DINO- Might!

While doing my regimented morning clean-up of the path of the twinadoes, the boys usually enjoy a post-breakfast treat of PBS Kids. 

Have I told you I love PBS Kids? Well, I do! It is so nice to expose the boys to something with educational components than something that looks like it was conceived on a drug-induced high. It also makes it tolerable for me, because I like to watch it alongside them and ask them questions to see if they comprehend it. One of their favorite morning shows on PBS Kids (and mine too) is Dinosaur Train. Cute, cute, cute! Not to mention, I never thought Pteranodon and Cretaceous would become part of our regular vocabulary.

Dinosaurs seem to be a big thing for boys (you can’t buy boys’ pajamas, clothes, toothbrushes or toys without seeing one sort of dinosaur or another). I know there is an aggression factor that we obviously correlate with boys’ interests. But there is so much more that the study of these creatures can offer – like knowledge about life science, natural history and paleontology. Do you hear me, parents of girls?!

While Grandma and I were searching one day for kid-friendly outings, we discovered a “Dinos Alive” exhibit at a local attraction. To quote the website, it is a pre-historic stomping ground with more than 20 life-like, animatronic dinosaurs.

After much discussion about the possible spectrum of reactions we might get from the boys (from boredom to night terrors for life, along with adult psychotherapy), we decided we should at least try to take them and that we could always bail out if necessary, with only minor injury resulting.

 

From the moment we walked into the tent, I mean jungle, the boys looked on, wide-eyed and in total silence with gaping mouths. They were greeted with moving, roaring dinosaurs of all kinds – a few inches up to 50 ft high, both on the left and the right. I couldn’t believe how quietly they sat in their stroller, taking in all the sounds and sights in amazement. I think the pictures say it all.

Taiter: Dinosaur by day, toddler by night.

While I made a bee-line to get out of the strategically placed gift-shop that followed the tour, I did get an idea. I plan to get some museum-quality miniature dinosaurs and start calling them by name when we play. While neither boy may ever become a paleontologist; I hope exposing them at least warrants an added appreciation.

Thinking back to the tour, I think I could probably only name about five of the dinosaurs, but I am certain of the day the boys will correct me, “No, Mom. That’s a Micropachycephalosaurus..."