Let your inner dinosaur roar with this adorable triceratops craft for preschool!
Dinosaurs are an all time favorite for kids of all ages. Living more than 65 million years ago, these now extinct creatures have peaked the interest of many since their discovery.
Through the study of fossil bones, tracks, and other items found, scientists have been able to piece together a period where these giant reptiles have ruled the earth. Sparking the curiosity of students young and old, the history of dinosaurs is a popular topic when it comes to learning.
Dinosaur Crafts
To encourage further education and growth for little ones, a great way to help young paleontologists learn about the prehistoric world of dinosaurs would be with a project, of course! A wonderful learning activity for your favorite dinosaur lover is to create a super simple triceratops craft.
Facts About the Triceratops
With the triceratops being one of the most well-known and popular dinosaurs of its time, here are ten fun facts to get started!
- The Triceratops is the official state dinosaur of Wyoming.
- The name Triceratops means ‘three-horned face’ in the Greek language.
- A Triceratops had between 400 and 800 teeth over its lifetime.
- The Triceratops weighed up to 12 tons… That’s about the same weight as 2 male elephants!
- The neck frill on the Triceratops was full of spikes. This helped them to protect them from attacks and to also attract species-specific mates.
- Living as an herbivore, the Triceratops loved to indulge on fibrous plant life.
- In 1887, the first Triceratops fossil (including horns) was found in Colorado.
- The Triceratops measured over 10 feet tall, which is taller than a 1-story building!
- Horns of the Triceratops were often used for fighting, whether it was to fend off their enemy T-Rex, or to impress a girl by defeating another male triceratops.
- The mouth of the Triceratops was shaped like a beak, much like a parrot.
Now that you know some super cool facts about the Triceratops, let’s get crafting!
Triceratops Craft for Preschool
Age: 3+ with adult supervision
Time: 20 minutes
Materials:
- Egg carton
- Pipe Cleaners
- Cupcake Liner
- Scissors
- Googly eyes
- Glue
- Pen/Pencil
- Paint and Paintbrush (optional)
Instructions:
- Cut the egg carton into individual sections.
- Color each section if desired with paint and paintbrush. Let dry. We liked the color of our egg carton, so we opted not to paint.
- Glue googly eyes onto the top of an individual section. Let dry.
- Using a pen or pencil, poke three small holes (2 above the eyes and 1 below) for the horns. Adults may have to help very early learners with this part.
- Trim a pipe cleaner into small pieces (roughly 1 inch or so). Again, adults may have to help with the cutting. Insert 1 cut piece into each hole to make the horns.
- Fold a cupcake liner in half and glue to the bottom of egg section. This will be the frill of Triceratops.
- Let dry completely and enjoy!
Show Us Your Triceratops Crafts!
Did you make your own Triceratops craft? We’d love to see it! Snap a picture and tag us on Instagram @ThatKidsCraftSite!