Do You Know Why Children Love Dinosaurs?
If there’s one thing kids love, it’s dinosaurs. Many children build up an impressive collection of toys. And when it comes to dinosaurs, there is a whole world to discover.
These extinct reptiles existed in all forms, from small, cruel predators to kind, herbivorous giants.
The dinosaur era has a special fascination for people of all ages, but especially for children.
This passion for dinosaurs is often reflected in movies and books. Their dragon-like appearance catches the attention of toddlers, and even older children are not immune to the thrill of movies like Jurassic Park.
Although science has revealed some myths about dinosaurs, these ancient animals continue to live their own lives in children’s imagination.
In this article, we just learn why dinosaurs are so fascinating to your child.
Why do children love dinosaurs?
1. They dream of being as strong as them
Dinosaurs were powerful, hard and almost invincible. These are qualities that almost all children would want.
As children begin to discover the world around them, strength and power are aspects that they admire and long for. They look up to beings who know how to defend themselves and try to imitate them.
When children play and imagine themselves to be a real dinosaur, they experiment with these characteristics and express new aspects of their personality.
2. They are fascinated by the mystery of how they died out
The children’s interest in dinosaurs also has to do with their sudden and mysterious extinction.
This is a phenomenon that still fascinates people of all ages and inspires the scientific debate. For children, these big questions are fascinating.
This puts dinosaurs in the same category as mythical creatures. They are like taken from science fiction. They are not really real, like a wolf or an elephant, nor are they imaginary, like a dragon.
Dinosaurs have their own role in a child’s imagination. They are beings who once existed, but who no longer exist.
3. They are proud to be experts
You may have heard the story of when the Natural History Museum in London admitted that they had mixed up the information about one of the dinosaurs they had in an exhibition – all thanks to a 10-year-old boy.
The child visited the museum with his family and noticed a mistake in the name of one of the dinosaurs. He told the museum about the error, and after checking their sources, they realized their mistake.
Imagine how proud children feel when they can impress their parents by raving about the long, complicated names of different dinosaur species. They all know dinosaurs by name and collect books and toys.
Young dinosaur lovers carefully study all the documentaries about their favorite creatures.
Your child’s knowledge will often surprise you. The satisfaction of being an expert encourages children to find out even more about the dinosaur world.
4. They are a connection to the past
Dinosaurs represent the distant past. A time before mom, dad and grandparents. So long ago that it is very difficult to imagine.
Children are curious about how the world we live in came about. How did the earth come to be? Who were the first people?
Children who are interested in dinosaurs understand that these animals belong in a world beyond their family and everyday life. This is something positive and stimulating for a young mind.
5. They are not scary
Children’s fascination with dinosaurs is also due to the fact that they no longer exist. These giant lizards ruled the earth long before man set foot on it. This makes them basically non-threatening.
The fact that these scary creatures are not here with us on our planet today is very safe for children to know. Children know that these monsters from the past cannot come and attack them, but they were dangerous in their time.
Finally, remember that children tend to go through phases. Just look at the toys from their last birthday that they have already stopped playing with. So your child’s addiction to anything dinosaur-related may not last very long either.
But even if your child’s fascination with dinosaurs is temporary, it can be fun for both of you.
Learning about dinosaurs is a chance for children to explore the world, close to their creativity, gain new knowledge and arouse an interest in science.
And who knows – maybe you have a future paleontologist in the family!