Dinosaur birthday party ideas & invitations
Explorer hats on: a dinosaur party is a fossil dig, a volcano and a herd of stomping, roaring guests, all before cake.
Dinosaurs are a rare theme that little kids and big kids both take seriously. Toddlers love to stomp and roar; older kids want to dig, name species and crack open dino eggs. Set up a dig site and you've got your main event.
Earthy greens, lava orange and fossil tan look great together and are easy to find. Plan for a little sand or dirt on the floor and you're set.
Why kids love a dinosaur party
- A fossil dig is a hands-on activity every guest can do at once
- Roaring and stomping are perfect for burning off energy
- Dino eggs (plastic eggs with a tiny dino inside) double as the favor
- Easy to bring outside: the yard becomes a jungle
- Older kids get to show off what they know
- Best for ages
- 2-9
- Good for
- Two to five year olds love the stomping and eggs; six to nine year olds get into the dig and dino trivia.
The Dino Dig invitation
This is the real Dino Dig invite from BirthdayPartyPal, animated just like your guests see it: original art and characters, your kid's name and the party details, and a big RSVP button. Every family gets their own link.
Fossils, volcanoes and a stomping herd of friendly dinosaurs. Dig sites optional, roars required.
Invitation wording ideas
ROAR! Kai is turning 5. Stomp on over for a dinosaur dig, a volcano cake and lots of roaring. Saturday at 10:00.
Calling all explorers! Join us at the dig site to celebrate Ava's 7th birthday. Wear clothes that can get sandy.
Decorations
Dig site entrance
Caution tape, a sign that says "Dig Site: Explorers Only" and a bin of paper explorer hats.
Jungle leaves
Big paper palm leaves taped around doorways and streamers in leafy green hung like vines.
Footprint path
Cut giant three-toed footprints from paper and tape them from the door to the party.
Volcano centerpiece
A brown paper cone with orange and red tissue paper bursting out of the top.
Egg nest
A basket of shredded paper filled with plastic eggs for the hunt later.
Food ideas
Dino nuggets
Any shaped chicken or veggie nuggets, served in a bowl labeled "Meat-eaters."
Herbivore tray
Broccoli trees, cucumber coins and snap peas with dip. Label it for the plant-eaters.
Fossil cookies
Press small toy dinos into sugar cookie dough before baking to make prints.
Dirt cups
Chocolate pudding topped with crushed cookies and a gummy or toy dino poking out.
Volcano cake
A dome cake with orange and red frosting dripping down the sides. Stick the candles in the top.
Games and activities
Fossil dig
Bury plastic bones or clay fossils in a sandbox or a tub of sand. Hand out paintbrushes and spoons.
Dino egg hunt
Hide plastic eggs, each with a mini dino inside. Set a limit per kid so everyone finds the same number.
Dino stomp relay
Teams stomp to a cone and back on big "dino feet" (tissue boxes on their feet).
Roar contest
Loudest roar, tiniest roar, silliest roar. Everyone wins a category.
Freeze, it's a T. rex!
Everyone stomps around; when the grown-up shouts "T. rex!" everyone freezes like a statue.
Party favors
- A plastic dino egg with a mini dinosaur
- A paintbrush and a small fossil from the dig
- Dinosaur stickers
- A paper explorer hat to keep
A party plan to start from
The plan that comes with this theme in BirthdayPartyPal. Use it as is or make it yours.
- Explorer check-inGrab your explorer hat
- Fossil digDig up dinosaur bones in the sandbox
- Dino lunchPizza and roar-some snacks
- Volcano cakeCandles, singing and a big wish
- Dino stomp gamesEgg hunt and the dino stomp relay
What guests bring
- Clothes that can get sandy
- A water bottle
Frequently asked questions
What age is a dinosaur birthday party good for?
Dinosaurs work from about 2 to 9. Keep it to stomping, roaring and an egg hunt for toddlers, and add a real dig and trivia for school-age kids.
How do I do a fossil dig without a sandbox?
Use a plastic storage tub or a kiddie pool filled with play sand, set on a tarp. Indoors, kidney beans or dry rice work and sweep up easily.
What are good dinosaur party favors?
Plastic eggs with a mini dino inside are the classic, since they come from the hunt. Add a sticker sheet or the fossil each kid dug up.