Imagine finding a dinosaur bone or a fossil of a plant or animal that existed millions of years ago. Most kids love dinosaurs, and their fascination with these exotic creatures can spark an interest in science.

Here are five activities you can do with children to ignite their passion in dinosaurs:

1. Go Fossil Hunting
• Google where to find fossil hunting sites in your area. 
• Fill a backpack with a couple of small shovels, a small rock hammer or chisel, and two brushes; one brush should have soft bristles to remove dirt from delicate fossils and the other should be firmer to remove caked-on dirt.
• Bring a notebook and pencils to draw and record your finds. You may also want to take a camera.
• Take sunscreen, a hat, a bottle of water, and snacks.
• Be patient. Most dig sites are large areas filled with rocks and a variety of fossils. To the untrained eye, it’s difficult to distinguish the difference between a rock and a fossil. Before you go, research the area and look for pictures of what you may find. Once at the site, look slowly and carefully.
• Look for rocks that contain a different color or a smooth surface from other rocks in the vicinity. That tells you a fossil is present.
• Dinosaur bones are rare. If you think you found a bone, use the tongue test. Clean the bone and lick it with your tongue. Tongues stick to bones, not rocks.
• Write down where you found the fossil and include the date with a brief description.

2.Write A Haiku
A haiku consists of 17 syllables in three lines of 5, 7, and 5. It’s 5 syllables in the first line, 7 syllables in the second, and 5 in the third. Read a few to get used to the rhythm. 

Here are some examples:

Mary Anning found
A big ichthyosaurus. 
Oh, surprised was she!

Fossils provide us
Distant echoes from our past.
And much history.

Roaring dinosaur
Teaches us about the past.
And we gain knowledge.

3. Read Jurassic Girl: The Adventures of Mary Anning
Today, she’s known as the “Mother of Paleontology.” In 1811, when Mary Anning was 12 years old, she discovered an ichthyosaurus. No one had ever seen anything like it.  Extinction was a new concept. Many in the scientific community didn’t believe a girl could make such a find. She triumphed. The book, published by Ulysses Press, covers fossil hunting and Mary’s life as a fossil hunter. 

4. Find A Live Dinosaur
Do you want to see a dinosaur? Go outside! That pigeon (and other birds) are dinosaurs. This video explains the link between dinosaurs and birds. 

5. Bake Dinosaur/Fossil Cookies
You can make these at home from scratch or use a store-bought mix. You can cut out dinosaur shapes with the dough or use the footprint from a large (about 6 inches) plastic dinosaur toy. Check out this Dinosaur Cookie Recipe. 

Michele C. Hollow is an author of middle grade books and a freelance journalist specializing in health, climate, social justice, pets, and travel. Read her book, Jurassic Girl, about the life of paleontologist Mary Anning. Find her online at https://jurassicgirl.com/