Dinosaur Birthday Party

There is something that is breathlessly exciting about dinosaurs. We love to imagine these gigantic, powerful prehistoric creatures roaming the earth millions of years ago. Dinosaurs are a great kid's party theme; it has excitement, adventure, the thrill of discovery, and it can be a learning experience too (we won't tell the kid's if you don't). So invite everyone over for this prehistoric celebration!
 
Dinosaur Birthday Invitations
A personalized dinosaur invitation is a great way to start this dino-mite party! If you want to add something special to the invitation, sprinkle some dinosaur confetti in the envelope. Everyone will be super excited to receive such a unique invitation!
 
Get the kids involved: You can have the guest of honor help make the invitations. Cut out dinosaur footprints from cardstock or construction paper and write all of the party details on one side. Use fun wording like "You are Invited to a Prehistoric Party" or "Come have a ROAAARing good time!". Then let them add a dinosaur drawing or stickers to the other side of the invitation.

Remember to let the moms know to dress their kids in play clothes! If you party is for a younger crowd 1 1/2 to 2 hours is a good party length. The older the children, the longer the party can be, but for the sake of the parents 3 hours should be your limit. The dinosaurs may have been around for millions of years, but you don't want your party to feel like it is dragging on that long!
 
Dinosaur Decorations and Party Supplies
Cut out dinosaur footprints from green construction paper and have them lead up to your doorstep, or use colored sidewalk chalk to draw gigantic footprints. A few homemade signs that say "Dinosaur Crossing" and "Don't feed the T-Rex" (with a big bite taken out of it) will be a hit!

Have a CD with jungle sounds playing as your guests enter the party. Hang brown and green streamers from the ceilings and across the doorways to simulate vines in a jungle. You can also use inexpensive fake ivy from the craft store as prehistoric garland.

Fill the room with bunches of green dinosaur balloons. Balloon bouquets are great for your entrance, tables and the corners of the party room. If your party is outside, use balloons around the perimeter of the space to help define the area. Use a mini brontosaurus bean bag as a balloon weight for extra fun!

Here are a few more of our favorite dinosaur decorations:

Dinosaur Birthday Party Table and Menu
Dinosaur paper goods will help you set a fun, prehistoric party table that will be easy to clean up! At each place setting have a card with a short fun fact about dinosaurs. The kids will love sharing their new-found knowledge with each other! If you are going to have more than one table, name them after the periods of the Mesozoic Era, and maybe include a few fun facts about which dinosaurs lived in which periods -
  • Triassic Period - About 251 to 205 million years ago - Ichthyosaurs, Iguanadon and Plateosaurus
  • Jurassic Period - About 205 to 141 million years ago - Stegosaurus, Diplodocus, and Allosaurus
  • Cretaceous Period - About 141 to 65 million years ago - Triceratops, Ankylosaurus, and Tyrannosaurus rex
Not only will it make a great decoration, but it will be an opportunity for learning!

Simple table decorations are easy with this dinosaur centerpiece. If you really want to go all out make a paper mache volcano for your centerpiece, science fair style! Just make sure the kids are all gathered to see it "erupt"! A personalized dinosaur water bottle label at each place setting is a fun touch as well!

For the menu serve food that the kids will like but give them fun dinosaur inspired names -
  • Fossilized Fries
  • Cretaceous Chicken Fingers
  • Paleontologist Pizza
  • Volcano Veggies with Lava Dip (add a touch of red food coloring to ranch dip)
  • Stegosaurus Snack Mix
And for dessert serve this tasty treat -
 
Dinosaur Dig Dirt Cups
  • Fill clear plastic glasses or dinosaur cups 2/3 of the way with chocolate pudding.
  • Mix in a few dinosaur gummy snacks into the pudding.
  • Top the pudding with crushed Oreo cookies.
  • Add a few more gummies to the top of the cup.
  • Refrigerate until serving.
You can include a dinosaur theme birthday cake too. Add a dinosaur and volcano cake topper to a sheet cake and you are all set! All your little omnivores will love this dino-inspired meal!
 
Dinosaur Birthday Party Games and Activities
Fill a plastic pool with play sand and let the kids dig for "dinosaur bones" and fossils. Make them ahead of time with craft clay. Give each child a plastic pail and a shovel, and one of those really inexpensive tiny paint brushes. They will have a great time playing paleontologist! You can even place a dinosaur sticker on some of the bones, and let the kids trade them in for small prizes like candy, dino squirt toys, bubbles, chalk or dinosaur tattoos.

A dinosaur piñata is another fun activity. Fill it with plastic dinosaur noses and fun sized candy.

If you have a young group a fun yet quiet activity is to have the kids color dinosaur coloring sheets. Buy a few dinosaur coloring books, or print out these free coloring sheets we created for you:
You can also play classic kids games with a dinosaur twist. What about "Fossil, Fossil, Dinosaur" instead of "Duck, Duck, Goose"? Or "Hot Potato" with a dinosaur egg? Here are some other fun Kids Birthday Party Games.
 
Dinosaur Birthday Party Favors
Pith hats make a great dinosaur theme party favor. Hand them out before you start your dinosaur dig so the kids can feel like real paleontologists.

Another great party favor is a personalized dinosaur candy bar. It matches the personalized invitations and ties the theme together. Another tasty party favor are personalized dinosaur mint tins. You can't go wrong with sugar!

Or go with a dinosaur favor box filled with favors -
Don't forget that you will be sending your guests home with larger than life memories of this dino-mite birthday party!