National Velociraptor Awareness Day (April 18)

National Velociraptor Awareness Day on April 18 is one of those weird holidays that actually works really well with kids, especially if they’re even slightly into dinosaurs.

Most children already think they know what a velociraptor looks like (thanks to movies), so it’s a fun chance to correct that a bit and show what they were really like. And the fact they were feathered always gets a reaction.

It doesn’t need to turn into a big lesson either. A few small activities or even just a quick conversation about how different they were from what we see on screen is usually enough to make it stick.

When is the Holiday?

National Velociraptor Awareness Day is observed every year on April 18th.

Who Invented It?

While the origins of this holiday remain uncertain, it has gained traction through dinosaur enthusiasts and groups like the American Society for Velociraptor Attack Prevention.

The History of the Holiday

The history of this day isn’t especially clear, and that’s pretty common with a lot of these smaller holidays.

It likely started as a bit of fun among dinosaur fans and slowly picked up attention from museums, schools, and anyone already interested in prehistoric life.

Velociraptors themselves were first discovered in the 1920s in Mongolia, and they’ve been studied ever since. The name actually means “swift thief,” which feels about right once you see how they were built.

Most of what we’ve learned more recently comes from fossil discoveries that showed they had feathers, something that still surprises kids (and honestly, quite a few adults too).

Fun Facts About Velociraptors

• Velociraptors had feathers, so they were much closer to birds than the scaly versions most people picture.
• They were surprisingly small, closer to the size of a turkey than anything you see in films.
• That curved claw on their foot was likely used to grip prey rather than slash like you might expect.
• Fossils place them in what is now Mongolia, around 70 million years ago.
• Films made them famous, but they also changed quite a few details, especially their size.

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Coloring Page

If you just want something easy to start with, the velociraptor coloring page below works well without any setup.

It pairs nicely with the facts above, especially if you talk through what they actually looked like while they’re coloring. The feathers usually catch them off guard.

Activities to Celebrate

If you’ve got a natural history museum nearby, it’s worth going even for a short visit. Seeing real fossils tends to stick in a way books and videos don’t.

At home, documentaries like Prehistoric Planet are an easy option, especially if your child already enjoys dinosaur shows. It feels like watching TV, but they usually come away knowing a bit more than before.

Books can work well too, but it helps to mix them. One factual dinosaur book alongside something more story-based tends to hold their attention longer.

For something hands-on, a simple fossil dig in a tray of sand or a quick clay dinosaur is usually enough. It doesn’t need to be complicated to feel like an activity.

A dinosaur movie night is still a good fallback. Pausing occasionally to point out what’s accurate (and what definitely isn’t) turns it into more than just watching a film.

And if you just need something they can do on their own for a bit, dinosaur puzzles or printables are usually the easiest option.

Links to Resources

If you want something quick to set up, printable activities like dinosaur bingo or a simple word search are an easy way to keep kids engaged without much prep.

For something a bit more hands-on, crafts like a toilet roll dinosaur or a DIY nightlight work well, especially with younger children who prefer making something they can keep.

If they’re in the mood for something quieter, adding a few extra dinosaur coloring pages alongside the one above can turn this into a calm, independent activity.

And if you want to extend it a little further, dinosaur-themed board games like Dinosaur Island, Dinosaur Escape, or Fossil Canyon are a fun way to keep the theme going without it feeling like more “learning.”

Related Holidays

If your kids like anything to do with dinosaurs or animals, there are a few other quirky days through the year that can be just as easy to use.

Old Rock Day in January is a good excuse to talk about fossils and how they’re found, while Squirrel Appreciation Day is a lighter one if you just want something quick and fun.

Later on, National Hedgehog Day is always an easy win with younger kids, and National Dog Day or International Cat Day tend to be the ones they already know.

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