INVITATIONS
- Buy large plastic eggs from a hobby or toy store. Cut out pictures of dinosaurs
from children's coloring books, and write the party details on the backs. Enclose
the pictures inside the plastic eggs, along with small egg candies. Decorate the eggs
with permanent felt-tip pens or puffy paints. Hand deliver or mail the invitations
in small padded boxes.
- Make pop-up invitations that look like eggs, with surprise baby dinosaurs inside.
Fold a white sheet of paper in half, and cut out an egg shape, leaving one end of
the egg connected. Cut out a small dinosaur picture to fit inside the egg. Fold the
dinosaur in half, glue the bottom of the dinosaur to the inside bottom of the egg
and the top of the dinosaur to the inside top of the egg. When you open the egg,
the dinosaur will unfold. Write the party details around the dinosaur. Mail.
COSTUMES
- Have the kids come dressed as prehistoric people, cave dwellers, archeologists,
or dinosaurs.
- Give the kids sheets of colored crepe paper, and let them design their own
dinosaur costumes at the party.
- Offer the kids props to go with their costumes, such as scientific tools for
the archeologists and bones for the cave people.
DECORATIONS
- Hang up large pictures or posters of dinosaurs.
- Make a volcano from large sheets of construction paper. Hang it on the wall.
- Set out dry ice to give the room a prehistoric feeling.
- Arrange the furniture in a circle. Drape old sheets and blankets over the
furniture to create a cave. Let the kids eat and play games inside the megacave.
GAMES
- Play Archeologist. First, mix two cups of sand, one cup of cornstarch, and one
and a half cups of water in a large pan on the stove. Heat the mixture until warm,
then shape a handful of the mixture into an egg around a small plastic dinosaur.
Allow the egg to dry until firm. Make one egg for each guest, and hide the eggs in
the yard or party room. Let the explorers hunt for the eggs and break open their
discoveries when they find them!
- Have an archeological dig. Buy à a plastic skeleton, available at science and
toy stores, lay the skeleton out on the patio or other surface, and cover with dirt
sand. Provide the kids with brushes, and let them gently brush away the dirt or sand
to discover the "fossil." Have them determine what it is.
- Play Bone Hunt. Distribute plastic skeleton bones throughout the party room,
and let the kids hunt for them. When they find all the pieces, have them work as a
team to put the skeleton back together!
ACTIVITIES
- Make a giant dinosaur in the backyard. Have the kids shape a dinosaur using
chicken wire. If throwing this party for younger children, create the dinosaur
yourself before the kids arrive. Then let the kids cover the chicken wire with
crepe paper to form a dinosaur's body.
- Cut out large dinosaur shapes from a cardboard box, one for each guest. Let the
kids paint their shapes using poster paint. Have a dinosaur parade.
FOOD
- Make Dinosaur Jell-0 Eggs. Cut off the top of an egg, pour it out, and rinse
the shell. Make enough for all the guests. Insert a small edible dinosaur or other
critter into each shell. Mix Jell-0 according to package directions, and pour into
the egg shells. Cool the filled eggs in the refrigerator. After the Jell-0 sets,
have the kids crack the eggs open and eat the surprise inside. (Warn the kids to
eat carefully, because the Jell-0 contains a surprise.)
- Make Deep Sea Jell-0. Mix blue-colored gelatin, pour it into an aquarium bowl
or a large clear bowl, and add Gummy fish. Allow to set, then serve.
DINOSAUR CAKE
- Bake a rectangular cake: cool.
- Cut the cake in half lengthwise, and lay one half onto a serving plate.
- Using a zigzag cut, slice the remaining half into two large triangles and a number of small triangles to form dinosaur head, tail, and spikes.
- Place the spikes on top of whole half, and place large triangles at the head and tail.
- Frost the cake with green or chocolate frosting. Use sprinkles and candy to create details for face, feet, and tail. Serve to carnivores.
FAVORS
- Create archeology kits by filling small boxes with compasses, paint brushes,
freeze-dried food, rulers, and other scientific items, so the kids can make
discoveries at home.
- Give the kids plastic dinosaurs or books about dinosaurs.
VARIATIONS
- Take the kids to a museum that features dinosaur exhibits.
HELPFUL HINTS
- Handle the Jell-O dinosaur eggs carefully so they don't break before the Jell-0 sets!
|