Dollar Store Dinosaur Table

Materials Needed from the dollar store: Storage bin, fake moss, brown box/basket paper shred, different sized rocks, colored rocks, sand. 

Instructions: Dump materials on table, watch kids have a blast. My kids seemed to really enjoy this table. They made up stories about the dinosaurs, decided the green rocks were either treasure or dinosaur eggs, and made a meeting place for all the elder dinosaurs. Clean up is easy, just sweep it all back into the bin and bring out another day! 

Animal Track Fossils

Materials needed: 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup salt, 1 tbsp cooking oil, 1 tbsp cream of tartare, 1 cup boiling water, animal toys with different feet.
Step 1: Making the dough. Combine flour, salt, cooking oil, cream of tartare in a large bowl. Add in the cup of boiling water and slowly mix it. It is really important to make sure the water is boiling. I tried with just hot water and the play dough had a completely different consistency. Once it cools a bit, have an adult clump the mixture together until it is cool enough for kids to handle. Knead until desired consistency is reached. Feel free to add some sand to give it a cool texture when it's finished.

Recycled Crab Craft Activities

Possible Materials needed: Red soda cap, red foam paper, yellow foam balls, glitter, sand, water, jar, foil, googly eyes, green/yellow thread, tape, hot glue, etc.

There are so many things you can do with this cute little guy once you make him. All you have to do is glue two googly eyes to the top or side of a bottle cap and cut out some red claws and legs out of red foam paper. (If you aren't planning on using water, use red construction paper.) However, while you're waiting on this little dude to dry, start creating a home for him. You can be creative. I tried creating a sensory bin for him to live in, jars filled with different items. Submit your crab homes to kiddocrafts@gmail.com to be added to the blog!

Dinosaur Swamp Land! (Not as gross as it looks!)

Swamp Land Sensory Play Bin

Materials Needed: Dark colored sand, water, sticks, rocks, plants, dried up leaves, aqua beads, yellow/green foam balls.

Here is a messy looking swamp land for your child to enjoy and explore. I started by adding a small layer of dark colored sand and adding some water. Once you stir the mixture up, it'll look like dark swampy water. Next walk around outside and find some items to include (Rocks, sticks, plant life, dried leaves etc.) I added in two extra items, that are completely optional. First I dropped a bunch of aqua beads (dollar store) in some blue paint, rolled them around on a paper towel to remove some of the paint, then let them dry outside in the sun for an hour. This creates a mystery egg type object your kids will love. They are squishy, slippery, and almost disappear once they fall into the water. Next I added a couple of foam sticky balls (dollar store) to create an algae effect that will float on the water top.