Children of all ages love dinosaurs! No matter where you are, January tends to be a month when we all need to spend time indoors. This would be a great time to make a trip to the local natural history museum and see some dinosaur bones or find a virtual field trip like this one.
Multi-age activity:
Freeze a few waterproof toys (or even some of your littlest one’s teethers) in a block of ice overnight. Put the ice block in one large bowl and fill another large bowl with warm water. Your children can pretend to be paleontologists using different tools (measuring cups, eye droppers, paint brushes, or any other items they can think of) to bring the warm water to the ice block. Will a washcloth work? Or paper towels? Let them work together to problem solve this dinosaur dig!
Song list:
Books:
Infant: Night Night Dino Snores by Nicola Edwards
This bedtime book has soothing rhymes and a few fun textures for baby to scratch. Read about how Elasmosaurus silently swims to bed, while T. rex gets a ride on his mother’s back.
Toddler: Tiny T Rex and the Impossible Hug by Jonathan Stutzman
Tiny the T Rex’s best friend Pointy is sad. Tiny thinks a hug will help Pointy, but how can he hug with his diminutive arms? He asks for help from multiple family members until he finally figures out the answer for himself.
Beginning Reader: Danny and the Dinosaur in the Big City by Syd Hoff
This book series is great for a brand-new reader. The sentences are short and repetitive, with a few big words like “skyscrapers” and “construction.” This story is about Danny’s class trip to New York City, and his giant dinosaur friend tags along.
School Aged: The Magic Treehouse Dinosaurs Before Dark by Mary Pope Osborne
This series is a kid favorite. These are great if your child is ready to start reading chapter books. It’s action-packed and fun to read. One caveat: this book was originally written in 1992, so the author refers to dinosaurs as reptiles (which isn’t true, they’re closer to birds). Perhaps that could be a great conversation starter with your child, about how scientists are always learning new things.