Parents and teachers who want to add a little prehistoric fun to their lesson plans will love this dinosaur paper craft. This low-prep activity has kids create a triceratops out of simple supplies and our template, and it also sneaks in early learning skills.

Kids ages 4–7 are the best fit for this activity, but to suit a preschooler’s skill level, we also offer a black-and-white version they can color. This prehistoric paper project is a great addition to an afternoon at home, in classrooms, or at daycare. It comes together in about 10–12 minutes if the pieces are pre-cut, or 15–20 minutes if kids cut the paper themselves.

If you want more learning fun, follow this project with our other hands-on dinosaur activities that help young paleontologists explore these creatures of the past.

Collage of colorful triceratops dinosaur paper crafts in green and blue with purple and orange frills displayed on a white background

Dinosaur Cut and Paste Activity for Kids

Little ones will love creating their paper triceratops and customizing it with colors, patterns, and fun details that match their imaginations.

This kids’ project keeps them engaged, and the steps support important developmental skills. Scissor practice strengthens fine motor muscles, and arranging and gluing the pieces encourages spatial awareness and early sequencing skills.

Grab our printable dinosaur template, gather a few common supplies, and follow the instructions below to start. Their Triceratops is just waiting to roar to life in your home or classroom!

Supplies

Colored cardstock or construction paper
Scissors
Glue
Markers
Dinosaur Template (click the “click here to get your freebies” image at the end of the post)

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Directions

Start by printing the template, then gather the materials for this fun activity. Get those scissors ready, and let’s help the kids bring this dinosaur to life!

Hands holding a black and white dinosaur paper craft template with labeled head and body pieces on a sheet of paper

Look for the eye piece and glue it onto the dinosaur’s head, just below the eyebrow and slightly to the left.

Hands placing a googly eye onto a green dinosaur paper craft head piece on a white surface

Glue the dinosaur’s head onto the center of the frill. This is a great time to talk about how some dinosaurs had special features that helped protect them.

Hands attaching a purple paper plate frill to a green dinosaur craft head piece on a white surface

Take the shorter horn and glue it to the pointed edge on the left side of the dinosaur’s head, right near the nose area. Help your child place it so it lines up nicely along the edge of the face.

Hands attaching a small paper horn to a green dinosaur craft head with a purple frill on a white surface

Glue the two horns to the top of the head, placing them in between the eyebrow area so they sit nicely above the face.

Hands attaching two beige paper horns to a green dinosaur craft head with a purple frill on a white surface

Glue the completed head onto the body, placing it at the top left side. Your dinosaur is really starting to come together now!

Hands attaching a green dinosaur head to the body piece with purple frill and beige horns on a white surface

Grab the back legs and glue them to the bottom of the body, placing them right next to the front legs.

Hands pressing the foot onto a completed green dinosaur paper craft with purple frill and beige horns on a white surfa

Use a marker to add spots or details to the dinosaur’s body and tail. This is a great chance for your child to get creative and make their dinosaur unique.

Hands drawing spots on a green dinosaur paper craft with a marker while holding it steady on a white surface

Finish the craft by pressing down all the pieces one more time to make sure everything is secure. Hold up your finished dinosaur and admire your child’s work. It is now ready for playtime or display!

Hands holding a colorful green dinosaur paper craft with purple and orange plates and a smiling face on a white background

Kids who love dinosaurs will really enjoy this fun and easy craft. It’s a simple activity that blends creativity with hands on learning.

If you’re planning a dinosaur theme, check out the related crafts and activities below. They’re perfect for extending the fun and building engaging lesson plans.

Hands holding a completed green triceratops dinosaur paper craft with a purple frill and spotted body on a white surface

Dinosaur Books for Children

Never Let A Dinosaur Scribble! – A little boy heard people say, “Never let a dinosaur scribble!” but he just couldn’t help himself. He gives his dinosaur a crayon and lets the dinosaur go. What will happen?! Kids will be waiting on pins and needles to see the ending.

How To Catch A Dinosaur – If your kids are into STEAM activities, they’ll love this book that has the same group of kids trying to create crazy contraptions to catch a dinosaur!

Tiny T. Rex And The Impossible Hug – Not only does this book have adorable illustrations, but it’s also a great book to help kids learn kindness!

A completed craft showing two colorful triceratops dinosaur paper crafts with scissors, glue sticks, and paper supplies on a white surface

Simple Dinosaur Crafts for Little Hands

Torn Paper Dinosaur Craft – Kids will have a dino-mite time tearing paper to create their own dinosaur. They’ll use our free printable template as a guide to know where to glue the pieces of paper. It’s an easy and hands-on way to practice bilateral hand coordination and fine motor control.

Dinosaur Name Craft – This colorful brontosaurus will be a hit with your kids. They’ll be excited to not only personalize it with their favorite colors, but also add their names. We have an editable template where you can type in their name before printing, so they can just put the letters in order to spell it out.

Dinosaur Tissue Paper Craft – Your prehistoric explorers will be excited to make this dinosaur like a pteranodon or pterodactyl. Kids will scrunch and glue the colorful bits of tissue paper on our free template to make this flying friend. This hands-on DIY strengthens their fine motor skills while making a textured piece of art!

Dinosaur Headband Craft – This classroom favorite also works great at home for a fun project. Your little dino fans can transform into a mighty triceratops with this roarsome headband. Depending on your child’s skill level or how much time you have for a fun project, we have two different versions to choose from.

More Dinosaur Activities to Extend the Fun

Preschool paleontologists will love tracing their way through these dinosaur tracing worksheets. These pages will have kids following along wiggly lines. the letter Dd, and along the outline of a tall dinosaur. They’ll help kids build stronger pencil grips, steadier hand control, and confidence. This set will keep your little ones engaged and focused with their dino pals.

Your little dino enthusiasts will feel proud when they solve their way through each of these dinosaur activity pages. They’ll work on essential skills when they count and graph, guide the dino through a maze, and match the dino pals.

They’ll strengthen their early math, problem solving, visual discrimination, and memory skills when they complete each activity. This free printable will make learning fun and engaging, so be sure to grab this set now.

A completed blue triceratops dinosaur paper craft with orange frill, beige horns, and green spots displayed on a white surface

Bring prehistoric pals to life with these dinosaur dot to dots. Kids will connect the dots by following along in numerical order to reveal a hatching dinosaur egg, a stegosaurus, and a mighty T-rex. This easy, no-prep activity strengthens their fine motor control, number recognition, and creativity when they complete the pages. Grab the printable and some crayons for a fun, dino-mite activity!

Playdough is for more than just fun! Kids can also use it to learn and develop skills when they pair it with these dinosaur play dough mats. When they roll the dough out to match the shapes on the mat, they’ll strengthen fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and early critical thinking skills. Each mat encourages them to notice different features and trace the dinosaur’s name at the bottom of the page.

More Dinosaur Ideas For Kids

Did you make this activity with your kids or students? We’d love to feature them on our social media!

For a chance to have your child’s project featured, simply snap a picture of the completed project and post it to our Facebook page, email it to us directly by clicking here, or use #simpleeverydaymom on your social media!

Free Dinosaur Paper Template

Illustration of red-handled scissors next to the text "Click here to get your freebie" on a blue background, with a green button below that says "Grab it here."

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