# Dinosaur Fossil Ornaments
> Press dinosaur skeleton figurines into rounds of salt dough to make fossil prints, bake them, then paint and glitter around the impression to make Christmas ornaments. It's a simple way to start learning about fossils using mostly household supplies.
- URL: https://www.funlittles.com/christmas-crafts-kids-dinosaur-fossils-ornament/
- Ages: 3–8 yrs · Difficulty: easy · Mess: medium
- Time: prep 15 min, activity 40 min
- Works for: one-on-one, small group, whole class · one batch serves about 4 kids
- Skills: fossil-science, fine-motor, art, painting
- Cautions: wheat-gluten, ingestion-risk

## Materials (one batch)
- 2 cup All-purpose flour (household)
- 1 cup Salt (household)
- Warm water (household)
- Dinosaur skeleton (fossil) figurines
- 1 piece Rolling pin or dough kneading tools (household)
- 1 piece Jar lid (household)
- 1 piece Baking sheet (household)
- Acrylic paint
- Paint brushes
- Glitter
- 1 piece Paint palette with wells
- String or twine (household)

## Safety
- An adult handles the oven. Bake at 250°F and let the ornaments cool completely before kids touch them.
- Salt dough is not food. It is very salty and can make children and pets sick if eaten, so don't let kids taste the dough and keep it away from pets.
- Small dinosaur figurines and glitter are choking hazards for children under 3. Supervise closely.
- Keep glitter away from eyes, and wash hands after mixing dough and painting.
- Acrylic paint can stain clothes and surfaces. Use smocks and cover the table.

## Before you start
- Clear oven time: the ornaments need to bake for 2-3 hours at 250°F before they can be painted, so plan the painting for a second session.

## Steps
1. Mix 2 cups of all-purpose flour and 1 cup of salt, then add warm water a little at a time until it becomes a dough.
2. Roll out the dough, a little thicker than in the pictures.
3. Press a jar lid into the dough to cut out a nice circle for your ornament.
4. Press a dinosaur figurine into the circle to make a fossil print.
5. Poke a small hole near the top for the string.
6. Adult: bake the ornaments at 250°F for 2-3 hours, then let them cool completely.
7. Dip your brush in the paint first, then in the glitter, and paint around the fossil impression.
8. Let the ornaments dry, then thread string through the hole and hang or store them.

## Tips
- Roll the dough out a little thicker than pictured.
- Put acrylic paint and glitter in different wells of a palette. The kids dipped into the paint first and then into the glitter.
- To save our fossils for future seasons, we decided to make ornaments out of them.
- This activity is perfect to engage the kids with minimal supplies.

## The original post by TurkeyMom (2020)

Simple kids activity to keep them engaged with household supplies. This easy kids activity started out as a simple way to kickstart our learning about fossil science. Just like everything else our family has to have an artistic twist on just about every kids activity. {All art activities here} The entire fun Materials

- Salt Dough **Dinosaur fossils**
- **Acrylic Paint**
- Brushes

The Process of making the salt dough print itself is quite simple. Here it is anyway

- Mix 2 cups of all purpose flour and 1 cup salt with warm water until you reach a dough consistency.
- Use kneading tools to roll out the dough a little thicker than pictured
- Use a jar lid to cut out a nice circle for your ornament
- Use Dinosaur figurines to make prints
- Don't forget to add a small hole for the string



Bake the ornaments at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for 2-3 hours. You can take this craft in so many different directions at this point. We read and researched different types of fossils. We have also played with this wonderful fossil kit. To save them for the future seasons, we decided to make ornaments out of them. Starting off with lots of painting and glitter. I always turn to these wonderful acrylic paints to get the bets color. In a palette I had acrylic paint and glitter in different wells. The kids dipped into the paint first and then into the glitter to make around the fossil impression. Let them dry and store them or hang them. This activity is perfect to engage the kids with minimal supplies.