Looking for simple Early Years outdoor dinosaur activities? Dinosaur themes are brilliant for EYFS because they naturally support imagination, movement, language, mark-making, maths, sensory play and early science. These outdoor dinosaur ideas are easy to set up, playful and ideal for Nursery or Reception children. To learn more about what Early Years Outdoors looks like at The Muddy Puddle Teacher. Start with our Beginners Guide to Early Years Outdoors.
You do not need a huge outdoor area or lots of equipment. Start with a few toy dinosaurs, natural materials and a simple invitation to play.
New to Outdoor Learning? Start Here
If outdoor learning feels overwhelming, start small.
Try:
- One 10-minute dinosaur activity
- One outdoor learning area at a time
- One simple dinosaur challenge using natural materials
You could begin with toy dinosaurs, chalk, sticks, leaves, stones, mud, trays, water or sand. The aim is not to create a perfect outdoor classroom. The aim is to give children meaningful, playful experiences outdoors.
Outdoor dinosaur activities can support:
- communication and language
- physical development
- imaginative play
- mark-making
- counting and number
- sorting and comparing
- sensory exploration
- early science and investigation
Outdoor Play can be a bit overwhelming, let our outdoor play expert teachers help with this Outdoor Play Guide for Early Years.
Try This Tomorrow
If you only do one thing, try this:
Dinosaur Footprint Trail
Use chalk, large paper footprints or muddy prints to create a dinosaur footprint trail outdoors. Children follow the footprints and talk about what kind of dinosaur might have made them.
Ask:
- Are the footprints big or small?
- Which way did the dinosaur go?
- How many footprints can you count?
- Was it walking, stomping or running?
- What might the dinosaur be looking for?
Time: 10–15 minutes
Prep: Low
Learning: Counting, positional language, movement, imagination and vocabulary
This is a brilliant quick win because children can move, talk, count and imagine all at the same time.
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Early Years Outdoor Dinosaur Activity Ideas
1. Dinosaur Dig Site
Create a simple dinosaur dig using sand, soil, bark, compost or a tray of natural materials. Hide toy dinosaurs, bones, stones or printed fossil pictures for children to discover.
Children can use:
- brushes
- spoons
- sticks
- small spades
- magnifying glasses
- clipboards
- mark-making sheets
Encourage children to talk like palaeontologists.
Useful words:
- fossil
- bones
- discover
- dig
- explore
- extinct
- large
- tiny
- sharp
- smooth
This activity supports fine motor skills, language, curiosity and early scientific thinking.
2. Build a Dinosaur World
Invite children to create a dinosaur land using natural materials.
They could use:
- sticks for trees
- leaves for forests
- stones for mountains
- water trays for lakes
- mud for swamps
- bark for caves
- logs for volcanoes
Add toy dinosaurs and let the children lead the story.
Ask:
- Where will the dinosaurs sleep?
- Which dinosaurs live near the water?
- How can we make a safe cave?
- What does your dinosaur need?
This supports imaginative play, communication, collaboration and problem-solving.
3. Dinosaur Stomp Maths
Take maths outdoors with a dinosaur stomp counting game.
Call out a number and ask children to stomp that many times.
Try:
- stomp 5 times
- roar 3 times
- jump 4 times
- clap like dinosaur jaws 6 times
- take 2 giant dinosaur steps
- make 10 tiny dinosaur tiptoes
You can extend this by adding number cards or chalk numerals outdoors.
This is great for children who need movement to support learning.
4. Dinosaur Mark-Making Outdoors
Dinosaur themes are perfect for early writing and mark-making.
Try:
- chalk dinosaur footprints
- dinosaur name labels
- fossil rubbings
- muddy dinosaur tracks
- drawing maps of dinosaur lands
- writing “danger” signs for a dinosaur zone
- making menus for herbivores and carnivores
Use large-scale mark-making where possible. Children can draw on the ground, large paper, cardboard, clipboards or outdoor chalkboards.
This helps children see writing as purposeful and playful.
We have resources created by teachers for all age ranges of early years, such as babies, toddlers and the foundation stage.
5. Dinosaur Sensory Swamp
Create a dinosaur swamp using a tray, water, mud, leaves, grass, stones and toy dinosaurs.
Children can:
- splash
- scoop
- mix
- hide dinosaurs
- rescue dinosaurs
- make muddy tracks
- describe textures
- compare heavy and light objects
This is especially useful for sensory exploration, vocabulary and imaginative play.
Helpful vocabulary:
- sticky
- slimy
- wet
- muddy
- smooth
- rough
- heavy
- light
- deep
- shallow
Dinosaur Activity for SEND Support
Calm Dinosaur Rescue
Set up a quieter dinosaur rescue area using a small tray, soft natural materials and a few dinosaurs.
Children can gently rescue dinosaurs from leaves, fabric, sand or water using tongs, spoons or their hands.
This can support:
- fine motor skills
- sensory regulation
- calm focus
- turn-taking
- language
- confidence
Keep instructions simple and predictable:
“Find a dinosaur. Rescue it. Put it in the safe place.”
This works well for children who may find louder group dinosaur play overwhelming.
Do your babies love exploring minibeasts? Explore Bug Ideas for Babies.
Want Ready-to-Teach Outdoor Learning Resources?
The Muddy Puddle Teacher Club helps busy teachers save planning time with:
- ready-to-use outdoor activities
- EYFS dinosaur-themed ideas
- curriculum-linked planning
- outdoor maths and literacy
- SEND-friendly resources
- seasonal and topic-based activities
- simple ways to take learning outside
Ready to download? Start now, take a free 60-day trial.
FAQs
What are good Early Years outdoor dinosaur activities?
Good Early Years outdoor dinosaur activities include dinosaur footprint trails, dinosaur digs, dinosaur swamp trays, fossil hunts, dinosaur stomp counting, dinosaur world building and outdoor mark-making.
How do you teach dinosaurs in EYFS?
In EYFS, dinosaurs can be taught through play, stories, movement, sensory exploration, vocabulary, small world play, counting, comparing sizes, mark-making and investigation. Outdoor dinosaur activities help children learn through hands-on experiences.
How can I take dinosaur learning outside?
You can take dinosaur learning outside by using chalk footprints, toy dinosaurs, mud, sand, leaves, sticks, stones, water trays and natural materials. Children can dig, build, count, stomp, roar, draw and create dinosaur stories outdoors.
What EYFS areas of learning do dinosaur activities support?
Dinosaur activities can support communication and language, physical development, personal, social and emotional development, literacy, maths, understanding the world and expressive arts and design.
Are dinosaur activities good for outdoor maths?
Yes. Dinosaur activities are brilliant for outdoor maths. Children can count footprints, compare dinosaur sizes, sort dinosaurs, measure tracks, make patterns, use positional language and practise number recognition outdoors.
How can dinosaur activities support early writing?
Dinosaur themes can support early writing through labels, maps, warning signs, fossil drawings, footprint trails, dinosaur menus, name cards and large-scale chalk mark-making outdoors.
What resources do I need for outdoor dinosaur activities?
You can start with toy dinosaurs, chalk, trays, sand, soil, leaves, sticks, stones, water, brushes, clipboards and paper. You do not need expensive equipment to create engaging outdoor dinosaur learning.
Ready for More Early Years Outdoor Learning Ideas?
If you want more simple, curriculum-linked outdoor learning ideas for EYFS, join The Muddy Puddle Teacher Club.
Ready to download? Start now, take a free 60-day trial today and access ready-to-use outdoor activities, planning ideas and EYFS resources you can use straight away.
