The toddlers at RisingOaks Early Learning | John Sweeney have discovered dinosaurs! “Stomp, stomp, roar!” can be heard coming from the toddler room multiple times a day. As this interest has grown, the educators have provided many opportunities for the children to explore the mighty dinosaur.
We have dinosaur toys, and the toddlers can create habitats with blocks and trees to expand their imaginations. We’ve also incorporated dinosaurs into playdough play, adding a fun sensory twist. The toddlers enjoyed making footprints, dino eggs, and food for their beasts to eat.
As the interest deepened, we brought in a dinosaur fact book. This has been a big hit, as the toddlers love taking a closer look at their favourites. As our friend Amari flipped through the pages, he pointed out and named horns, spikes, and tails on each dinosaur. Even though there are many cool dinosaurs, his favourite is the T. Rex.
“Where, oh where, oh where is T. Rex?” sang Amari as he flipped through the book again to find his favourite dino. As the other toddlers looked at the dinosaur pictures hung on the wall, Shriyan pointed and said, “Teeth! Eyes!” Noah also pointed at each dinosaur’s teeth, saying, “Teeth!”
Learning about dinosaurs has encouraged the toddlers to question the world and its past. It has inspired scientific curiosity, enriched imaginative play, expanded vocabulary, and brought such excitement to our days!
We look forward to seeing where this interest takes our classroom, and watching the toddlers stomp and roar their way through the room.
