7 Paper Dinosaur Crafts for Kids Ages 5-6

Paper is one of the easiest craft supplies to say yes to because cleanup is usually just scraps and a glue stick. At 5 and 6, it’s also finally possible to do more than hand them a pre-cut shape and hope they stay interested.

They can fold, loop, cut, curl, layer, and build paper into something that stands up or moves. That makes dinosaur crafts a lot more interesting, especially for kids who’ve already colored enough flat dinosaur pictures to last a lifetime.

You don’t need perfect folds or complicated origami here. These are kid-level paper builds where a crooked accordion body or lopsided dinosaur is completely fine. Use plain printer paper, construction paper, paper bags, or whatever sturdy paper is already in the house.

Most of these can also be stopped halfway and picked up later, which is useful when somebody suddenly decides they’re starving three minutes into craft time.

1. Accordion-Fold Dinosaur

Cut or tear one long strip of sturdy paper and show your child how to fold it back and forth into a wide accordion. This becomes the dinosaur’s body. Add a large paper head at one end and a broad tail at the other with tape or glue. Your child can draw legs directly onto a base sheet or add four wide folded paper legs. Decorate the body with crayons before or after assembly. Keep the folds broad so they’re manageable. When the dinosaur is finished, gently stretch and compress the accordion body to make it move.

Why it works: The folding is repetitive enough to get the hang of quickly, and the springy body makes the finished dinosaur fun to handle.

Age range tweak:

• Age 5: Use a short strip with four or five broad folds.
• Age 6: Use a longer strip and add more detailed head, tail, and leg shapes.

2. Paper Loop Long-Neck Dinosaur

Make six or seven wide paper loops by curving broad strips and taping or gluing the ends together. Your child joins the loops into a long body and neck, then adds one large paper head and a broad tail. Keep each loop big enough to fit several fingers through. They can color the strips before making the loops or decorate the finished dinosaur afterward. Lay the dinosaur flat while building so it doesn’t pull apart. Once dry, it can hang on a wall or drape across a shelf without needing any special display materials.

Why it works: Each loop is a small finished step, so kids can see the dinosaur getting longer as they work.

Age range tweak:

• Age 5: Build a shorter dinosaur with five large loops.
• Age 6: Use more loops and vary the sizes to make a longer neck and thicker body.

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3. Fold-and-Stand Dinosaur Herd

Fold several sheets of sturdy paper in half. Draw half of a dinosaur body along each fold, then help your child cut around the outer shape while leaving the fold intact. Open the paper so each dinosaur has two connected sides, then bend the bottom edges outward slightly to help it stand. Your child can make three dinosaurs with different body shapes and decorate each one with crayons or broad paper patches. Keep the figures chunky rather than cutting thin legs that tear easily. Set the finished herd beside blocks or a paper habitat for play.

Why it works: The fold helps the paper dinosaur stand, which makes the finished craft feel more like a toy than a flat picture.

Age range tweak:

• Age 5: Make one or two chunky standing dinosaurs with help cutting.
• Age 6: Make a small herd and experiment with different body and neck shapes.

4. Pop-Up Dinosaur Habitat Card

Fold one sheet of sturdy paper in half. On the inside, make two short parallel cuts along the folded edge and push the small section inward to create a simple pop-up step. An adult can handle the cuts if needed. Your child makes a broad paper dinosaur and glues it onto the pop-up step, then draws a habitat around it with crayons. Add a paper tree, pond, or sun if they want. When the card closes, the dinosaur folds inside. Open it again and the dinosaur stands forward from the background.

Why it works: Opening the card changes the picture, and kids this age usually want to test that pop-up part several times.

Age range tweak:

• Age 5: Use one pop-up dinosaur and a simple drawn background.
• Age 6: Add a second pop-up layer or more paper habitat pieces around the scene.

5. Paper Spiral Dinosaur Tail

Draw one large circle on sturdy paper and let your child fill it with crayon spots, stripes, or broad color blocks. Draw a wide spiral line from the outside edge toward the center. With child-safe scissors and an adult nearby, your child cuts slowly along the spiral so the circle opens into one long curling strip. Tape or glue the center of the spiral to a large paper dinosaur body and let the tail hang or curl beside it. If the paper starts tearing, make the spiral wider rather than trying to rescue a skinny section.

Why it works: One simple cut changes a flat circle into a long moving tail, which is a pretty good payoff for a sheet of paper.

Age range tweak:

• Age 5: Use an adult-drawn wide spiral and help start the first cut.
• Age 6: Draw a broad spiral, cut it more independently, and adjust the width if the paper feels too flimsy.

6. Curled-Paper Dinosaur Back

Cut six broad paper strips and give your child one chunky crayon to use as a curling form. Wrap each strip loosely around the crayon, hold it for a moment, then slide it off so it keeps a soft curl. Glue or tape the curled strips along the back of a large paper dinosaur body. Some curls will stay tight and others will spring almost flat, which is fine. Your child can mix colors, change the curl direction, and add crayon details to the dinosaur once the back is finished. Keep the strips wide so they’re easy to handle.

Why it works: Curling the strips changes the paper in a way kids can see and feel, and every piece comes out a little different.

Age range tweak:

• Age 5: Curl four or five broad strips with help holding the paper around the crayon.
• Age 6: Curl six or more strips and experiment with tighter and looser curls.

7. Paper Dinosaur Crown

Cut one long strip of sturdy paper wide enough to wrap around your child’s head, but don’t fasten it yet. Let your child decorate the strip with crayons, broad paper spots, or drawn scales. Add several large folded paper triangles along the top to make dinosaur back plates. Once the glue is dry, fit the strip around the head and tape it securely with an adult. Keep the triangles broad and flexible, not sharp. The finished crown can go straight into pretend play, especially if your child has spent the afternoon roaring anyway.

Why it works: It’s a craft they get to wear, which usually earns it more attention than something that immediately goes on the fridge.

Age range tweak:

• Age 5: Decorate one broad crown strip and add a few large back plates.
• Age 6: Create a color pattern, add more details, and help measure the strip before an adult tapes it closed.

The Bottom Line

Paper gives 5- and 6-year-olds a lot more options than coloring a dinosaur outline. Folding, looping, cutting, curling, and building can turn a flat sheet into something that stands, moves, hangs, opens, or gets worn.

Let the folds be crooked. Let the spirals curl weird and the paper dinosaurs lean a little. If they made most of it themselves and want to keep messing with it afterward, the craft did its job.

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