Dinosaur Week

Last week was VBS, and we didn't really do a theme at home... We just played outside and watched our caterpillars grow and then turn into cocoons (new post coming after they emerge as butterflies!). I did, however, revisit last summer's theme weeks and figured this would be a good place to keep all the ideas I gathered up, since all I did before was post disorganized photos on Facebook. That way I can come back for inspiration for future theme weeks (or maybe inspire others!). 

Dinosaur week was our first ever theme week, and we did a TON of stuff!

We started the week making dinosaur "eggs" with a dough made from sand, coffee grounds, glue, and other stuff. We buried dinosaurs and let it harden for a few days. 

We played in "dino land," with blankets and pillows set up to be mountains and rivers for our stuffed dinos to romp around. 

We made foam dinos and dressed our plastic dinos in Model Magic clothes. The original idea was to make impressions, but fashion design took over. I made some dinos with the Model Magic because it's fun. 

We enjoyed a dino breakfast before heading to the Museum of Natural Science in Sugarland. 

We saw dino bones and played around in the dig pits. 

Afterward, Ellie made dino tracks in the sand, using special shoes I happened to find at a craft store. 

Katie learned to sort by size and color with a dino preschool pack, and we made chalk dinos on the driveway. 

At the end of the week, the kids played in a bean bin and dug out dinosaurs and the eggs we had made earlier. They really loved getting into the beans! 

Once excavated, we covered our dinos in glitter. Because it's the girly thing to do. I intended to make them into necklaces, but Ellie didn't want to; she just wanted to play with them. 

We had so much fun. And it was just the beginning of many more memories and learning experiences. The success of this first ever theme week only inspired me to put together more fun-filled weeks for our summers.