Burying Dino Bones

This set of 16 handcrafted wooden bones supports hands-on learning about skeletons, dinosaurs and how palaeontologists uncover and study bones. Made from smooth, sturdy timber, the pieces can be used indoors and outdoors to encourage observation, measuring, sorting and imaginative play.

Ideas for learning and play:

• Outdoor excavation: Bury the bones in a sandpit or garden bed for children to carefully uncover with brushes and small digging tools. Encourage them to describe, draw and record their discoveries.

• Indoor investigation: Set up a discovery tray with magnifying glasses, rulers and paper. Children can measure the bones, compare their shapes and order them from shortest to longest.

• Build a skeleton: Use pictures of animal or dinosaur skeletons as a starting point for arranging the bones. Discuss how bones support bodies and help them move.

• Counting and sorting: Group bones by size or shape, count each group and compare quantities.

• Storytelling: Invite children to explain what they think they have discovered, where it might have lived and what clues informed their ideas.

These activities support fine motor skills, early numeracy, descriptive language and collaborative problem-solving.

Care instructions: Suitable for supervised outdoor play; store indoors after use. Brush off soil and sand, and wipe clean with a damp cloth. Avoid soaking or leaving the bones in wet soil. If wet, allow them to dry fully in a shaded, well-ventilated area—do not dry in direct sunlight. Lightly sand any rough areas and apply a suitable child-safe timber oil as needed to maintain the surface and extend their life.

Size: Approximately 5–35 cm long and 1.5 cm thick.

Pair with our Archaeological Dig Set for excavation activities.