If you’re anything like me, you know how much kids love dinosaurs. There’s just something about those giant, mysterious creatures that sparks instant excitement. That’s why I wanted to share some dinosaur-themed ideas and digital resources that I think could really help you make the most out of your dinosaur week—or any time you want to bring some dino-mite fun into your classroom.
These dinosaur activity ideas are easy to use, super engaging, and (best of all) tied to learning goals without feeling forced. Did I mention that the dinosaur theme read aloud lessons are free? YEP! You will find the link in the middle of this blog post.
Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs: As Retold by Mo Willems is a super funny spin on the classic fairy tale we all know. This time, instead of bears, we’ve got three sneaky dinosaurs—Papa Dinosaur, Mama Dinosaur, and a dinosaur visiting from Norway—who set a trap with bowls of chocolate pudding and conveniently leave their house wide open. Of course, Goldilocks wanders in, but things don’t go quite the way they do in the original story. Willems’ humor and silly illustrations make this version a blast to read, and it’s perfect for sparking conversations about being aware of your surroundings (and maybe not trusting open doors too easily!). Kids love the playful twists, and you’ll have just as much fun reading it aloud.
An interactive read-aloud in a kindergarten classroom is really just you, the teacher, doing the reading so your students can focus on understanding the story. You’re handling all the tricky decoding work—figuring out the words—while they get to dive into the meaning, make predictions, and connect with the story in their own way. As you read, you’re modeling what good reading sounds like, using expression, pausing to ask questions, and encouraging them to think out loud.
This setup takes the pressure off kids who are still learning to sound out words and lets them concentrate on what the story is actually about. It’s a great way to build comprehension skills, build oral fluency, and, most importantly, help kids fall in love with reading from the very beginning.
Here are a few photos of these lessons in action!
Using a Venn diagram, students compared how Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs compared to the traditional version of the story.
Once we have had the chance to discuss the story, students work on their own versions.
Retelling a story in sequential order helps kids recall key events and understand how a story flows from beginning to end. It builds comprehension, memory, and sets the foundation for stronger storytelling skills.
Opinion writing lets kids share their thoughts about a story and back them up with reasons. It builds critical thinking, encourages personal connections, and helps them learn to express ideas clearly and confidently.
We love to include a fun craft for each of our read aloud activities. Not only are they cute, these dinosaur crafts are also a great activity to help little hands develop fine motor skills. They are made out of construction paper and students can use different colors to create Goldilocks! These turned out pretty cute!
You can grab this free set of lesson plans and craft for Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs by clicking the button below.
Here are some of my other favorite dinosaur books! You will find a brief book summary for each book below.
Dinosaur Lady by Linda Skeers shares the true story of Mary Anning, a groundbreaking fossil hunter. It inspires young readers with themes of curiosity, perseverance, and breaking barriers in science.
Dinosaurs Galore! by Giles Andreae is a fun, rhyming picture book that introduces kids to a variety of dinosaurs. With playful poems and vibrant illustrations, it’s perfect for sparking curiosity and celebrating every dino lover’s favorite prehistoric creatures.
How to Catch a Dinosaur by Adam Wallace is a playful, rhyming adventure where kids dream up creative traps to catch a speedy dinosaur. Packed with humor, clever ideas, and lively illustrations, it’s perfect for young dino enthusiasts.
Weird but True! Dinosaurs by National Geographic Kids is packed with fun, surprising facts about different types of dinosaurs. With eye-catching photos and quirky trivia, it’s perfect for dino enthusiasts who love learning weird, wild, and totally true prehistoric facts!
Here are a few more! I have created Listening Center Activities for these. You can check them out by clicking HERE.
We love a fun poem! As students recite the poem they will also have images of different dinosaurs to manipulate.
You can find out more about these activities by clicking:
Some students might still be developing their fine motor muscles, so tracing the sentences might be helpful. Otherwise there is handwriting printable worksheets as well!
You can combine your dinosaur day or week learning with some ELA skills.
These centers have 12 math and literacy activities that are perfect for kindergarten. This set of activities includes editable pages so you can add your own sight words or math skills like addition or subtraction.
You can have students explore fossils! One option is to use salt dough and bake them.
I love salt dough, but sometimes you need something quick and easy!
Playdough is a great option! Finally something to do with that brown playdough! Ha!
I picked up these little dinosaur toys at Target a million years ago, but here are other dinosaur figures that might be helpful (Amazon Links):
I hope these ideas give you some fresh inspiration for your dinosaur-themed activities! Whether you are looking for dinosaur worksheets or a few new fun activities to add to your week, I hope you found a few ideas!
As always, I’d love to hear how these ideas work in your classroom. If you try any of them out, let me know what your kiddos think!
Happy teaching!
If you love Goldilocks, you will love this blog post!
My teaching career allowed me to experience teaching in different classroom environments and grades. My heart belongs to early childhood education. My job is to make teaching FUN, ENGAGING, and EASIER. Welcome!
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2 Responses
Thank you for sharing this article with us! I believe there will be more people like me, they can find many interesting things in this article of you!
Thank you for sharing! My kids also love dinosaurs.