Show Us Your Best Dino Roar - Fun at-home activities for Kids.

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Show Us Your Best Dino Roar!

Create a dinosaur puppet, experiment with different roars using your voice and simple noise makers, record your best roar, and describe its inspiration.

Table of contents

Step-by-step guide to create a dinosaur puppet and record your best roar

What you need

Paper bag or sock, colored paper, colouring materials such as markers or crayons, glue stick, scissors, tape, small plastic bottle or jar with lid, rice or dry beans, adult supervision required

Step 1

Gather all your materials on a table so everything is easy to reach.

Step 2

Choose whether to use the paper bag or the sock as your dinosaur puppet body.

Step 3

Use colouring materials to draw the dinosaur mouth nose and basic face on the puppet body.

Step 4

Cut teeth and spikes from colored paper into triangle shapes.

Step 5

Glue or tape the teeth and spikes onto the puppet where the mouth and back should be.

Step 6

Add eyes by gluing on googly eyes or drawing big eyes with your markers.

Step 7

Fill the small bottle or jar one quarter full with rice or dry beans then close and tape the lid tightly.

Step 8

Put the puppet on your hand and practice moving its mouth so it looks like your dinosaur is talking.

Step 9

Try three different voice roars one deep growl one high screech and one short snort.

Step 10

Shake your noise maker while making each roar to hear how it changes the sound.

Step 11

Record your best roar using a recording device and save the file.

Step 12

Tell or write one short sentence explaining which dinosaur or idea inspired your roar.

Step 13

Share your finished dinosaur puppet and your recorded roar on DIY.org

Help!?

What can we use if we don't have googly eyes, colored paper triangles, or rice/dry beans?

Draw big eyes with markers instead of googly eyes, cut teeth and spikes from cardboard, foam, or felt if you lack colored paper, and fill the small bottle or jar one quarter with pasta, lentils, beads, or crumpled paper instead of rice or dry beans.

My puppet teeth keep falling off or the noise maker lid comes loose—how do I fix that?

Use strong craft glue or a glue gun with adult help and press the teeth and spikes onto the puppet until fully set, and close and tape the lid tightly with extra duct tape or wrap tape around the seam of the small bottle or jar to prevent spills.

How can we adapt this activity for younger or older kids?

For toddlers, choose the sock option, pre-cut the triangle teeth and spikes and pre-fill the noise maker and skip the recording, while older kids can decorate the paper bag with detailed faces, cut complex spikes, record multiple roars with a recording device, and write a longer dinosaur-inspired sentence to share on DIY.org.

What's an easy way to enhance or personalize our dinosaur puppet and roar?

Add fabric scraps, paint, or layered paper for texture, make three small bottles each one quarter full with different fillings to compare how the noise maker changes during your deep, high, and short roars, then record your best roar and share the puppet and audio file on DIY.org.

Watch videos on how to make a dinosaur puppet and record your best roar

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Here at SafeTube, we're on a mission to create a safer and more delightful internet. 😊

Dinosaur Roars and Sounds for Curious Kids 🦖🦕🌋 | Learn Dinosaur Sounds | Preschool Fun

4 Videos

Facts about puppetry and sound exploration

🦖 Dinosaurs probably didn't roar exactly like in movies — scientists think many made low rumbles or bird-like calls.

🎭 Puppetry is ancient: people have been using puppets for storytelling for over 3,000 years.

🎧 Movie dinosaur roars are often created by blending real animal sounds like lions, alligators, and elephants.

🎤 You can change a roar's character by altering pitch, volume, and mouth shape — try whisper-growls and wide-mouthed yells!

🧪 Recording and slowing a sound can reveal hidden low rumbles that make your roar sound even more gigantic.

How do I do the 'Show Us Your Best Dino Roar!' activity with my child?

Start by making a simple dinosaur puppet from a paper bag, sock, or cardstock—add teeth, eyes, and scales with markers, glue, and craft scraps. Practice different roars: low growls, high shrieks, and breathy hisses; add noise-makers like a paper-rattle or kazoo. Record the best versions on a phone or tablet, then ask your child to describe what inspired each roar. Celebrate and replay together.

What materials do I need to make a dinosaur puppet and try different roars?

You'll need simple craft supplies: paper bags, socks, cardboard, or popsicle sticks; safety scissors, glue or tape, markers, crayons, and googly eyes. For sound experiments, use a small shaker (bottle with rice), kazoo, paper towel roll, or homemade drum. A smartphone or tablet for recording and a quiet spot to listen finish the setup. Substitute household items to keep costs low and recycling-friendly.

What ages is the Dino Roar activity suitable for?

This activity suits toddlers through elementary kids. Ages 3–5 enjoy simple puppets and basic roars with adult help for cutting and small parts. Ages 6–10 can design more detailed puppets, experiment with voice and noisemakers, and record and narrate their inspiration. Adapt complexity with templates for younger kids or story challenges for older children. Always supervise young children around small parts and devices.

What are the benefits of making dinosaur puppets and experimenting with roars?

Making dinosaur puppets and experimenting with roars boosts creativity, language, and motor skills. Children explore pitch, volume, and expression while practicing storytelling when they describe their roar's inspiration. Recording helps listening skills, confidence, and reflection—kids hear progress and try variations. It's also great for social play and emotional expression. Keep noisemakers and recordings at safe volumes and remove small parts for toddlers to ensure safety.

Ready to create?