5 Ways to Thrill the Dinosaur-Loving Kid!
Even at six, dinosaurs are a favorite for my son. Give him half an hour, and he can fill it with dinosaur facts you never knew. The former teacher in me is a big fan of harnessing something he is already excited about and using it to bring fun and learning into our home. This is exactly what I do with dinosaurs, and it’s easy for you to do too!
Here’s five awesome ways to entertain and educate the dinosaur lover in your house!
Check out a Jurassic World LIVE Show! It’s perfect for the dinosaur loving kid!
Milwaukee-area dinosaur lovers, get ready. Jurassic World Live Tour is coming to the Fiserv Forum on November 8th through the 10th! This thrilling adventure will feature some of Jurassic World’s most iconic dinosaurs including Blue the Raptor, Triceratops, Pteranodons and the mighty T.rex! Come face-to-face with dinosaurs in a brand new way that every dinosaur-loving kiddo is going to adore!
Jurassic World Live Tour was created for fans of all ages. Parents are best suited to determine what is age appropriate for their children. The show features special effects, including strobe lights and a safe theatrical fog, along with the wonder and thrills that the Jurassic World brand is known for. The show is approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes long and includes a 15-20 minute intermission.
Save 15% on Tickets to Jurassic World LIVE at the Fiserv Forum with code JWLMOM!
Get your tickets for Jurassic World Live here!
Museums, museums, museums.
In addition to the permanent exhibit “The Third Planet” at the Milwaukee Public Museum, we are fortunate that traveling exhibits make their way to the Milwaukee County Zoo and MPM regularly. When my son was two, we went to MPM’s Dinosaur brunch and exhibit for a very special “mom date.” This past summer, we were able to check out the lego dinosaurs at the Zoo. I thought my son’s head would explode with the awesomeness that came from combining two of his absolute favorite things.
You don’t have to wait for a traveling exhibit, however, because the Dinosaur Discovery Museum in Kenosha is open Tuesdays through Sundays YEAR ROUND. If you have a dinosaur loving kid, it’s small and manageable enough that you can totally squeeze it in before nap time, but if you want to make a day of it, you can totally hit the jelly belly factory tour or the outlets at pleasant prairie to justify the trip.
Dinosaur loving kids LOVE Hands-on archaeology
I have never met a kid who doesn’t want to play in a sensory bin. Put fossils and toy dinosaurs in. Give your kid a shovel and an old paintbrush, and let him or her excavate. Now, if you’re really adventurous, you can put yours in a sandbox or neglected garden bed, and teach them how to step-trench. They’ll be entertained AND using their fine and gross motor skills.
While you’re at it, use your favorite salt dough recipe to create fossils with your dinosaur loving kid. Explain how some fossils are imprints of things that lived long ago. No promises, but you might also be able to use this lesson to convince your kid to make some awesome handprint ornaments that go over really well with the grandparents at Christmas. You’re welcome.
Dino dance party!
I can’t even tell you how many awesome dinosaur songs exist on Spotify these days. Some of our favorites are “Dinosaur stomp” by Mother Goose Club, “I am a Paleontologist” by They Might Be Giants, and of course, “We are the Dinosaurs” by The Laurie Berkner Band. Just throw “dinosaurs” in the search. Trust me, you’ll find plenty.
Read about T-Rex and all his friends
The Usborne “Big Book of Dinosaurs” has been a perpetual favorite in our house. Be warned, however, that there are SO many factoids that it would be hard to “finish” with a younger child. Now that my son is starting to read independently, it’s a great resource, but when we first got it, I needed to tell him to pick two pages so bedtime wasn’t pushed back half an hour. Other great books: Usborne’s “I’m a Dirty Dinosaur” and the “How do Dinosaurs…” series by Jane Yolen. Another great one is the “Hide & Go Seek-a-Saurus” from KWiL Publishing, from right here in the Milwaukee area!
Pro tip: As much as we love the “Dinosaur Train” series, my dinosaur loving kids were not a fan of the books. Too wordy for the age group my son was in when he was interested in the show. Check those out from the library before you buy.
Any dino-riffic activities I’ve missed? Sound off in the comments!
