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Dinosaurs Printable Craft · Triceratops · Herbivores Preschool Lesson Plan Activities

Present herbivorous and horned dinosaurs - the plant eaters and other educational themes listed in the activities column.

The easy horned dinosaur craft, resembling a Triceratops, can be adapted for children two years old and older, with or without brass fasteners that allow the head and legs to move.

Decide on a sequence that best meets your needs. Review all printable materials and learning themes.

Science/Social Studies:
Activity #1: Science -Animals: Basic Dinosaur, Herbivore and Triceratops Facts

Prepare an interesting display with your choice coloring page images listed in the materials column.

Idea: Review the printable coloring pages in the materials column to make an educational coloring book with a selection of horned herbivore dinosaurs.Make a cover and back cover with construction paper.

Below are resources to explore some basic information about the herbivore dinosaurs (plant eaters) with interesting images.
Herbivore generally defined as an animal that eats only plant material.

Carnivore generally defined as an animal that eats other animals or the flesh of other animals.

Extinct: having died out or ceased to exist

Dinosaurs are considered reptiles by scientists. They had many characteristics that reptiles on earth today have, like an iguana or a crocodile. They had scaly bodies, hatched their young from eggs, and were cold blooded. Dinosaurs were herbivores or carnivores. The carnivores would eat the herbivores. Dinosaurs are extinct.
a.Triceratops at wikijunior (view images)

The Triceratops is one of the most famous herbivorous dinosaurs and the largest of the horned dinosaurs. It had a square body and a short tail. A hard collar of bone stuck out from the back of its neck, and it had three horns to protect itself from the meat eaters, like the Tyrannosaurus Rex. (view this coloring page)

Activity 2: Alphabet Activities
D is for Dinosaur or T is for Triceratops
Review materials for an alphabet letter presentation and handwriting practice in the materials column.

Activity 3: (black & white format only)

Important Note: If planning to use fasteners, use a pointed object or use a fastener to pierce through the markings indicated in the body and through the eye in the head templates, as these markings will get covered by coloring/markers or paint. Proceed to color, decorate, cut out and assemble with glue (please, no fasteners for children under 3 years of age - choking hazard)

Option 1: Print template in white color paper (recycle used paper) and glue to thin card board for a sturdier craft.

Option 2: Print template directly onto colored construction paper or card stock, pierce the markings for the fasteners if applicable.

Option 3: Reusing and Recycling in Action for Large Groups ( 4 children or more).

Print the number of templates needed in at least three or four different colors. Make sure to pierce the fastener markings ahead of time if applicable. Distribute the templates and have the children cut out the templates or pre-cut the pieces. Use the left over cut out materials and redistribute them so every child has a sampling of the three or four colors to decorate the body and head of the dinosaur.. The children will cut out and glue paper pieces and do a mosaic on the body area and strips on the head area. Discuss the benefits of these process: the material that was left over after cutting out the templates was recycled and reused to further decorate all the dinosaurs. Normally all the pierced areas for the fasteners will be covered by the glued "mosaic" pieces, turn the pieces around and re-pierce the initial pierced markings.

Craft Assembly (after pieces are decorated and cut out)
Show the small image of the finished craft (featured in the template) to help the children see how the finished craft looks and to aid them in positioning the pieces.

Suggested assembly and decoration options:
1. For children under 3 years of age use the glue stick method and the pieces can all be glued on the front of body template for ease of assembly.

2. Children ages 3+ can use the glue stick or with help from an adult attach the head (fastener through the eye) and legs with brass fasteners, placing the legs in the front or placing legs behind the body template.

3. For older children include options to make the assembly and art appreciation experience more challenging: such as

a. mosaic with paper or tissue cut outs
b. create a collage or landscape by placing the finished triceratops in an environment, such as a simple painted or cut out volcano in blue background and lots of green strips to create the vegetationthey would eat.

Rent and view a preschool video with an educational message and dinosaur theme:The Land Before Time videos or book (ages 4+) and subsequent videos or sing-alongs are appropriate for older preschoolers and impart good messages of friendship and helping each other.

Dinosaur Printable Craft
Herbivores - Horned Triceratops

Craft Template