Boy with dinosaur
What is it about these prehistoric beasts that is so captivating to young, developing minds? The simplest reason is that dinosaurs are huge, much bigger than grown ups. To small children who depend upon the adults in their lives for almost everything, a huge creature like the dinosaur is pretty intriguing. It’s fun to imagine mowing down the enemy or stomping over the land. Dinosaurs also mix fantasy and fact which appeals to a child’s sense of curiosity.
According to dinosaur expert Bob Strauss, kids love dinosaurs for 3 reasons:
1. Dinosaurs are big, scary AND extinct. With their vivid imaginations, kids can imagine being lunch for a fierce lion or menacing tiger. Dinosaurs don’t create that kind of fear in children because children know dinosaurs don’t exist. There is no chance of running into one and that renders them safe to a child.
2. Dinosaurs get to do what they want. They are big, they are powerful and they roam freely. No one tells a dinosaur to eat its dinner or that it’s time for bed. It has control over its life, that’s appealing to children. Plus, most popular books about dinosaurs reinforce the notion that the dinosaur is in charge.
3. Dinosaurs leave really cool skeletons. The skeleton of a giant dinosaur is pretty awesome. Many kids prefer seeing the skeleton to the animated version they might see in a movie or television show or the drawings in a book. Taking children to see a real skeleton at a museum will leave them awestruck.
Dinosaurs obviously are a great source of entertainment for both children and their parents, but dinosaurs also are a great way to teach young children. Having an interest provides to perfect hook to draw children into the study of life and earth science. Dinosaurs also serve as a fun introduction to all sorts of educational activities like counting and measuring, vocabulary and art. Finally, dinosaur play is nothing if not creative. The array of dinosaur-related activities is endless.
If your child is in the dinosaur-phase, encourage this interest with activities, movies, books and free play. You also can take your child to the Naples Botanical Gardens for “Dinosaurs Unearthed.” This special exhibit features life-sized replicas in two gardens: the Kathleen and Scott Kapnick Brazilian Garden and the Karen and Robert Scott Florida Garden. And in the Vicky C. and David Byron Smith Children’s Garden, a Tyrannosaurus Rex photo opportunity and fossil dig pit will be available for the duration of the exhibit. Unearthed: Dinosaurs in the Garden will be included with regular admission and take place during regular hours. The exhibition runs through July 5. Check naplesgarden.org for additional information or to purchase tickets.