Amygdalia's Blog

On boys and their dinosaurs

We’ve officially found Jakie’s first obsession.  After a trip to the local Natural History Museum a few months ago, the boys (my husband and my son) came home with a book on dinosaurs.  Not quite 3 yet, Jakie could sit for half an hour while we read this incredibly detailed book.  Who knew there were so many different types of dinosaurs!?  He’d come toddling up, book in hands, and ask “can you read early predatory dinosaurs?” or “can you read cretaceous predatory dinosaurs?”  or “can you read Herrerasaurus?” 

Knowing how fond he’d become of dinosaurs, we made sure he received some for his birthday.  He’s been having a blast with them.  I just wonder, though . . . how many 3 year olds make their dinosaurs ask for tea?  Or start to cry when Daddy tries to make them eat one another? 

What is it about dinosaurs that little boys find so fascinating?  Is it the idea that you have to dig in the dirt to find them?  Is it the fact that once you’ve found the bones, you have a gigantic puzzle to put together?  Is it that they’re big and scary, and you can make loud sound effects while playing with them?  Or is it the challenge of learning all of the minutiae relating to each creature? 

We started a class last week, at the museum.  There’s a different theme each week, and lucky for Jakie, the first theme was dinosaurs!  He probably could have taught the thing.  The teacher is comparing big, medium, and little dinosaurs, different colors and shapes . . . meanwhile Jakie’s itching to figure out if one of them is an Utahraptor.  Today’s theme was bugs.  I made my way to the other side of the room when Millie the giant African millipede, and the Hissy the hissing cockroach came out.  Thankfully, we left the museum without a new favorite creature. 


Amygdalia