Plaster Dinosaur Footprints

Posted by Elizabeth Yetter Sep 21, 2007

Making dinosaur footprints and casting them in plaster is a fun and educational activity for kids of all ages. For this activity, you will need an outdoor patch of dirt so that you can carve a dinosaur footprint into it.

Materials Needed

• A dinosaur field guide that shows what each dinosaur’s footprint looked like
• Hand shovels for digging and carving the dinosaur footprint
• Plaster of Paris
• Water
• A plastic bucket for mixing the plaster
• A clean stick for stirring the plaster
• A cup or more of all-purpose flour
• Ruler or measuring tape
• Cardboard for making a frame around the dinosaur footprint
• Scissors for cutting the cardboard

Activity

1. Head outside to a clearing where you and your child can easily dig in the dirt.
2. Using the dinosaur field guide, choose the footprint your child would like to recreate. If the field guide gives the measurements of the footprint, use a ruler or tape measure to mark the measurements in the dirt.
3. Using the hand shovels, begin digging out and carving the dinosaur footprint.
4. When finished, use the cardboard to make a frame around the footprint.
5. Dust the footprint with the flour.
6. Mix the plaster of Paris with water as directed and pour it into the dinosaur footprint.
7. Allow time to dry before lifting the plaster of Paris footprint.

Animal Prints

Animal footprints can be made in the same manner as the dinosaur footprint. You and your child can also carve other fun shapes into the ground to use as molds for decorations and even stepping stones.