisWork through one number at a time and tick it off. At the end, scan the picture slowly from top to bottom.
Watch forColouring goes over the lines and the spaces become hard to read.
Try thisTurn the pencil to use the point near edges and the side for large areas. Press lightly at first. Short breaks can help tired hands.
Talk about it
- Which dinosaur on the sheet do you like best, and why?
- What do you think this dinosaur ate?
- Why do you think a number code is a useful way to colour a picture?
- Scientists do not always know what colour dinosaurs were. What colours would you guess?
- What do you think a fossil is? How could it help us learn about dinosaurs?
- If you could meet a dinosaur, what would you want to ask it?
Take it off the page
Fossil prints
Press a shell, leaf or toy dinosaur foot into playdough or air dry clay, then lift it away. Look at the shape left behind. This shows how marks can be kept as clues.
Make your own number code
Draw a simple shape on squared paper and write numbers in the squares. Write a key beside it that links each number to a colour. Ask someone to colour it.
Sort the dinosaurs
Use toy dinosaurs or drawings. Sort them by size, then by whether they walked on two legs or four. Talk about what makes each group different.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child to read the code together, then let them lead. Short sessions work well, and the sheet can be finished over more than one day. Talk about dinosaurs as they colour.
Teachers
Use it as a calm settling task, a wet play activity or a starter for a dinosaur topic. It supports reading a key and fine motor control, and can lead into discussion about fossils and prehistoric life.
Home educators
Pair the sheet with library books about dinosaurs or a visit to a local museum. Children can colour first and then look for the real animals in books, comparing their choices with the pictures.
Where this fits in your child's learning
Before this sheet, children usually practise recognising numbers, matching them to pictures and holding a pencil or crayon with control. Simple colouring pages and matching games build these skills.
After it, children can try larger number code pictures, make their own keys and learn more about prehistoric life. Later in Key Stage 2 science, children meet fossils when they study rocks.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- Is Dinosaur Colour By Number free?
Yes. It is free to download and print from the Mini Minds Hub. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for the notes, help ideas and stretch task.
- What do children need to complete it?
They need the printed sheet and colouring pencils or crayons. Follow the number code on the sheet to choose each colour. A spare pencil or two is useful if several children share.
- How long does it take?
It depends on the child and how carefully they colour. Some finish in one go, others return to it over a few short sessions. There is no need to rush.
- Is this a history activity?
It is a light introduction to prehistoric life, not a full history lesson. It helps children talk about the Jurassic and the Cretaceous, and about how long ago dinosaurs lived.
- Does my child have to use the colours in the code?
To practise following the code, yes. If you want a free, creative picture, children can choose their own colours. Either way works, so decide what you want the activity to achieve.
- Can I use it in a classroom?
Yes. It works as a settling task, a wet play activity or a starter for a dinosaur topic. Children can colour independently, then share what they know about dinosaurs with a partner.
- What is on page 2?
Page 2 is for the grown up. It has notes on how to use the sheet, help for children who find it hard and a stretch idea. Keep it for yourself until your child has finished.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.