How to Make DIY Dinosaur Eggs
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Are you expecting little archaeologists at your next dinosaur birthday party? Or have a budding fossil hunter at home who would like to go on their very own dinosaur dig? If so, check out these easy to make DIY dinosaur eggs.
My little ones have always loved investigating rocks and digging in the dirt. When we hosted a dinosaur birthday, these DIY dinosaur eggs were the perfect party favor. It let kids continue the dinosaur fun when they got home.
Making your own dinosaur eggs is pretty easy. All of the ingredients you can find in your pantry. Except the coffee. Our coffee was a little too expensive to be transformed into a party favor. So, I picked up a cheaper variety from our local dollar store that worked great.
What Surprises Will Fit Inside the Dinosaur Eggs?
One of my favorite parts about these DIY dinosaur eggs is choosing the surprise that you get to hide inside. The eggs measure about 3.5 to 4 inches long. So, you can fit in something small that’s about 3 inches in length.
Sticking with the dinosaur birthday party theme, I chose these mini dinosaurs (affiliate) to put inside.
There are lots of other little party favors that you could hide in the egg too. Some ideas include erasers, slap bracelets (coiled up), bouncy balls, water growing creatures, key chains, pencil sharpeners, mini stampers and puzzle cubes.
Just make sure before choosing the treat that it fits the dimensions of the dinosaur egg you plan to make. The surprise shouldn’t measure more than 3 inches, preferably smaller.
If using as a dinosaur party favor, let guests know how to dig into their dinosaur egg with these Free Printable Dinosaur Egg Tags.
For these DIY dinosaur eggs, we decided to bake them to speed up the drying process. If you don’t want to bake them, you can also let them air dry. The eggs can take a few days to become truly hardened, so be sure to leave enough time.
This recipe is to make 6 eggs that measure about 4 inches long each. If you need more dinosaur eggs or want to make bigger eggs, you can double the recipe.
You Will Need:
1 cup of play sand (affiliate)
3/4 cup of salt
1 cup of coffee grounds (used coffee grounds work just as well)
1 cup of flour
1/2 cup water (maybe a little more if you are using brand new coffee grounds)
Food coloring (optional – to make your eggs more colorful)
Mini dinosaurs (affiliate) or other small surprises – see list above
Large mixing bowl
Parchment paper (affiliate)
Baking sheet
Free Printable Dinosaur Egg Tags
1. Mix together sand, salt, flour and coffee grounds in a bowl.
2. Slowly add water to the mixture. The less water you use, the faster the eggs will dry. Stir with a spoon or your hands. If the mixture is too dry, add more water. You want to be able to mold the mixture in your hands and have it stay together.
3. If you want to make your eggs different colors – such as green, orange or pink – divide the dough into different bowls. Then, add a 10 to 12 drops of food coloring to get your desired shade. Mix the food coloring into the dough using a spoon.
4. Once your dough is a clay-like consistency, scoop out a ball. Shape the dough into an egg. Press the mini dinosaur or other surprise into the dough. Then, add more dough to completely hide the surprise in the egg.
5. Place on parchment paper and bake in the oven at 225 degrees for about 20 minutes. You want the eggs to be hardened before taking out. Let cool. (Or you can air dry your DIY dinosaur eggs. This will take a few days, so be sure to leave enough time.)
6. If using for a dinosaur party favor, place each egg in a 4.5″ x 5.5″ cello bag (affiliate). Trim off the top and tie with baker’s twine (affiliate). Attach our Free Printable Dinosaur Egg Tags, so recipients know how to get their eggs open. We also added the custom favor tag from our dinosaur birthday collection to thank guests for coming.
These DIY dinosaur eggs are a very fun addition to any dinosaur birthday party. You can give them out as a dinosaur party favor or use them as a fossil digging party activity.
Or if you have dinosaur loving kids, make them as a rainy day surprise to keep little hands busy.
For opening, your child can use tools just like an archaeologist would. A candy apple stick (affiliate) makes a great chisel. And a toy wooden hammer can be a fun way to chip away pieces.
Your child can also drop the egg on a hard surface – driveway asphalt works really well. Just stand back. Fossil debris loves to fly.
Another way to open the dinosaur egg is to squirt drops of water on different parts of the egg to soften it. Then, use the tools to break it open.
Still need to download your Free Printable Dinosaur Egg Tags? You can download the free design here.
Planning a dinosaur birthday party? Check out our fun dinosaur party printables in our shop. Or you can find even more dinosaur party ideas here to make your celebration a roaring good time.
Happy Celebrating,
Natalie
