Build A Dinosaur

If you read my blog often, you know I love activities that are open ended. When I came across this idea, I knew right away it was something I wanted to do with Monkey. 

Here's the link to the blog: http://www.littlefamilyfun.com/2013/09/build-dinosaur.html?m=1

Supplies: craft foam, scissors

If you don't have craft foam, you could use construction paper instead, but it would be less durable. I bought a package of 30 sheets of craft foam at the dollar store. 

To prep this activity I cut out a bunch of shapes from the craft foam. 

I made one large half circle, one medium circle, four small circles, one medium square, three small squares, three small rectangles, one medium triangle, three small tall triangles, and four small triangles. 

I laid them all out on the table for Monkey with a white sheet of paper to build the dinosaurs on. 

I told him he could use all these pieces to build a dinosaur but he wasn't really sure where to start. So I suggested some ideas of how to use the pieces to make a body or a head, arms or legs, a tail, etc. I also named some dinosaurs that he is familiar with, hoping he might be able to imagine them in his head while he was building. 

This is his Brontosaurus. 

Next he made a Tyrannosaurus Rex. 

So cute!

After these two, he couldn't remember any more kinds of dinosaurs, so we went and got one of our dinosaur books to help him remember. 

He made a Stegosaurus.

If he needed a bit of guidance, I would ask Monkey a question like, "What shape will you use for the tail?" This helped to direct him and also encouraged him to name the size and shape of the pieces he was using. 

Here is his Triceratops. 

Finally, he made a Brachiosaurus. 

Monkey really liked this dinosaur activity and I liked it because it really made him think outside the box. 

Mar