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Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
A fossil skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex posed biting down on a fossil Triceratops skeleton that is lying on its side.

National Fossil Day at the Museum

Special In-Person Event, October 12, 2022

Join us for some fossil fun on Wednesday, October 12, from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. ET!

Celebrate National Fossil Day with real dinosaurs and free, kid-friendly activities in the museum’s David H. Koch Hall of Fossils – Deep Time. Scientists and educators from the Smithsonian and the National Park Service will be on hand to welcome families, school groups, and anyone interested in exploring Earth’s deep past. No registration required.

Visitors Can:

  • Participate in a fossil "dig" to find and identify real fossils 
  • Make a fossil rubbing from casts of prehistoric plants and animals to take home 
  • Observe experts at work in the FossiLab 
  • Get up-close the Nation’s T. rex and discover new paleo icons 
  • Earn a Junior Paleontologist’s badge 
  • And more! 

Activities are designed for children ages 3 to 10 and their caregivers, but all are welcome to join the fun!

Activity Gallery

A man helps a young girl with an activity of sorting what looks like sand or tiny rocks in a tray.
Sifting through tiny fossils. Photo by Brittany M. Hance, Smithsonian.
A boy and a girl using paint brushes to uncover fossils in a sandbox indoors
Digging for fossils. Photo by Brittany M. Hance, Smithsonian.
A uniformed park ranger standing with one hand up, palm out, in front of a group of young girls and boys who also have their hands up
Young visitors taking the Junior Paleontologist's Pledge. Photo by Brittany M. Hance, Smithsonian.
A child holding a red piece of paper on top of a rock or fossil while rubbing a dark crayon on the paper
Making a fossil rubbing. Photo by Brittany M. Hance, Smithsonian.
image of three paleontologists preparing fossils in a lab
FossiLab in the Hall of Fossils – Deep Time exhibit.
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Resources for Kids, Families, and Teachers

Check out these fossil-related activities, videos, and more at your own pace!

Activities

Videos

More Fossil Resources

Credits

The photo at top shows a Tyrannosaurus rex fossil skeleton biting down on a Triceratops horridus. Credit: Smithsonian Institution.