60+ Fun And Interesting Facts About Dinosaurs For Kids

Dinosaurs may not be around anymore, but facts about them can be relevant.

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Interesting And Fun Facts About Dinosaurs For Kids

Image: Shutterstock

Dinosaurs roamed around the Earth for about 162 million years, i.e., millions of years before human beings arrived on the Earth. In this post, we bring many interesting facts about dinosaurs for kids. Dinosaurs lived in the Mesozoic EraiThe age of reptiles or dinosaurs that lasted around 66 to 252 million years ago. , divided into three periods: TriassiciFirst period of the mesozoic era that lasted until about 201 to 250 million years ago. , Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods. They were the dominant species of the animal world by the beginning of the JurassiciSecond period of the mesozoic era that lasted until about 140 to 190 million years ago. period, and then they became extinct about 66 million years ago. Your kids might be asking you questions like how many dinosaurs were there, what they were called, what happened to them, etc. Read this post as we bring fascinating information about the dinosaurs to keep your children entertained and engaged.

In This Article

Key Pointers

  • Dinosaurs look scary, but their evolution and extinction stories are intriguing for children across ages.
  • Paleontologists and scientists have gathered several interesting facts about them that children will love.
  • The Lost World, Age of Dinosaurs, and Land of The Lost are some of the many dinosaur movies that can entertain and engage children.

Origin Of The Word “Dinosaur” And What it means?

Sir Richard Owen, a biologist from England, coined the term “dinosaur.” He used this word to classify a large group of animals, “Dinosauria” (1).

The word ’Dinosaur’ was derived from the Greek “deinos,” which means “big and terrible” and “sauros” means “lizard.” Although researchers called them “Big terrible lizards,” dinosaurs are not lizards.

Evolution Of A Dinosaur

Around 350 million years ago, due to natural phenomena, reptiles survived without water. As their bodies evolved, the reptiles changed to the four-legged amphibians. The early reptiles were lizards, snakes, turtles, ancestor mammals, and plesiosaursiA group of extinct long-necked marine reptiles belonging to the mesozoic era. .

It is believed that some of these reptiles later evolved into dinosaurs called “Archosaurs” and “AvemetatarsaliansiArchosaurs that are closely related to birds. .”

How Many Types Of Dinosaurs Existed?

More than 700 dinosaur species have been discovered so far. Paleontologists hope to discover more species from the excavation sites.

Megalosaurus, a giant carnivore, roamed the Earth about 169 million years ago. Megalosaurus was nine meters long and three meters tall. One of the first dinosaur fossils ever discovered was of the Megalosaurus. Reverend William Buckland, a geologist, was the first to study the fossil of the dinosaur in 1824 and named it Megalosaurus

All dinosaurs descended from reptiles called ’Archosaurs.’ They came in different shapes and sizes. British paleontologist Harry Seeley classified dinosaurs into two categories – Ornithischia and Saurischia – based on their hip structure.

  1. Ornithischia: Also known as bird-hipped dinosaurs, Ornithischia were herbivorous. Ornithischia dinosaurs have no known carnivoresiAnimals that feed on the meat or flesh of other animals. within their group. They walked on all four legs. Triceratops, Iguanodon, and Stegosaurus were well-known dinosaurs from the Ornithischia category. Ornithischia dinosaurs were not precursors to birds.

    Ornithischia or bird-hipped dinosaurs

    Image: Shutterstock

  1. Saurischia: Also known as lizard-hipped dinosaurs, Saurischia were carnivores. They were the most feared and violent species that walked on two legs. They had short arms, sharp jaws, and powerful tails. The pubis boneiA bone situated in the pubic region that constitute the hip bone. in Saurischia dinosaurs, such as T-Rex, faced forward and down.

The top three Saurischian dinosaurs are T-Rex, Allosaurus, and Oviraptor. They were the precursor to the birds, which evolved from the avian dinosaur, who were the only ones to survive the extinction event.

Extinction Of Dinosaurs

For more than 140 million years, the dominance of dinosaurs was unchallenged except by other dinosaurs. But all that changed overnight when the dinosaurs were wiped out. The reason for their extinction is not known. But the most accepted theory is that an asteroid strike that occurred 66 million years ago led to their extinction.

Keep reading to know more about how the dinosaurs lived and thrived before nature struck them out.

protip_icon Trivia
Several living creatures have co-existed with the dinosaurs. Crocodiles, whales, and cockroaches are some examples.

Interesting Facts About Dinosaurs For Kids

  1. Paleontology is the study of fossils to understand the process of evolution. People who study paleontology are called paleontologists.
  1. Paleontologists studied the fossils and bones of dinosaurs and determined that they were several hundred million years old (2).
  1. Scientists discovered dino fossils in Antarctica too. However, there is no evidence suggesting that dinos lived there when Earth was a single landmass called Pangaea.
  1. Several dinosaurs, which were carnivores, had feathers and scales on their body.
  1. The Brachiosaurus and Apatosaurus were plant-eaters.
  1. The Triceratops was a fierce hunter with horns to defend itself against predators, while the Stegosaurus had spikes on their tail.
  1. Pterodactyls are not dinosaurs. They were flying reptiles that lived in the same age.
  1. Theropods dinosaurs are the ancestors of birds.
protip_icon Did you know?
Modern birds are the closest living relatives of the dinosaurs (5).
  1. British Paleontologist Richard Owen coined the word dinosaur in 1842.
  1. Spinosaurus was the largest carnivorous dinosaur. They lived on land and in water.
  1. Dinosaurs that looked like crocodiles existed in the CretaceousiA period of the mesozoic era that lasted until about 65 to 140 million years ago. Period (3).
  1. Before dinosaurs, reptiles existed on Earth. Archosaurs and Therapsids were the two reptile species to rule the Earth for millions of years.
  1. Apatosaurus, one of the largest dinosaurs, lived 300 years.
  1. Some dinosaurs had holes in their skull, which helped in absorbing moisture.
  1. Scientists hope to discover more dinosaur species.
  1. Megalosaurus was the first dinosaur to be named by humans.

    Megalosaurus was the first dinosaur to be named by humans

    Image: IStock

  1. American geologist Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden was the first person to discover dinosaur bones in North America.
  1. The Seismosaurus or ’earth-shaker’ reptile, is probably the longest dinosaur ever.
  1. Remains of dinosaurs have been discovered on all continents.
  1. The biggest dinosaur bone ever discovered was a part of the backbone of Argentinosaurus and measured 5x5ft.
  1. Micropachycephalosaurus is the longest dinosaur name. Fossil remains of this dinosaur were found in China.
  1. Carnivorous dinosaurs walked on two feet, which helped them run faster and hunt the prey.
  1. In 1923, Roy Chapman Andrews discovered the first dinosaur eggs in the Gobi Desert.
  1. Tyrannosaurus Rex had the longest teeth (8 inches).
  1. Herbivorous dinosaurs explored the grassy landscapes in herds for safety.
  1. A blue whale is bigger than any dinosaur.
  1. Carnivorous dinosaurs had bones filled with air.
  1. The smallest dinosaur skeletons ever found belonged to a baby Mussaurus or the “mouse lizard” (4).
  1. The smartest dinosaurs were the small carnivores.
  1. Herbivorous dinosaurs had eyes like humans. They had a 3D view of their surroundings, which helped them keep away from their enemies.
  1. A newly born human baby has a bigger brain compared to most adult dinosaurs. Dolphins and whales have the biggest brains amongst all living animals.
  1. Some herbivorous species also walked on two feet.

    A herbivorous dinosaur walking on two feet

    Image: IStock

  1. Researchers believe dinosaurs must have shed their skin much like snakes and lizards.
  1. Theropods’ feet resembled that of birds.
  1. Due to mineral and calcium deposition in their bodies, several dinosaurs had colorful skin and amazing texture.
  1. T-Rex (Tyrannosaurus-Rex) had long black legs, but its front legs were shorter than human arms.
  1. The biggest dinosaur footprint ever discovered was 3 feet (1m) across and 4 feet long.
  1. Dinosaurs swallowed large rocks for digestion. Stones helped them grind the food better.
  1. T-Rex had a diet of approximately 22 tons of flesh in a year. It had eight-inch sharp teeth that let it chew hard meat chunks.
  1. Deinosuchus is an extinct relative of the crocodile. The “terrible crocodile,” Deinosuchus had the strongest bite, more powerful than the T-Rex.
  1. Corythosaurus used the hollow crest connected to their nose for creating echo-like sound.

Amazing Dinosaur Facts

  1. Longest Dinosaur: Argentinosaurus (40m height), which belonged to the Titanosaur group, is considered the longest dinosaur. Its fossils were discovered in Argentina.
  1. Heaviest Dinosaur: Argentinosaurus (weighed 77 tones) is also considered the heaviest, weighing as much as 17 African elephants put together. It is regarded as the largest land animal to have ever existed.
  1. Smallest Dinosaur: Lesothosaurus was a chicken-sized dinosaur.
  1. Intelligent Dinosaur: Troodon, a hunting dinosaur measuring about 2m long, had a brain similar to a mammal or bird of the 21st century.

    Intelligent dinosaur Troodon

    Image: Shutterstock

  1. Smallest Dinosaur egg: Scientists discovered a 3cm long fossilized egg, the smallest dinosaur egg ever found.
  1. Tallest Dinosaur: The Brachiosaurid, a group of Sauropods, were the tallest dinosaurs. They had longer front legs compared to the rear legs that gave them a giraffe-like look. Their long necks helped them reach the tallest trees to feed on leaves. Sauroposeidon grew up to 18.5m tall!
  1. Fastest Running Dinosaur: Ornithomimids were the fastest dinosaurs. Dromiceiomimus, of the Ornithomimid genus, ran at a speed of 60 kilometers per hour.
  1. Oldest Dinosaur: The Nyasasaurus parringtoni is believed to the oldest known dinosaur, which lived roughly 243 million years ago. Its remains were found in Tanzania only recently.
  1. Fiercest Dinosaur: Tyrannosaurus Rex was the most feared dinosaur. However, Utahraptor is the fiercest of all dinosaurs. Utahraptor stood 7m tall and was known to be powerful, agile, and cunning.

Strange Dinosaur Facts

  1.   Herbivorous dinosaurs contributed to global warming by passing gas developed from undigested food.
  1.   Sauropods were the tallest dinosaurs. They were two times taller than giraffes.
  1.   Struthiomimus was a meat hunter that made screaming noise while attacking the prey.
  1.   T-Rex chased prey at a speed of 28 km/hr.
  1.   Dinosaurs were heavy and couldn’t run faster than cheetahs.
  1.   Dinosaurs that walked on two legs were called bipeds.
  1.  The sound of the T-Rex’s footsteps in the movie Jurassic Park (1993) was recorded using the sequoiasiMassive trees that are known to reach about 300 feet in height. crashing the ground.
  1.   Dinosaurs had their self-defense mechanisms. Carnivorous had shard teeth, herbivorous had long spikes or horns, and others had bony plates.
  1.   Dinosaurs laid trillions of eggs in the Mesozoic era.
  1.   Almost all dinosaurs laid eggs. Till today, around 40 kinds of eggs were discovered.
  1.   Liopleurodon was the biggest aquatic reptile. It was half the size of the blue whale.

    Liopleurodon was a biggest aquatic reptile

    Image: Shutterstock

Movie Facts about Dinosaurs

  1.   The first-ever dinosaur movie was called Prehistoric Peeps and was based on a comic. It was never released. The first dinosaur movie to release was Brute Force in 1914. Before that, a five-minute-long cartoon film called Gertie the Dinosaur was made.
  1.   Jurassic Park, released in 1993, had only 15 minutes of dinosaur footage. The movie had six minutes of CGI and nine minutes of animatronics.
  1.   Steven Spielberg’s movie on dinosaurs, ’Jurassic Park,’ was a well-researched movie on the subject.
  1.   The scene from Jurassic Park, when T–Rex’s entry causes ripples in the water,is considered a classic even to this day
  1.   Jurassic Park was shot between two locations – the Hawaiian island of Kaua’i, and Los Angeles in California.
protip_icon Trivia
The Jurassic Park franchise was based on the 1990 novel by Michael Crichton as a cautionary tale about genetic engineeringiA scientific field that includes lab-based techniques used to manipulate an organism’s genetic makeup. .

Best Movies on Dinosaurs

Some dinosaur movies you could watch with your children are:

  • Age of Dinosaurs
  • Land of the Lost
  • Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (5)
  • King Kong
  • Jurassic Park (All Parts)
  • The Lost World
  • Good Dinosaur
  • 100 Million BC
  • The Land Before Time
  • Camosaur 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What can children learn from dinosaurs?

Introducing your children to the lives of dinosaurs can be a great way to teach them how creatures adapt, survive, and sometimes disappear from the environment. Teaching them that we do not know everything about the world yet and are still researching several aspects of nature and science may motivate them to do their own research.

2. Do dinosaurs sleep?

Yes, dinosaurs do sleep. The discovery of the fossil of a dinosaur resting with its head over the forearm and trunk and tail wrapped around its body proves that dinosaurs did sleep.

3. What were the different types of dinosaurs that existed?

Ornithischia and Saurischia are two main groups of dinosaurs based on their bone structures. Tyrannosaurus Rex, Seismosaurus, Mussaurus, Megalosaurus, Triceratops, Iguanodon, Stegosaurus, Allosaurus, Oviraptor, Brachiosaurus, and Spinosaurus were some of the dinosaurs falling under these categories.

4. What are the benefits of teaching kids about dinosaurs?

Teaching children about dinosaurs offers numerous benefits. For instance, learning about dinosaurs’ appearance, behavior, and fossils can spark a child’s inquisitiveness about the natural world and boost critical thinking. Then, knowing about theories of dinosaurs’ existence and extinction help introduce children to fundamental scientific concepts such as geology, paleontology, anatomy, and evolution. Furthermore, it develops a sense of history and instills a lifelong passion for learning (6).

5. Is learning about dinosaurs a good way to introduce kids to science and nature?

Yes. Dinosaurs provide an engaging way to introduce children to scientific concepts. Exploring various dinosaur species and learning theories about their eventual extinction can help children understand the importance of biodiversity, conservation, and the impact of environmental changes on ecosystems (6).

Brooke Newberry, a children’s librarian and blogger, believes that teaching about dinosaurs to children can spark scientific curiosity in them. She says, “I started the program by talking briefly about dinosaurs and giving some fun dinosaur facts. For example, no one has ever found dinosaur fossils in Wisconsin! Many kids said they were going to be the first to find them, so I tried to convince them to name their dinosaur after me (i).”

6. What are the biggest misconceptions about dinosaurs that kids have?

Popular culture, media, and limited exposure to scientific information is the reason children can have several misconceptions about dinosaurs. For instance, children often think dinosaurs could fly. However, only a specific group of dinosaurs (pterosaurs) could fly. Similarly, children have the misconception that dinosaurs and man lived together. However, humans lived almost 60 million years after the extinction of dinosaurs (7).

7. What age is appropriate for kids to start learning about dinosaurs?

Usually, children between two and four years old can develop an interest in learning about dinosaurs. So if your child shows interest in knowing about the origins, existence, and extinction of this marvelous creature, you can share age-appropriate, intriguing facts about dinosaurs from this post. You can also introduce them to dinosaur coloring pages so they can learn about different kinds of dinosaurs and what they looked like while developing their fine motor skills.

8. What are some of the best educational resources available to teach kids facts about dinosaurs?

Children can explore various online and offline resources to learn about dinosaurs. For instance, they can read age-appropriate books on dinosaurs or visit websites like National Geographic Kids and BBC Earth, which provide interactive videos, quizzes, and articles tailored for children. In addition, you can take children to local museums and exhibitions that offer hands-on learning experiences. Educational documentaries and TV shows can also provide valuable insights about dinosaurs (8).

9. How can learning about dinosaurs help children understand evolution?

Learning about dinosaurs can significantly enhance children’s understanding of evolution. For instance, examining different dinosaur species can help children know how certain features changed and evolved. Then, exploring the extinction of dinosaurs and the subsequent rise of new life forms helps children comprehend the biological concepts of natural selection and the survival of the fittest (9).

10. How can books and movies help kids learn about dinosaurs?

Visual representation in age-appropriate books and movies can teach children about the various dinosaurs, their names, unique characteristics, and behavior. In addition, they can provide children with interesting facts about dinosaurs through a compelling storytelling method and bolster their interest in additional learning activities like researching and reading.

11. How do I introduce dinosaurs to kindergarten?

To introduce dinosaurs to kindergarteners, start by reading a fun storybook with lots of pictures. Ask them questions about the story and the dinosaurs to get them involved. Make it even more interesting by singing songs or saying rhymes about dinosaurs. You can use puppet dinosaurs to show and tell interesting things about them. Let them get creative with dinosaur crafts for kids by making dinosaur masks, footprints, or paper plate dinosaurs. Play a game like a treasure hunt, where the children look for toy dinosaurs or bones. Use a box with sand and toy dinosaurs for an exciting sensory activity. Finally, have a discussion and share fascinating dinosaur facts, sparking curiosity and understanding.

These fascinating facts about dinosaurs for kids will keep your little ones hooked and pique their curiosity. This giant carnivore inhabited the earth around 169 million years ago, and so far, 700 different species of dinosaurs have been discovered. However, the existence of this creature was wiped out from the face of this planet overnight. These and other intriguing facts about dinosaurs will fill your kids with awe and may drive them to explore the subject more. You can feed their curiosity further by introducing them to our list of movies on dinosaurs.

Infographic: Exciting Dinosaur Facts For Children To Pique Their Curiosity

Dinosaurs have been among the most interesting subjects for children’s stories, movies, and cartoons. If your children are also intrigued by these magical-looking enormous creatures, keep this infographic on interesting dinosaur facts handy and share it with them. You can also print it and stick it to their bedroom wall.

amazing dinosaur facts for children (infographic)

Illustration: Momjunction Design Team

Illustration: Fun And Interesting Facts About Dinosaurs For Kids

Facts About Dinosaurs For Kids_illustration

Image: Stable Diffusion/MomJunction Design Team

Learn about dinosaurs with this fun and educational video! Discover amazing facts about these prehistoric creatures and get a lesson for kids.

Personal Experience: Source

MomJunction articles include first-hand experiences to provide you with better insights through real-life narratives. Here are the sources of personal accounts referenced in this article.

i. Dinosaurs in the library!;
https://readingwithred.blogspot.com/2013/07/dinosaurs-in-library.html

References

MomJunction's articles are written after analyzing the research works of expert authors and institutions. Our references consist of resources established by authorities in their respective fields. You can learn more about the authenticity of the information we present in our editorial policy.

1. Emily Osterloff, Dinosauria: how the ’terrible lizards’ got their name
2. Dinosaur; American Museum of Natural History,
3. The Cretaceous Period; Berkeley.edu,
4. Ronald J Litwin, Robert E. Weems, and Thomas R. Holtz. Jr;  Dinosaurs: Facts and Fiction; USGS Science for a changing world
5. Molecular analysis confirms T. Rex’s evolutionary link to birds
6. Why dinosaurs are a great tool for teaching in the early years; Community Early Learning Australia (CELA)
7. Dinosaur Videos: 12 dinosaur myths that will blow your mind; University of Alberta, Faculty of Science
8. Dinosaurs and Paleontology: A Resource Guide; Library of Congress
9. Learn about Evolution and Dinosaurs; Science Journal for Kids and Teen

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Catherine Mok
Catherine MokSocial worker
Catherine Mok is a therapist at Austin Family Counseling. She specializes in working with children, adolescents, parents, individuals and families using a collaborative and client-centered approach tailored to the unique needs of each client.

Read full bio of Catherine Mok
Nisha Bharatan
Nisha BharatanB.Tech
Nisha Bharatan is a writer with six years of experience. After completing her engineering from Savitribai Phule Pune University, she did content marketing courses to complement her interest in writing. Nisha discovered her passion for writing in 2016 when she started documenting her journey into motherhood.

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Harshita Makvana
Harshita MakvanaB.Com, PG Dip
Harshita is a graduate in commerce and holds a PG Diploma in Patent and Copyrights Law from NALSAR University. She has also pursued CA and has more than three years of internship experience in auditing. Her love for travelling has taken her to various parts of the world, and writing the travelogues was what brought out her love for content writing.

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Kavita Kankani
Kavita KankaniMBA, BEd
Kavita has a diverse background in finance, human resources, and teaching. She did her MBA in Finance and HR at Solapur University, and bachelor in Education at Pune University. After working for three years in the banking industry, Kavita took up teaching before moving to writing.

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