I want to be a Paleontologist when I grow up! Why wait?
Most boys, and some girls, go through a time when dinosaurs again seem to rule the earth. This dino mania snags and holds tight anywhere from ages 4-10. Some kids never leave this phase, for others it is a fleeting, yet all-encompassing phase. Make the most of it and have a dino themed birthday party.
Key Points
- Theme party games after dinosaurs. Have guests go on a dinosaur dig in your sandbox! This is a fun way for everyone to get involved in the fun.
- Another great idea is to have all the guests dress as dinosaurs. Have your birthday kid pick their favorite!
- Buy decorations that fit the theme of the party, or have your birthday kid help you make your own!
Dinos Rule!
The Wild Rumpus
Games for a dino party are limitless. Try a fossil hunt. If you have a sandbox use it! If not, simply fill a wading pool with sand or sawdust. Mix in all sorts of small toys, coins and ‘dino bones’. The dino bones can be anything from plastic bone shaped toys, or raw hide doggy treats. Give each child a shovel and a bag to collect their specimens, and then turn them loose. It is a good idea to count the loot before burying it; you’ll want to know if they got everything. Just in case some youngsters are not as lucky, or efficient in their collecting as others, save some of the treats to even out the end result.
Make a pre-historic twist with a party classic. Instead of pinning the tail on the donkey, try to pin the tail on a T-rex, or the spikes on a stegosaurus.
You can also have a costume party if you want! Have all of your guests come dressed like a dinosaur, and have your birthday kid vote for their favorite! Give the winner a prize, or let them have the second piece of cake after the birthday kid. Guests will love being able to dress up like their favorite dinosaur. You can also give them the option of dressing up like a paleontologist.
Encourage your guests to bring dinosaur-themed gifts. Whether it's a toy paleontology kit, a stuffed dinosaur, or a dinosaur video game, anything that fits the theme is welcome! It might help if you have your birthday kid make a list of the dinosaur-themed gifts that they want!
Pre-historic Eats
If visions of creating a freestanding replica of a spinosaurus has you running scared, don’t worry. There is no need to sculpt a Precambrian lizard of any variety to have a fabulous dino cake. The simplest cake would be made from a mold. Trust us, there is a wide variety on the market- yours is not the only household to be gripped with dino fever at birthday time.
For those of you who have a more independent spirit, try a foot print cake. Bake a sheet cake and remove it from the pan. Use a template to cut two or three dinosaur tracks. Layer these, ice, and decorate. There you go! Your very own dino-track.
This is a fun idea: dino-filled cup cakes. Make cupcakes, insert a small plastic dinosaur toy into each of them, then ice, to cover up the hole. Be sure to warn eager eaters to watch their bites! These cupcakes may bite back. This is best suited for older children, as younger children may choke on the plastic dinosaurs if you and them aren't careful.
The Jurassic Living Room
Decorations are a snap! Include lots of palm fronds for greenery and pictures of dinosaurs on the wall. You can enlist the help of your dino-loving child. Ask them to create original works of art depicting their favorite dinosaurs.
A trip to the craft store to use the dye cutter will save precious time and yield wonderful ideas. Look for shapes like dino silhouettes, or tracks and plant shapes reminiscent of the Cretaceous era. Scatter these on your walls, refreshment table, and use as your place mats: Very dinotopean!
Make sure to grab a dinosaur-themed tablecloth, dinosaur cups and plates, and anything else you can think of to truly make this a dino-filled party! It may even pay off to have your little one head to the store with you to pick out some dinosaur-themed clothes. Whether it's a shirt with a fun dinosaur on it or pants with dinosaur print, your birthday kid will love feeling like they're part of the theme!
This party is sure to be a hit. Who knows, perhaps this budding dino-maniac really will be a paleontologist!