Dinosaur Adventure

The star activity is a fossil dig — bury plastic dinosaurs in a sandbox or bin of kinetic sand and let kids excavate them. A dinosaur egg hunt (painted rocks or plastic eggs with dino figures inside) works like an Easter egg hunt with a twist.

Set up a dino craft station where kids make dinosaur masks or decorate their own dino figurines. A dinosaur stomp dance where kids roar and stomp to music is great for burning energy.

Go with jungle greens, earthy browns, and pops of orange. Create a "Jurassic Zone" entrance with tropical plants and caution tape. Scatter toy dinosaurs everywhere — on tables, along pathways, peeking from plants.

A volcano centerpiece (paper mache or cardboard) makes a dramatic focal point. Dinosaur footprint stickers on the floor guide kids through the party.

Serve "dino eggs" (deviled eggs or cake pops), "herbivore platters" (veggie trays), and "fossil cookies" (shortbread with dinosaur imprints). Dino-shaped chicken nuggets are always a hit.

The cake: a volcano cake with erupting frosting or a simple sheet cake with plastic dinosaur toppers. Green and brown frosting for the jungle look.