7 Easy Dinosaur Crafts for Kids Ages 18-36 Months

If your toddler is deep in a dinosaur phase, you probably hear about dinosaurs before breakfast, during diaper changes, and again while you're trying to get shoes on. That obsession is useful when you need something simple to do together because they're already interested before the crayons even come out.

A lot of toddler crafts online quietly turn into parent crafts. You cut twelve little pieces, arrange the whole dinosaur, hand over the glue, and your child is finished before you've even put the scissors away. At 18 to 36 months, it's usually better to give them a big job they can start right away. Scribbling, stamping, pressing paint, peeling tape, and pushing down large paper pieces all count. The dinosaur may end up with a green belly, three eyes, and half the paint on one side. That's fine because they actually got to make it.

1. Jumbo Dinosaur Footprint Sponge Prints

Cut one clean kitchen sponge into one large, simple dinosaur-foot shape before your toddler joins you. Put a small amount of washable paint on a plate and set a large sheet of paper beside it. Help your child press the sponge into the paint, then stamp big footprints across the page. Keep the paint shallow so the sponge doesn't drip everywhere. Let them stamp in a row, turn the paper, or overlap a few prints. When they lose interest, the craft is finished. One sponge and one color are enough for a first round.

Why it works: Your toddler can figure out the job quickly because they dip the sponge, press it down, and do it again. The big sponge is also much easier to hang onto.

Age range tweak:

• 18-24 months: Help load the sponge and guide the first few presses.
• 2-3 years: Let them choose where each footprint goes and make a simple trail across the page.

2. Big Cardboard Dinosaur Scribble

Cut one large dinosaur silhouette from a cereal box or shipping box before the activity starts. Make it big enough that your toddler can hold it with one hand while coloring with the other. Set out two or three chunky crayons and let them cover the dinosaur with lines, loops, dots, and whatever marks they feel like making. You can name a few body parts while they work, but skip trying to make the coloring stay inside anything. When they're done, tape the dinosaur to a wall at adult height or place it on a shelf where they can see it.

Why it works: They get to scribble freely, but the dinosaur shape makes the page feel like more than plain paper.

Age range tweak:

• 18-24 months: Use one or two chunky crayons and hold the cardboard steady.
• 2-3 years: Offer three colors and let them add different marks to the back, tail, and belly.

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3. Handprint Dinosaur Back

Draw a large, simple dinosaur body on sturdy paper and leave the top of the back open for handprints. Put a small amount of washable paint on a plate, help your toddler press one hand into the paint, then make two or three prints along the dinosaur's back. Keep a damp washcloth beside you so cleanup happens before painted fingers reach the chair, wall, or sibling. Once the prints are dry, you can add a simple eye with a crayon if your child wants. The handprints can be crooked or overlapping. That's part of it.

Why it works: Seeing their own handprints turn into a dinosaur back is fun, and the printing itself is easy to repeat.

Age range tweak:

• 18-24 months: Make one or two handprints with close help.
• 2-3 years: Let them choose the paint color and place several prints along the dinosaur's back.

4. Paper Plate Dinosaur Body

Give your toddler one whole paper plate and chunky crayons or a washable paint stick. Let them cover the plate with color while you keep the rest of the craft out of the way. When they're finished, add one oversized cardboard head, one tail, and three large back spikes that you've cut beforehand. Your toddler can press each big piece onto glue you've already placed, or you can tape the pieces on while they point to where each should go. Keep every added piece large enough to see and handle easily. The plate becomes the dinosaur body without a lot of assembly.

Why it works: Most of the time goes to coloring and pressing big pieces, so your toddler is actually doing the craft.

Age range tweak:

• 18-24 months: Let them color the plate and help press on one large head piece.
• 2-3 years: Let them choose where the head, tail, and large spikes should go.

5. Foil Dinosaur Texture Press

Tape a sheet of aluminum foil over a piece of flat cardboard along three outer edges, folding every sharp edge underneath and leaving one side open. Slide a large plastic dinosaur toy under the foil, then help your toddler press gently over the shape with flat fingers or the rounded back of a wooden spoon. Slide the toy to another spot if they want to press again. The foil will look bumpy and rough when they're done. Stay right beside them throughout, keep it flat, and stop if it tears.

Why it works: The foil changes as soon as they press it, so they can see exactly what their hands are doing.

Age range tweak:

• 18-24 months: Let them press with flat fingers while you hold the board steady.
• 2-3 years: Let them slide the dinosaur toy to a new spot under the foil and press with a rounded spoon.

6. Dinosaur Egg Crayon Color Page

Draw three very large egg shapes on a sheet of sturdy paper. Put out chunky crayons and invite your toddler to color each egg however they want. You can add a simple dinosaur face peeking from one egg after they finish, or let your child make a few dark lines inside an egg and call that the baby dinosaur. Keep the page simple enough that there's plenty of open space for broad toddler scribbles. If they only color one egg, that's still a finished craft. Tape the page to the table if it slides while they're working.

Why it works: The big eggs leave lots of room for toddler scribbles without asking them to color neatly.

Age range tweak:

• 18-24 months: Use one giant egg and one chunky crayon at a time.
• 2-3 years: Use three eggs and let them choose a different color or mark style for each one.

7. Paper Bag Dinosaur Face

Set a plain paper lunch bag flat on the table with the flap side facing up. Let your toddler color the front with chunky crayons, then offer two oversized paper eyes and three broad paper triangles that you've cut beforehand. Put glue on the large pieces yourself and let your child press them onto the bag. Keep the shapes big and remove any loose scraps right away. Once the glue is dry, an adult can put a hand inside the bag and make the dinosaur open and close its mouth. Your toddler can decorate first and play with it afterward.

Why it works: They get an easy decorating job first, then the bag can come back out later as a puppet.

Age range tweak:

• 18-24 months: Focus on coloring and pressing on one or two large pieces.
• 2-3 years: Let them choose the placement of the eyes and back triangles, then use the puppet for simple roaring play.

The Bottom Line

For this age, the easiest craft is usually the one your toddler can touch right away. Give them the sponge, crayon, paint, or big paper piece and let the dinosaur get weird.

Pick the version that matches your energy and stop when they're done. Crooked eyes and giant scribbles can stay exactly where your toddler put them.

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