Dinosaur Games ~ Dinosaur Toys ~ Dinosaur Books

You ever wonder why young children, especially boys to the age of 5, are so fascinated with dinosaurs?  I’ve been noticing this fascination lately while visiting with my young nephew and also with friends that have young boys.  In each visit I have noticed an assortment of dinosaur games and dinosaur toys and dinosaur books and dinosaur movies… the list can go on. 

Could it be a size thing that fascinates them?  I mean, children are always looking upward at the adults in their lives.  They’re always wondering when they will be big like mommy or daddy.  Then they see dinosaurs portrayed in movies and pretend to be those majestic creatures that are even bigger than mommy and daddy. 

To you and me dinosaurs are long extinct.  To children dinosaurs are immortal and live in their harts and fantasies.

Dinosaur games are a great way for children as well as their parents to learn about these ancient creatures.  Some are scientific and educational and some are artistic and just plain fun.  The best dinosaur games are those that need no previous knowledge of dinosaurs, the kind where players learn as they play.  Board games are great family activities and if you have young children then you can’t go wrong with a dinosaur themed game.

Dinosaur toys include everything from puzzles to view finders or anything that lets the child physically play with dinosaurs without any set of rules to follow.  The favorites seemed to be of the stuffed kind and also the plastic action figures.   Children have huge imaginations but toys that move or make sounds will help guide their imaginations.  For children younger than 5, I wouldn’t leave them unattended with dinosaur toys that are small, less than 2 inches, and toys with small removable parts. 

Another great way to help children with their fascination with dinosaurs is to introduce them to some fabulous books that are colorfully illustrated and or interactive with sounds.  Reading books to your young children has a better benefit than letting them play with toys.  Reading is making a crucial investment in your child’s future success.  There is a study made by the US Department of education that found “children who were read to at least three times a week by a family member were almost twice as likely to score in the top 25% in reading.” There’s no better investment a parent can make than to the future success of their child’s education.

At the beginning of this article I mentioned how I noticed my nephew’s fascination with dinosaurs.  Well the item he was playing with was the Fisher-Price Spike dinosaur.  Spike is a red robot dinosaur that stands nearly as tall as my nephew.  It has a wireless remote which allows Spike to walk, growl and yawn, move its head up and down and bite down on a dino-bone.  My nephew would play with Spike until the batteries run down if his mom would let him.  Fortunately, he has many more dinosaur toys and books to keep him occupied.  Robot dinosaurs are a fun way for children to interact with these great creatures.  Take a look at some of the robot dinosaurs listed below.