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These dinosaurs can stand by themselves!

What You’ll Need

thick cardboard, about 1/8 inch thick
pictures or illustrations of dinosaurs
pencil
scissors
paints
paintbrushes

Instructions

1. Pick out a picture or illustration of the dinosaur you'd like to make. It should show the sideview or profile of the dinosaur. Photocopy the picture, enlarging or reducing it to the desired size.

2. Cut the copied picture, cutting off the dinosaur's legs. Trace the dinosaur shape on the cardboard with a pencil and then cut the shape out. Cut a small slot out of the dinosaur's body, right about where the front and rear legs would be.

3. On another piece of cardboard, draw the dinosaur's legs. Draw the front legs so that they are beside each other, facing front, with a little space in between. Cut out a slot in between the legs, about 1/2 inch long. Do the same for the rear legs.

4. Paint the dinosaur in the desired color. Use markers to add eyes, nose, mouth and other features. Let dry completely.

5. When the cardboard pieces are dry, push the legs into the appropriate slots. Make some more dinosaurs!

6. If you like, you could also make trees, rocks, etc. and set up a dinosaur scene!

To set up for a scene you would also need to make dinosaurs in different sizes so don't forget them! Set up this project in assembly line style - do all of your photocopying and cutting of the picture at once, then do the tracing, then the cutting, etc. If you do it assembly line style then the dinosaurs will all be ready to play with around the same time.

This would be a great project to do with a small number of children since each one could work on something different for the scene - one could make trees, one could paint the background, one could make rocks. Also, switch the kids out after some of the work is done so they each get a chance to work on every part of the project.

Submitted by Leximom