Fun {and Educational} Fossil Activities
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Have you ever looked for shark teeth while walking along the beach? Maybe you found a rock that contains the outline of a small plant? If so, you have already completed one of your first fossil activities!
Many kids are interested in fossils. It is exciting to find fossils out in the wild! My son spends hours on every beach vacation searching for shark teeth (most shark teeth that wash up on shore are actually fossils). It feels like finding a piece of history.
These fossil activities are a great way to teach kids about fossils. They are more than just interesting rocks.
Fossil Activities for Kids
Hands-On Fossil Activities
This fossil activity lets kids make their own fossils using salt dough and small plastic toys. Salt dough is very easy to whip up with just a few simple ingredients.
- NEW! FOSSIL COLLECTION SORTING ACTIVITY KIT with over 100 authentic fossils (20 different types), full-color educational identification sheet, geological…
- FIND, SORT & IDENTIFY–spread fossil mixture out on a table or floor and identify specimens with the Identification sheet. Match fossils to the ID cards…
- BONUS: Ammonite fossil, Otodus shark tooth in matrix, Coprolite (dinosaur poo ), and dinosaur bones!
Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
When kids think of fossils, many of them only think about fossilized dinosaur bones, but there are many different types of fossils. This fossil sorting kit will help kids learn to identify a variety of fossil types.
This kit comes with the fossils and identification cards.
This simple experiment uses bread, gummies (bears, worms, whatever you have around), and heavy books to demonstrate the formation of sedimentary rocks and fossils.
Candy always seems to hold kids’ attention really well, so this is sure to be a fun activity.
- DIG UP PREHISTORIC FOSSILS – These genuine fossils are millions of years old! Dig for shark and stingray teeth, brachiopods, mosasaurs, ammonites, and…
- EXPLORE PALEONTOLOGY – Excavate incredible, real fossils using the included tools of the trade: a chisel, brush, and magnifying glass. This kit makes an…
- 16-PAGE LEARNING GUIDE – The full color, detailed Learning Guide illustrates how fossils are formed and helps young scientists identify each specimen as…
Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Kids can pretend to be paleontologists with this fossil dig kit. Using the included magnifying glass, small chisel, and small brush, kids will search to find all 15 fossils.
My kids enjoyed similar kits when they were younger, but I definitely recommend doing this activity outside. It can get quite messy!
This fossil activity helps kids practice their excavation techniques using chocolate chip cookies. Real excavation happens slowly and carefully so that fossils or artifacts are not damaged.
Look for Shark Teeth
This activity requires you to visit the beach, so it isn’t easily accessible, but if you will be at the beach anyway, take an hour and look for shark teeth.
Searching for shark teeth is one of my son’s favorite fossil activities. He spends hours walking along the shore searching for shiny black shark teeth.
To increase your odds of finding shark teeth on your next beach trip, go at low tide. Look for items that are small, shiny, and black mixed in among the shells.
Fossil Books for Kids
Reading books can be one of the simplest fossil activities available. All you need is a library card!
All About Fossils: Discovering Dinosaurs and Other Clues to the Past by Cody Crane
Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
This book does a great job cramming a lot of information into a small book. It briefly touches on many different areas of fossils:
- Types of fossils and how they are formed
- Time periods
- Paleontology
- Fossil folklore
- Fossil scientists
I think this would be an excellent book to get kids interested in fossils.
Fossils: What Dinosaurs Left Behind by Ruth Owen
Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
This book is geared towards young children who are interested in dinosaurs. It explains that we know about dinosaurs because of fossils and then goes on to give a quick explanation about how fossils are formed and discovered.
Rock, Fossil, and Shell Hunting: The Definitive Interactive Nature Guide by Jennifer Swanson
Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
This book offers a ton of information in the form of a nature guide. There are three main sections in this book:
- Rocks and minerals
- Fossils
- Shells
Each section provides pretty detailed information. It is almost like an interactive geology textbook for kids. They learn about the science behind the processes, where to find the items, and how to identify what they found.
Then there are plenty of pages for them to log what they found.
This is a book that will last kids a while – as long as their interest in rocks, fossils, and shells continues. I think the interactive nature helps keep kids interested and engaged.
DK Smithsonian Handbook Fossils by Cyril Walker and David Ward
Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
This book begins with a few informative pages. There are pages about modes of fossilization, a geological time chart, and tools for collecting fossils.
The vast majority of the book is focused on fossil identification.
The identification guide is broken into sections:
- Invertebrates
- Vertebrates
- Plants
Each entry offers scientific information such as the order, family, and informal name, and habitat. Young children will likely find this book boring, but teens who are interested in identifying fossils might find it useful.
Dinosaur Lady: The Daring Discoveries of Mary Anning, the First Paleontologist by Linda Skeers
Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
This book is different from the others mentioned. It is a picture book that tells the tale of a woman who discovered some of the first fossils.
Her accomplishments are even more impressive because fossil hunting was considered improper for a woman in her day. In fact, she wasn’t even allowed to join the Geological Society of London!
I like this book because it offers a look at the people behind the fossils.
Related: Women’s History Books for Kids
Additional Fossil Resources
The National Park Service offers quite a few fossil activities for kids! There are parks around the United States that feature fossils, but you don’t need to live near one of the parks to take advantage of the National Park Resources.
The National Park Service website offers:
- Information about National Fossil Day (October 13th)
- Printable Junior Paleontologist Program booklets
- Paleontology lesson plans
- Fossil quizzes and games
Smithsonian Natural History Virtual Tour
I’m so glad to see this tour offered virtually. My family lived near DC for a few years when the kids were little, and we loved visiting the ‘dinosaur room’. The exhibit shut down for quite a while, and we haven’t had a chance to visit in person again.
There are quite a few types of fossils on display!
I hope these fossil activities are helpful!
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