As a first-grade student, teacher Kayla Lange built a dinosaur in her Glasco school. It was a project she still remembers fondly today. In fact, it inspired her to create the annual tradition for her own students, which she began in 2012.

Each year her class has done a unit of dinosaur studies, researched, and crafted a dinosaur of their choice. It concludes with a dinosaur museum, where students show off their work and answer questions about their assigned creature. 

“You have those standout memories from your childhood,” she said. “Everyone thinks I’m a crazy dinosaur lady and I’m really not. It’s just a project that’s a lot of fun; kids get to use their imagination.” (Lange’s dinosaur pictured below.)

Each child picks their own species – if there’s a child who wants one that’s already been picked, Lange Googles and finds a similar version, she said. 

From there the class learns about dinosaurs and kids research at school. Three volunteers came in so kids could get one-on-one help finding their dino facts. 

“They become the expert on their dinosaur, so when people come in they can answer questions and have their facts memorized.”

In total, families have three weeks to construct their dino out of whatever materials they choose.

“It’s open-ended, however they want to create, big or small,” she said. “It’s in their hands on how in-depth they want to be.” 

Lange said every dino has been one-of-a-kind. 

“I’ve never seen the same dinosaur walk through here, they’re all unique.” 

Lange said she’s partial to the triceratops, as it mimics the modern rhino, giving us a glimpse in real life. She also enjoys long necks and avoids the meat eaters. 

“It’s a huge project for families. I know it’s a stressor, but once they create it, they can come together and be proud,” she said. “A lot of times we do math homework, but we never create as a family so that’s part of the fun. We have to come together and have the conversation and create a plan of what we’re going to do start to finish.” 

During build time, Lange said the class starts out each morning by updating what they’re working on. These topics often spark bits of inspiration from kids, talking about working with their family or their new ideas, she said. 

Thursday, May 1st was dinosaur reveal day, which Lange said is her favorite of the year. 

“It’s like Christmas with dinosaurs; you never know what’s coming through your door. Parents help bring them in, they’re excited and the kids are excited.” 

Students present to the class sharing how they came up with their design and how the dinosaur was created. 

Friday, the class goes into “museum mode” where desks are arranged in an outward-facing circle. Lights are dimmed and kids use flashlights to show their facts or dino features. 

Lange said this transformation of the classroom helps sell the museum with kids and makes it more exciting.

About 400 people visit the museum each year, which includes building students, and family members of her class. 

“The intent is just to bring families together for the project,” she said. “I hope it’s something they’ll always remember.” 

First grader Brynn Wenzel made a kentrosaurus, which is similar looking to a stegosaurus. She said that’s why she made it. 

“We were researching dinosaurs that looked like a stegosaurus and we found this one,” she said. She memorized facts about her dinosaur, including that it had a brain the size of a walnut and its back legs were twice as long as its front legs.

Wenzel said her parents and older sister all helped with the project.

“We used cardboard and paper mâché with newspaper,” she said. “Then I painted it; the spikes are golf tees and that part was my Dad’s idea. It was fun.”  

Levi Roberts used Styrofoam to create an allosaurus, which he wanted to create due to its teeth and horns above the eyes. He pointed out that the allosaurus ate meat and was likely scary to its prey. It weighed 3,500 pounds and was discovered in 1877. 

“I had fun making it, probably carving it was the best part.” 

Gabe Lenhart used noodles for his velociraptor’s claws and a combination of artificial and real turkey feathers.

“We found a turkey so I used those too,” he said, pointing to the creation’s comb, which came from the turkey.

Another student, Millie Davis, made a pachycephalosaurus, a leaf-eater that grew between six and eight feet long. 

She said she chose the dinosaur after watching its behavior in Jurassic Park. 

“I picked it because I like the spikes on the outside and how it head butts really hard,” she said. “Other things would try to eat it so that’s how it defended.”