8 Show & Tell Ideas for Kids (Dinosaurs Theme)

Why do teachers love Show & Tell?

Because the kids that participate get a large dose of practice speaking in front of a crowd, preparing for a presentation, and a chance to boost their self-confidence to boot.

However, not all parents love Show & Tell.

Why is this? While we know it can be great for the kids, sometimes parents get stuck doing a lot of the work.

No worries! If your child has a dinosaur themed Show and Tell day coming up, here are some ready-made ideas you can use to get ready for the presentation.

Here are some of the best dinosaur Show and Tell ideas:

Dinosaur-themed Book
Dinosaur Chart
Dinosaur Jokes
Toy Dinosaurs
Dinosaur Fun Facts
Ice Age Dino Escape
Fossil Creation
Dinosaur Puppet Show

Let’s take a closer look at each idea and help get you and your little one ready for the big day.

Dinosaur-themed Book

Is your child fascinated with books? T

hen it makes sense to have him or her bring a dinosaur book to Show & Tell day.

Check your home first to see if you already have a dinosaur book. If you don’t, a quick trip to your local library or online will easily provide you with a dino book for your child.

If your child can read well, he or she may read the book to the class.

Otherwise, you could ask your teacher ahead of time if he or she could read the book to the class.

Then, your child can come up with a few questions to ask the class after the book is read, like “what was your favorite part of the story?”

Dinosaur Chart

Within the broad category of “dinosaurs,” there’s so much variety and many things to discover.

Let this expanse of information lead to a creation of a dinosaur chart.

All you need is:

a poster board
some dino pictures
and markers.

Your child can present anything having to do with dinosaurs on the chart.

Here are some ideas:

the life cycle of a dinosaur
different types of dinosaurs
exploring dinosaur footprints
mapping the history of dinosaurs
“Now and Then” fossil pictures (what the fossils look like now and what the dinosaur looked like “back then”)
and explaining different theories of extinction.

If your child’s classroom is technologically well-equipped, you could opt to create a slideshow with your child instead in any of these topics.

Dinosaur Jokes

Is your child a budding comedian?

Maybe he or she can share some dinosaur jokes with the class.

If you need some ideas, try these dinosaur jokes, looking up other dinosaur jokes online, or see if your child can come up with their own.

You may be surprised with what they come up with!

Toy Dinosaurs

Maybe your little paleontologist already has a collection of dinosaur toys at home.

You can definitely use these for Show & Tell! This idea is great because they are easy to transport to and from school.

Start by picking at least one dinosaur that your child will take to class and talk about.

Then, look up facts about that dinosaur, starting with its name, where it lived, what kind of food it ate, and what the daily life of that dinosaur would look like.

At school, your child can show the class his or her dinosaur toy, then tell the class about the dinosaur species and the facts you two researched about it.

Your child can have a Q & A session with the class after the presentation, if they want.

Dinosaur Fun Facts

This is similar to the Dinosaur Toy idea, but you start with a picture rather than a toy.

Look up fun facts about the dinosaur before the Show & Tell time, then your child can recite or read the facts to the class.

Ice Age Dino Excavation

Looking for a super fun hands-on activity the whole class can partake in?

This one will require either a presentation that’s scheduled for early in the day, or a teacher’s lounge freezer that has a little space.

Also, you will need some small dinosaur toys or bone figurines and some small hammers, picks, warm water, droppers and/or salt to chip or melt away the ice.

The day before, you will need to freeze the dinosaur figurines in some water.

If they float, you could freeze half of the container, then fill with more water and freeze again.

When it’s time for show and tell, your child will explain that they will take turns trying to get the dinosaurs free from the ice (just like archeologists do!).

By using the small hammers, picks, and other tools, they will chip away at the ice until they can get the parts out.

Dinosaur Skeleton & Fossil Creation

Create dinosaur skeleton impressions for Show & Tell with modeling clay and some other things around the house.

Start by gathering up things to create the impressions with different kinds of pasta noodles, toothpicks, and straws.

Then, your child can either find a picture of a dinosaur skeleton or think of their own design.

Finally, flatten out the modeling clay and create away!

Let the dough harden overnight, then your child can bring his or her creation to class to show everyone.

Dinosaur Puppet Show

Does your child constantly come up with stories?

This could be a great activity: a dinosaur puppet show!

First, write down your child’s story about dinosaurs. If possible, it should include lots of interesting dino facts so the play is educational for everyone.

It’s best to keep the characters down to two because of the two hands your child has!

Next, use some paper bags or socks to whip up some dinosaur characters for the play.

It’s helpful if you already have a small supply of crafts like googly eyes, pipe cleaners and a glue gun.

After that, you can have your child practice the act with you a few times, to make sure they have the story down.

Then, in class, it’s showtime! Your child can hide under a desk while the puppets act above the desk.

Wrapping Up

Whether you want to keep things simple by showing off a dinosaur toy or book, or you’re feeling a little more adventurous want to create your own fossil or dino ice excavation, hopefully the ideas above will get your creative juices flowing.

You child will learn more about dinosaurs, public speaking, and probably end up having some fun in the process of Show and Tell!

For more ideas, check out:

Hope this helps!