Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Make Your Own Dinosaur Feet
- StageEarly Years
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Make Your Own Dinosaur Feet is a free printable craft activity from the Mini Minds Hub. It pairs dinosaurs with making, and it invites children to join a jurassic adventure by creating their own dinosaur feet.
It comes 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. This is a making activity, so there are no answers to mark.
What is on the sheet
Children make their own dinosaur feet. The sheet is a creative task, not a test, so there are no right or wrong answers. Each child decides how their dinosaur feet will look, which makes every pair different. It suits children who love dinosaurs, and it works well as a quiet making session at a table or on the floor.
Ways to make your dinosaur feet your own
Choose a dinosaur
Decide which kind of dinosaur your feet belong to. A big heavy plant eater might have wide, solid feet. A fast hunter might have long toes. Let your child pick and explain the choice.
Add claws and toes
Think about how many toes your dinosaur has and what its claws look like. Children can draw, colour or add shapes to show sharp claws or blunt ones.
Choose colours and patterns
Real dinosaur colours are mostly unknown, so children are free to invent. Try scales, spots, stripes or rough skin patterns. Talk about why they chose them.
Name your dinosaur
Give the dinosaur a name and make up a short fact about it. Say where it lives and what it likes to do. This turns a craft into a story.
Why dinosaurs and making go together
Dinosaurs are a favourite topic for many children, and they invite big imagination. Nobody has ever seen a living dinosaur, so there is room to think, invent and wonder. Making something connected to a topic they love keeps children interested for longer, and it gives them a real object to talk about afterwards.
Making activities build the small hand movements children need for writing, such as holding, pressing and controlling a pencil or crayon. They also let children make choices and solve small problems, such as how to get a shape right. In art and design, children use a range of materials creatively to design and make products. This sheet gives them a fun reason to do that.
Adults should do any cutting that needs a sharp tool, and craft knives are never for children. Use child safe scissors for anything else. Keep small craft items away from very young children.
Dinosaur feet facts
- Dinosaurs lived millions of years ago, long before people.
- We know about dinosaurs from fossils. Some fossils are bones and some are footprints.
- Some dinosaurs walked on two legs and some walked on four.
- Dinosaur footprints can show how big an animal was and which way it was going.
- Birds are living relatives of some kinds of dinosaur.
Skills and curriculum link
- Creativity
- Imagination
- Fine motor control
- Following instructions
- Making choices
- Talking about ideas
Helping your child get the most from it
- Ask before you showAsk your child what their dinosaur might be like before you suggest ideas. Their own thinking is the point of the activity.
- Praise the choicesComment on specific choices, such as the colours or the claws. This is more useful than saying it is good.
- Let it be messyCraft work does not need to look perfect. Mistakes often lead to the best ideas.
- Join inMake your own pair too. Children enjoy comparing and often copy the way adults experiment.
Key words
- DinosaurA kind of animal that lived millions of years ago. Most are now extinct.
- FossilThe remains or marks of a living thing from long ago, preserved in rock.
- FootprintThe mark a foot leaves behind.
- ClawA sharp curved nail on the end of a toe.
- ExtinctNo longer alive anywhere in the world.
- DesignTo plan how something will look before you make it.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has notes and ideas for you.
- Read the sheet together and check what it asks you to use. Gather those items before you start.
- Talk about dinosaurs for a minute. Ask which one your child would like to be.
- Let your child make the feet in their own way. Offer help only when they ask for it.
- Finish by asking your child to show and describe their dinosaur feet. Keep them somewhere safe to enjoy again.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Start by drawing round a real foot or looking at a picture of a dinosaur footprint. Break the job into small parts and do one at a time. Offer two choices, such as spots or stripes, so there is less to decide at once.
To stretch confident children
Design a second pair for a different dinosaur. Make them as unlike the first pair as you can, in size, toes and colour. Then explain to someone why each dinosaur needs its own kind of feet.
Make it a game
Play guess the dinosaur. One player hides their finished feet and describes them in three clues. The others guess which dinosaur they belong to. Swap roles and see who can give the clearest clues.
Talk about it
- Which dinosaur did you pick, and why?
- How are your dinosaur's feet different from your own?
- Why might a big dinosaur need wide feet?
- What would it be like to walk in these feet for a day?
- What could footprints tell us about a dinosaur?
- What would you change if you made a second pair?
Take it off the page
Footprint trail
Make a trail of dinosaur footprints along a path using chalk outside or paper indoors. Ask a friend to follow the trail and guess the dinosaur.
Dinosaur sort
Gather toy dinosaurs or pictures. Sort them by size, number of legs or what they ate. Talk about how you decided.
Mud and sand prints
Press toy feet or your own hands into damp sand or play dough. Look at the marks left behind, just as fossil hunters study footprints.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit with your child at the start, then step back. Show interest in their choices and avoid correcting how it looks. A short chat about dinosaurs first can get ideas flowing.
Teachers
Use it as a dinosaur topic starter, a wet play activity or a quiet making task. It links to art and design, and it can lead into talk and writing, such as describing or naming the dinosaur. Children can display their work in the classroom.
Home educators
This works well as a rainy day task or part of a dinosaur themed day. Children of different ages can do it together, each at their own level. Older children can add detail and written descriptions.
Where this fits in your child's learning
Before this, children enjoy free making with paper, crayons and simple shapes. They learn to hold tools, make choices and talk about what they have made. Dinosaur picture books and toys give them the ideas to draw on.
After this, children can move on to more planned making, where they design something first and then build it. They can also write about their dinosaur, or later study fossils and how we learn about animals from the past in science.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- Is this sheet free?
Yes. It is a free printable from the Mini Minds Hub by Jaques of London. You can print it as many times as you like for home or classroom use. Black and white printing works well.
- How long does it take?
It depends on your child and how much detail they add. No completion time is given for this sheet. Let your child work at their own pace, and come back to it later if they want to add more.
- Are there answers?
No. This is a creative making activity, so there are no right or wrong answers. Page 2 gives notes on how to use the sheet, help for children who find it hard and a stretch idea.
- What do we need?
Check the sheet and gather what it asks for before you begin. Have a pencil or crayons to hand, as children often like to add their own touches.
- Can children do it alone?
Many can once they know what to do. Younger children may want company and help with anything tricky. Adults should do any cutting that needs a sharp tool.
- What age is it for?
It suits children who enjoy dinosaurs and making things, mostly in the early primary years. Younger children may need more help, and older children can add detail and stories.
- Can I use it in the classroom?
Yes. It works well as a topic starter, a wet play task or a quiet making session. It links to art and design, and children can talk or write about their finished dinosaur.
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.