Dinosaur Dirt Cups

Welcome to dinosaur week! We're kicking it off with a snack that looks like a tiny dig site. Your little one layers creamy pudding and crumbly cookie "dirt" in a cup, then hides a dinosaur on top. Dinosaur Dirt Cups are messy, a little silly and a big hit at our table.

What you need

• Chocolate or vanilla pudding (or plain yogurt for a lighter version)

• Chocolate sandwich cookies or graham crackers, crushed into crumbs

• Small clear cups

• A zip-top bag and a rolling pin for crushing

• Dinosaur toppers: dinosaur-shaped crackers or cookies, or a large, clean toy dinosaur for decoration only

How to make it

1. Make the dirt. Put the cookies in a zip-top bag and let your child crush them with a rolling pin. Crunch, crunch!

2. Layer it up. Spoon in pudding, then a layer of dirt, then more pudding.

3. Top it off. Finish with a thick layer of dirt on top.

4. Add the dinosaurs. Stand dinosaur crackers in the dirt, or park a big toy dinosaur on top for the photo.

5. Count to 5. Add five crumbs, five crackers or five spoonfuls. It's Number 5 day!

Why we love it

Crushing, spooning and layering are great work for little hands. Talking about "layers" is also a gentle first step toward how scientists dig: the deeper you go, the older things are.

Make it your own

• Lighter swap: Use plain yogurt and crushed whole-grain cereal as the dirt.

• Dig for it: Hide a banana slice "fossil" in the middle layer to find with a spoon.

A quick safety note: Take away any toy dinosaur before your child eats, and only use toys too big to fit in the mouth. Check labels for milk, wheat and nut allergies. Always have your child sit while eating.

Shop these items

Everything mentioned in this post, in one place. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

• Clear 9 oz cups

• Jumbo toy dinosaurs

• Shop everything for Week 5: Dinosaurs

• Starter supplies: the basics we use most weeks

• See every week in our Amazon storefront

More for this week: see all our Dinosaur activities, Letter E activities and Number 5 activities.

Every child is different. Please use your own judgment about what's safe and right for your family. Always supervise children during activities and while eating, and adjust foods for allergies, dietary needs and your child's age and chewing ability. Sprocket & Sprout shares these ideas for fun and learning only. We are not responsible for any injury, allergic reaction, damage or mess that may result from trying them. This post may contain affiliate links; if you buy through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.