Dinosaurs have long been a staple of childhood play, with dinosaur toys being popular with children of all ages. And despite their becoming extinct over 65 million years ago, dinosaurs have never been as popular with kids as they are today. While it’s not possible to hop in a time machine and go back to the Jurassic period to see dinosaurs for yourself, there are plenty of incredible toys on the market that will captivate and grab the imagination of children.
We all know that dinosaur toys are great for educational, imaginative play; this isn’t where their benefits end, as there are, of course, plenty of educational and developmental benefits to be end from playing with these prehistoric creatures. Cognitive development, motor skills, and language skills can all be improved by playing with dinosaurs – in fact, several studies indicate that dinosaur-obsessed toddlers may have higher than average intelligence – making a keen interest in dinosaurs something that’s worthwhile to encourage and foster.
The only real problem with dinosaur toys is how many there are to choose from! With plush dinosaur toys and dinosaur bath toys, to Lego dinosaurs, robot dinosaur, and pretty much anything else you could think of, with many of these options being popular among children of all ages. This is exactly why we’ve created this guide; to help you pick out the very best dinosaur toys for kids of all ages, making it easier to choose a winning toy from the near-endless options available. on which are the top dinosaur toys on the market.
Buying guide for dinosaur toys
Best dinosaur toys for toddlers and preschoolers
Best dinosaur toys for school-age kids
Best dinosaur toys for older kids
How to choose the best dinosaur toys?
Dinosaurs are great – and most kids love them! However, and unlike many other types of toys, they can be much harder to pick out because there are so many different dino toys to choose from. This makes it essential to think about the exact toy you’re looking for – whether this is the recipient’s age, the style of play, or the educational and developmental benefits you look for from a toy.
When it comes to picking out the perfect dinosaur toys for your little one, there are several things you’ll need to keep in mind. These include things like your child’s age, the educational value of any particular toy, along with factors that apply to selecting any toy, like materials and safety.
Is this part of our guide, we’ll take a closer look at some of these. The idea is to give you an easy-to-follow list of things to consider when selecting the best dinosaur toys for your kids.
Age: Like with any toy, whether or not a toy is age-appropriate is arguably the primary consideration. This could include usual factors, such as avoiding toys with small parts that can present a choking hazard to younger children, along with others, like the difficulty, complexity – and in the case of dinosaurs, the realism of a particular toy, which would make it more suitable for older children.
Type of toy: When it comes to dinosaur toys, the range of options is incredibly vast, far more so than with most other popular kid’s toy themes. This can make picking out the perfect toy pretty tricky, as there are so many to choose from. As well as this, you’ll want to weigh up the styles of play and educational or developmental benefits you’re looking for from your dinosaur toy.
Open-ended play: Dinosaur toys – particularly figures and playsets – offer some of the best open-ended, creative play that you can get, making them the perfect choice for imaginative play. These types of toys are great, as they offer a range of developmental benefits, helping your little one to build up essential skills, such as language, social, and fine motor skills – all of which are vital for your little one to navigate the world around them. Choosing such toys can help give your little one the perfect head start, making these particularly great choices for toddlers and preschoolers.
Educational: It should go without saying that unlike many other types of toys available, dinosaur toys are inherently educational, teaching your little ones about their favorite prehistoric creatures. But the educational value of dinosaur toys can extend far beyond this, with everything from books, puzzles, and games, to dress-up props, craft kits, and building toys to choose from. This makes it worth thinking ahead about the type of educational benefits you are looking for from a dinosaur toy, making it far easier to find the perfect toy from among all the options available.
Realism: How realistic-looking dinosaur toys should be will depend mainly on the age of the child you’re buying them for. This is especially true when purchasing toys for younger children, who are likely to be frightened by toys that look too realistic or that feature sound effects or move. In contrast, older children will find realistic dinosaur toys the most appealing instead of the cute, brightly-colored toys that you’d pick out for younger kids.
Materials and safety: As with any toy, it’s important to look for those made from materials and safe designs. This usually means making sure that the dinosaur toys you choose are made from non-toxic materials, such as BPA-free plastic, and have been designed specifically to include child-safe features. It’s pretty easy to determine whether or not a toy is safe; simply look for certification and compliance with US toy safety standards before you make any purchase.
Remember to have fun: Despite the obvious educational and development benefits that dinosaur toys offer over many other types of toys, it’s important to remember that toys are all about having fun. So, while it’s good to have a mix of toys that offer a lot of educational value, remember not to leave out those that are all about play.
