Who are we kidding, it would be the year(s) of the dino at my house. I realize this week kicks off the start of the holiday shopping season with black Friday approaching, so I wanted to share some insight from our 5-year long obsession with dinosaurs. If any of you have dino- crazed kiddos at your house, I hope this will be helpful as I plan to cover toys, books, games, shows, birthdays and anything else I can think of to bring you some good gift ideas. For this blog post, I conducted important interviews with my 8-year-old and 5-year-old little boys. So just know that all the information here is kid tested, kid approved, and I will weigh in as needed. Wood, my oldest started getting into dinosaurs when he was 2 years old. The first dino-themed birthday party we did was for his 3rd birthday and we have been going strong ever since.
My youngest, Graham, came along and followed in his brother’s footsteps and now I think we have accumulated so much there is talk of an addition on the house. A dino wing, perhaps. Over the past year, they have moved on to superheroes and Star Wars (which I love), but we had a solid dino run which means I now have a prehistoric package full of information for those of you who need it. If you have ever found yourself in a situation where your child corrects you, stating the T-rex lived during the Cretaceous period, not Jurassic, then this post will be of use to you. If this is you, I’ve been there. When did it happen? You read some books or saw a T.V. show and all of a sudden, this is all they talk about. When I was growing up, I remember learning about Tyrannosaurus Rex, triceratops, brontosaurus, stegosaurus, and maybe a pterodactyl. At some point, brontosaurus was not its own species but now it is again, or something like that. Pluto all over again. I just want to point out the movie was Jurassic Park, not Cretaceous Park so I assumed they were Jurassic dinosaurs. It’s really Steven Spielberg’s fault if I get confused, or so I tell my boys. There are so many more dinosaurs now. So. Many. More. It can be overwhelming. However, it’s pretty fun too. They (and you) get to learn about all these long-extinct animals, some history and there are all sorts of fun things you can do if your little one is a dino fan. Plus, it’s ridiculously cute how your toddler pronounces these really long dinosaur names, right? In thinking about where to even start with this post, I thought I would break things out by category. For example, I thought I could share the toys, books, games, etc, that we have consistently enjoyed year after year. I will point out the items that are geared toward a younger audience as well as the ones my 8-year-old loves today. Since I am making these recommendations based on our experiences, I think it would be helpful to know that Wood, my oldest is very detail oriented and particular in terms of his personality. Graham is a bit less so, but both enjoy hands on imaginative play.
Let’s Talk Toys:
I have to say, our very first dinosaur toys were Safari Ltd dinosaurs. I cannot say enough about these dinosaurs. They are sturdy and smaller in size so they are perfect for your little one’s smaller hands. They are also made well artistically with a lot of great detail. We have so many of these and my little guys have loved playing with them over the years. If your toddler likes to play a bit rough with toys, just know some of the smaller ones with tiny arms might break. My two definitely played rough at times and we still only had a couple of breaks. I highly recommend these. Wood was so excited reminiscing about these that he started playing with them again as we talked about them. You can buy them directly from Safari Ltd or you can find them on Amazon as well.
Safari Ltd Pachycephalosaurus on Amazon: Get it here
My son’s favorite plush stuffed toy is from the Natural History Museum in New York. When you get the chance to travel again it is worth a visit for your kids for many reasons, but even more so if you have an emerging paleontologist. I included a link below to Graham’s best buddy. His name is T-Bone.
The Top Ten-ish
I sat down with both my boys and got them each to tell me their absolute favorite dinosaur toys in the form of a top ten list. Trust me when I tell you, these toys have been the dinosaurs they consistently play with, the ones they take on trips and the ones that at times, I had to stealthily remove from my little one’s bed because he tried sleeping with them. You do not want to roll over onto these in the middle of the night so just get your own T-bone and send them off to bed with a dinosaur they can snuggle.
Wood’s top ten (8-year-old)
- Jurassic World Indominus Rex. Check it out
- Jurassic World Indoraptor. Check it out. There is also a version that growls but it is more expensive.
- Jurassic World Spinosaurus. Check it out
- Jurassic World Suchomimus. Check it out
- Jurassic World Allosaurus. Check it out
- Jurassic World Sarcosuchus. Check it out
- Jurassic World Baryonx. Check it out
- Jurassic World Tarbosaurus. Check it out
- Jurassic World Tyrannosaurus Rex. Check it out
- Jurassic World Tyrannosaurus Rex #2. Check it out
- Jurassic World Mosasaurus. Check it out
Graham’s top ten (5-year-old)
- Jurassic World Spinosaurus. Check it out
- Jurassic World Indoraptor. Check it out.
- Jurassic World Sarcosuchus. Check it out
- Jurassic World Tyrannosaurus Rex #2. Check it out
- Jurassic World Mosasaurus. Check it out
- Jurassic World Tarbosaurus. Check it out
- Jurassic World Pteranodon. Check it out
- Jurassic World Dimorphodon. Check it out
- Jurassic World Tapejara. Check it out
- Jurassic World Therizinosaurus. Check it out
- Jurassic World Indominus Rex. Check it out
- Jurassic World Ankylosaurus. Check it out
- Jurassic World Velociraptor Blue. Check it out
I know what you are wondering. Why do the top ten lists have more than 10? Well, the truth is, it’s a miracle they narrowed it down to only 11 and 13 in their top 10. Also, when your little one looks at you with his big blue eyes and says, “Mommy, I need to add another one,” you just say “ok.” After all, this is their interview. I want to share their absolute favorites and leave nothing out. So, now you know. Also, I realize there are some of the same on each list. That just reinforces how beloved these toys are. After reviewing their lists, I think it is accurate in reflecting the ones we play with over and over. I love that Grahams’s list includes some of the great flying dinosaurs too. There really are so many great dinosaurs you can add to your collection but now you have some recommendations from my resident experts.
Let’s Talk Shows:
Here are recommendations for television shows that my boys really liked. They watched them so much I had no problem remembering what to put in this blog post 4 years later.
- Dinosaur Train: This show follows a family of Pteranodons on various adventures. They will take a train to different periods in history and learn about various dinosaur species and other things. It is great for kids who are dino lovers and a bonus is the educational component. Only downside is the theme song will get stuck in your head. Could be worse. It could be the Macarena. Sorry, that’s probably in your head now. You can find it on PBS Kids, and I believe you can get some seasons on Prime video too. Check it out
- Dinotrux: This show is perfect for kids, especially little boys as it combines dinosaurs and trucks. It is geared more for younger kids, but it is really cute and there is usually a lesson somewhere in each episode. They make toys to go with the series as well. Check it out
- Dino Dan: This series follows a 10-year-old boy, named Dan who is a huge fan of dinosaurs. He sees them all throughout his day and he conducts ‘experiments’ that help him learn even more about these extinct creatures. You can find the series on Nick Jr. and the third season introduces Dana and can be accessed on Prime as well. Check it out
- StoryBots: This recommendation is more for the short dinosaur videos. Storybots is an educational media franchise that includes T.V series, books, videos, music, games and more. There is a Netflix series called Ask the Storybots. I highly recommend the Storybot dinosaur songs. You can look up the videos on YouTube. They are super cute, and the songs teach the kids all about the different dinosaurs. To this day, if I start singing, “One, two, three,” then my son will answer, “Check out my horns!” It’s from the Triceratops video. Now go watch it so you can join in. Check these out
Let’s Talk Books
Here are some dinosaur books you and your little one can enjoy reading over and over. These first four are our absolute favorites.
- National Geographic Kids The Ultimate Dinopedia: Our copy of this book is literally falling apart. It is a wonderful book with large colorful pictures and tons of information on each dinosaur. Wood loved to go page by page and have me read all the facts which he quickly memorized. It will continue to be a favorite as your dino fan grows up and can read the facts to you.
The Ultimate Dinopedia: Buy it here
- Amazing Giant Dinosaurs: This is another great book with colorful pictures and facts on every page. It also includes larger fold-out flaps that contain more amazing information for your little one to discover.
Amazing Giant Dinosaurs: Buy it here
- My Encyclopedia of Very Important Dinosaurs: This is similar to the other two in that it is a great reference book with incredible pictures and facts on every page. Everything from what the names mean, to what they ate and how large they were in addition to the period in which they lived. Such a great book.
My Encyclopedia of Very Important Dinosaurs: Buy it here
- National Geographic Kids Little Kids First Big Book of Dinosaurs: This book is similar to #1 on the list but just a bit simpler version. It is not as comprehensive and has bigger writing and fact bubbles on each page.
First Big Book of Dinosaurs: Buy it here
These are the ones we have read and read and read again. I particularly love how these books encouraged reading for my two. Wood was just hungry for knowledge about dinosaurs, so these books kept him in books! Here are some other books we have enjoyed that are just fun with the added bonus of dinosaur themes.
- The Mine-o-Saur. This one is great for those kids that need to learn to share. So, that’s everyone. Buy it here
- The Really, Really, Really Big Dinosaur. Again, focus on sharing with this book. Buy it here
- How Do Dinosaurs Say Happy Birthday? There is a whole series of these about how little dinosaurs (and little humans) should behave. Buy it here
- Roar! Roar! Baby Dinosaur. This one is cute for younger kids. It has flaps that are fun for tiny fingers to discover as well as sounds. Buy it here
- My Grandpa is a Dinosaur. This one is just silly and fun. Do you have a relative who roars? Buy it here
- Harry and the Bucketful of Dinosaurs. Sweet story about the connection between a child and his favorite toys. Buy it here
- Dinosaur Dance! If you know Sandra Boynton books, you know this one is just pure silliness. Buy it here
Let’s Talk Games
These are some games we have played for years and honestly, we still enjoy these today.
- Dinosaur Matching. This is a great game of memory tailored for dinosaur fans. It has tons of great pairs to make for a fun, challenging game. We still play it today. Buy it here
- Dinosaur Bingo. We have had so much fun playing this with both boys. They both love it and it is really good quality with several board variations and lots of dinosaurs. They love to play a board and they love calling out the dinosaurs as well. Buy it here
- Jurassic Park Danger. This one is a fun strategy game for older kids based on the movie Jurassic Park. Wood started playing around the age of 7 and he really enjoys it. Someone gets to be the dinosaurs and the other players chose a character and work together to get safely out of the park. Buy it here
- LEGO Jurassic World (PS4). My boys have really gotten into video games the last couple of years and this has been one of their favorites. We have a PS4 but you can get the equivalent game that is made for your game system, such as Nintendo or Xbox, for example. Buy it here
- Dinosaur Escape Game. This game combines some memory with the goal of getting your dinosaur safely away from the erupting volcano. Buy it here
- Jurassic World Facts. Wood and Graham have this game on their Ipads. It allows them to scan the Jurassic World dinosaurs in their collection to unlock the dinosaurs in this game. They get to hear them roar, see them stomp and see their battle moves. You can move all over the map to collect dinosaurs from different habitats and even test your knowledge with trivia. Wood absolutely loved this app. Check it out
Here are some suggestions for movies about dinosaurs.
- Walking with Dinosaurs. Both of my boys enjoyed this movie when they were younger so this would be a great one to introduce to your little one. It follows a pachyrhinosaurus as he goes through various adventures with his large herd. You can grab it on Amazon below and it is on Prime video as well. Check it out
- The Good Dinosaur. This movie is animated and follows Arlo, a brachiosaurus as he gets swept away from home in a storm and must find his way back. He makes some interesting friends along the way of course but, (spoiler alert), in true Disney fashion, his dad is killed in the storm at the beginning. I just tell you because I will never forget little Wood saying, “Where did his daddy go?” Ugh. The movie is cute and does have some good lessons. It just has one of those heartbreaking moments, much like when Simba dies in The Lion King. Check it out
- Jurassic World Movie Collection. This includes Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Jurassic Park III, Jurassic World, and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. These are the ultimate films for dinosaur fans. I wanted to address them together as my boys absolutely loved all of them. Now, each of these is rated PG-13 and frankly has some violence that I was not comfortable with my little ones seeing so we had to approach them in a unique way. I watched the films first to get acquainted with them and then we skipped the parts where someone got eaten or lost an arm, etc. There really are not very many scenes like that so the boys were able to see most of the movies and all the cool dinosaur interactions minus the few violent scenes. That worked well for us. You just have to use your best judgement here for your kids. It goes without saying that they were older before we watched these also.
That takes care of toys, shows, books, games, and movies. I also wanted to share a little about our dinosaur themed birthdays. Between the two kids we have hosted 4 dinosaur themed birthday parties and we have had a lot of fun with our prehistoric celebrations. When I do a birthday, I usually just make a list and get a plan for each item based on theme. Theme is taken care of in this case, so here goes:
To kick things off, I ordered my little one a custom shirt from Etsy with his dinosaur name and his favorite dino to wear for his party. Check out this example
Invitations: I usually order from Etsy. They have great designs and quick turnaround since a lot of them are a digital download. Check these out
Menu: I made some labels for “Herbivores” and “Carnivores” and then tried to have a little something for everyone in each category. Pick up a dinosaur sandwich cutter and you can do some simple sandwiches for kids. Throw some PB&J or some ham and cheese out in the appropriate category for an easy snack. For other herbivore options, you can do some cute fruit stegosauruses or arrange a fruit tray in the shape of a dinosaur. Check out my Pinterest board (link below) for these and other ideas I have used. For the Carnivore category, you can always grab some chicken nuggets from Chick-fil-A. I also made sausage balls for one of our Saturday morning parties. For the main event, you will most likely do a cake or cupcakes. I have gotten really good cupcake toppers from Etsy as well. For other dino desserts, you can make sugar cookies and use a dinosaur toy to put footprints in each one. Add peanut M&Ms in a container labeled “Dinosaur Eggs.” Another great option for dinosaur eggs would be donut holes. To make dinosaur bones, take pretzel sticks and put marshmallows on each end. Then dip them in melted white chocolate. Dino Party: Pinterest
Décor: I usually have the basics like a banner and balloons. I have ordered custom banners from Etsy and Amazon has a good assortment of dinosaur balloons. I like a mixture of latex and the special mylar themed ones. I ordered some plastic light green tablecloths from Amazon as well and grabbed some rustic wooden crates and some fake moss for the table. This is the best part. You can use the dinosaur toys you already have to decorate. Place them in and around the crates and use the moss to create a prehistoric nature look.
Games/Entertainment: Our boys’ birthdays both fall in late summer when it is still hot, so we took advantage of that and used the pool and rented a wet bouncy slide for the kids to enjoy. You can always have a dinosaur dig activity as well. My mother-in-law made the cutest dinosaur tails for the kids and honestly, they enjoyed just running around pretending to be dinosaurs. Another cute idea is to order a dinosaur pinata and let the little ones take turns whacking it until it breaks. Yay! More candy!
Favors: You can order a bucket of tiny dinosaurs from Amazon or get an assortment box that has dinosaur stamps, toys, stickers, etc. All things kids just love to play with. I have also had dinosaur cookies made and sent one home with each child. Another idea is dinosaur shaped gummy bears. Kids love gummies and there is usually plenty leftover so you can have some too. Another great thing about the dino tails is that the kids can take those home. They were so excited about that.
Aside from the above, we have gotten some great pool floats from eBay (see pic below). Also, if you need a good dinosaur backpack or lunch box, I recommend Pottery Barn Kids. They have several options for cute designs. We have enjoyed ours. Check these out.
I think that just about covers it! I hope this post will be helpful to those who have a little dinosaur fan this holiday season. Our love of dinosaurs is strong in our house. I wanted to share the fun we have had and I’m glad to have a chronicle of this sweet phase in our boys’ childhood. By the time these dinos go everywhere with you, they start to feel like part of the family. One of my favorite stories is of Graham from last year. He was four and we were headed to the grocery store. For some reason he wanted to wear his dinosaur costume. I could have pursuaded him to change, but I just went with it. I’m glad I did because it is such a sweet memory that I now have. Pretty adorable sidekick to assist me with my Kroger shopping.
Thanks for visiting Mockingbirdmom.com and happy dino hunting!
