Dollar Store Dinosaur Habitat Craft

Turn a small terrarium into a dinosaur habitat with rocks and faux succulents to create a tiny Jurassic park for playtime.

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When dinosaurs roamed the earth millions of years ago, they lived in many of the same diverse habitats as animals do now. You can find dinosaur fossils in plains, deserts, mountains, jungles, and the ocean.

To create this dinosaur habitat, we chose a simple gravel base and faux succulents to fit the small size of our terrarium. To turn this into an educational project, choose a dinosaur and research the type of habitat where it lives so you can recreate it.

We found all of our supplies in the floral section of our local dollar store, so this craft cost about 5 dollars to make.

Craft tips

• We used fake plants and rocks, so this dinosaur habitat doesn’t need any maintenance. You could add a layer of dirt in the bottom and plant live succulents. Just be sure they get enough sun and water.
• Glass terrarium containers are easier to find, but if you’re worried about it getting broken, choose plastic instead. You can use any small, clear container, with or without a lid.
• You can make this as large or small as you want! A larger plastic tub like you might use for a sensory bin makes a great dinosaur habitat for play.

How to make a dinosaur habitat

Supplies

• glass or plastic container
• decorative filler gravel
• small rocks
• faux succulents
• plastic dinosaurs

Instructions

1. Prepare the terrarium container.

Start by removing any labels from the container. Wash it with soap and water if necessary to remove label residue.

2. Add the gravel base.

Carefully pour the gravel into the container. Fill about the bottom third, a few inches deep. We only used half of the bag.

3. Decorate with natural items.

Finally, add faux succulent plants and collected rocks. You can include other natural items collected from your backyard, like sticks or shells. We recommend washing collected items with soap and water before adding them to the dinosaur habitat.

4. Add the dinosaurs.

Once you’re happy with the dinosaur habitat design, it’s time to add a little dinosaur or 2.

Now your terrarium is ready for playtime! Have fun with your dinosaurs exploring their new home.

This also makes a cute decoration for a bookshelf in your child’s bedroom when they’re done playing.

Printable instructions

Dinosaur Habitat

Print

Active Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Materials

• glass or plastic container
• decorative filler gravel
• small rocks
• faux succulents
• plastic dinosaurs

Instructions

1. Prepare the terrarium container.
   Start by removing any labels from the container. Wash it with soap and water if necessary to remove label residue.
2. Add the gravel base.
   Carefully pour the gravel into the container. Fill about the bottom third, a few inches deep. We only used half of the bag.
3. Decorate with natural items.
   Finally, add faux succulent plants and collected rocks. You can include other natural items collected from your backyard, like sticks or shells. We recommend washing collected items with soap and water before adding them to the dinosaur habitat.
4. Add the dinosaurs.
   Once you're happy with the dinosaur habitat design, it's time to add a little dinosaur or 2. Now your terrarium is ready for playtime!

More fun ideas from Backyard Summer Camp:

• 20 Dinosaur Books for Kids – Fiction and Nonfiction
• Paper Bag Tyrannosaurus Craft
• 20 Dinosaur Activities for Elementary Kids