Invite your child to create amazing dinosaur observational drawings inspired by their non-fiction books! These “dino-mite” drawings couldn’t be easier to set up.
Dinosaur observational drawings = Totally “rawr-some”
It could be a perfectly calm Tuesday morning in the preschool classroom with classical music playing in the background, the sun peeking in through the window, and a perfect, palpable calm in the room.
But as soon as the teacher mentions dinosaurs?
MAYHEM. The best kind of mayhem. Kids pretending to be Pterodactyls flying around the room, kids roaring like the T-Rex, and absolute, complete, utter fascination.
Pairing that palpable excitement with art? Yes, please!
🦕 Related: Have kids that LOVE to draw? Don’t miss the free dinosaur directed draw!
Dinosaur observational drawings are the easiest to do
All you need are dinosaur books and drawing materials. That’s it!
We usually begin by reading specific dinosaur books at Circle Time and then use those same books during art time later in the morning so that the books are both familiar and enticing.
If you have or are a teacher of young learners, you likely already have some dinosaur books on hand. If you don’t – no worries! They are VERY easy to find in bookstores and libraries.
🦕 Check out these other dino-tastic preschool activities:
- Preschool Dinosaur Math Game with FREE Printable
- Paint the Dinosaurs Sensory and Art Activity
- Dinosaur Giant Coloring Poster
- Dinosaur Rescue Sensory Bin
Materials
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- Dinosaur books – non-fiction usually has the most realistic depictions of dinosaurs
- White paper
- Drawing materials
How to make dinosaur observational drawings
First, talk about the dinosaurs.
After reading the dinosaur books, ask your little paleontologists what they know about dinosaurs – especially the ones you’ve read about that day.
Ask questions like:
- What color is this dinosaur?
- How big do you think this dinosaur is?
- What do you think this dinosaur eats? How can you tell?
- Does this dinosaur have markings?
- What body parts do you notice first on this dinosaur?
Next, draw the dinosaurs.
Provide paper and drawing materials and invite your kids to draw dinosaurs based on the illustrations in the books.
When kids recreate an image from a book, they’re paying close attention to all types of details (ex: length of neck, number of legs, width of feet, etc.). As they create, ask them to share what they’re drawing with you (ex: “I’m making the long neck!”) for juicy informal assessment data.
Once done, celebrate their hard work, and if they’d like to make another dinosaur, turn the page and repeat the process.
Why observational drawing is important for kids
Observational drawing helps kids develop focus, patience, and creativity by encouraging them to carefully study details like shape, size, and texture.
Instead of relying on memory or imagination, they learn to draw what they see, strengthening hand-eye coordination and problem-solving skills.
This practice also encourages scientific thinking—just like paleontologists, kids begin to notice patterns, such as how plant-eating dinosaurs have flat teeth while meat-eaters have sharp ones.
Plus, observational drawing builds confidence as kids improve their ability to capture details, teaching them that patience and practice lead to progress.
Fun ways to extend dinosaur observational drawings
Observational drawing is just the beginning! There are many creative ways to expand this activity and deepen kids’ understanding of dinosaurs while keeping the learning fun and engaging.
Read dinosaur books: Pair the drawing activity with books about dinosaurs to introduce fun facts and spark curiosity. Choose both fiction and nonfiction books so kids can explore dinosaurs through stories while also learning about real fossils, habitats, and species.
Use toy dinosaurs for 3D references: Instead of drawing from flat images, let kids observe and sketch toy dinosaurs or dinosaur figurines from different angles. This adds a hands-on, interactive element and helps them understand how light and shadow affect their drawings.
Visit a museum or watch a dinosaur documentary: If possible, take a trip to a natural history museum where kids can see real dinosaur fossils up close. Seeing the bones in person can help them understand proportions and details they might have missed in pictures.
Frequently Asked Questions
Observational drawing is when kids draw something by closely looking at it rather than drawing from memory or imagination. It helps develop attention to detail, fine motor skills, and artistic confidence.
Encourage them to break the dinosaur into simple shapes first (circles, ovals, and lines) before adding details. Remind them that drawing takes practice, and their skills will improve over time!
They can add color, label their dinosaurs with fun facts, or turn their drawings into a classroom display or personal art book.
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