What, exactly, is it about dinosaurs that fascinates little kids?  I thought I might be out of the loop on this one with two girls, but they have fallen in dinosaur love.  Proving, it’s not just a boy thing.  My oldest became smitten one day alongside the Target dollar-bin.

“MOMMY!!!!  WWWHHHHAAATTTT IIISSSS TTHHHAAAAAAATTT?!?!?!”  she excitedly exclaimed.

“Dinosaurs, Brianne.  Those are dinosaurs,” I began to explain. ” They lived on Earth a long time ago but are ex-”

“So cool, Mom!  I very want one of those!” she interrupted.

I was expecting more of a ‘yuck, gross’ reaction from the girl in the pink tutu.  The collection grew over time, and then we discovered the ‘Dinosaur Train’ show on PBS.  Look out.  After that Christmas the house rang of dinosaurs talking to each other.  Interactive toys… so cool.

This love affair with dinosaurs is still in full swing, and now my little 18-month-old is falling right in stride as well.  We’ve accumulated dinosaur books, collectible animals, interactive talking Dinosaur Train toys, dinosaur Memory, stuffed animal dinosaurs…  it’s humbling to be put in place for mislabeling a 5-syllable dinosaur.  Especially from someone who fails to use ‘very’ correctly in conversation yet.

The most recent addition to the collection was a dinosaur that hatched from his own egg.  You can imagine the suspense awaiting that smushy mess to break out of it’s ‘shell.’  This, on the heels of a visit to the Museum of Natural History in Cleveland…during the time Brianne’s pre-school was doing a unit of study on dinosaurs.  One would think ‘overload,’ but these kids just can’t get enough.

Brianne and her T-Rex admiring the Dinosaur Bones at the Museum of Natural History

Maybe little kids relate more to the dinosaur era because their little imaginations are used to soaring around the world and back on a daily basis.  For them, it’s not as much of a stretch to image what it was like.  Imagine if adults could let go of reality like kids do.  Instead of staying silent with grand ideas, coming forward with then.  Not afraid to speak up, or be criticized for our thoughts.  That’s how kids are.  Minus a few shy beginning moments among adults or new playmates, they barrel right through insecurities and into the land of the dinosaurs.

I realize adults have responsibilities, but it wouldn’t hurt to relax and unwind our imaginations every so often.  I know I feel better after an hour of playing princesses, dinosaurs, blocks, doctor, house, tea party…or whatever else their little minds come up with.

Happy Make-Believing…

Megs