Dinosaur Land

In Mrs. Vaage's kindergarten, we were lucky to have Miss Anna, a Grant MacEwan student, who developed this dinosaur play space.

First, we located a piece of wood the same size as one of our tables. Next, the children helped Anna mix up a special craft playdough recipe that would harden into a solid landscape. (See below for recipe.)

The children painted the landscape collaboratively with attention to specific components - like the eggs in the nests and the volcanoes.

This play space has been used daily over the past two months in a variety of ways. For instance, one day they added some sand to the nests. The next couple of days children tried to sweep the sand off. Sometimes bugs come to play in Dino Land. Occasionally, children sort and group the small dinosaurs. Other times, the large dinosaur models come over and raid the nests. Imaginative play and creativity has flourished.

Following are a series of photos to show the development of Dinosaur Land.

Map Modeling Recipe

1 part salt
1 part flour
2/3 - 1 part water
food coloring or paints
heavy cardboard or wood

Mix salt and flour and add enough water until like thick frosting. Stir. Add flood coloring before molding or mold and paint when dry. Spread mixture on wood or cardboard, adding hills and valleys. Let dry and paint if desired. Will dry within 1-2 days.

Submitted by Mrs. Vaage's Kindergarten