My toddler's guide to dinosaurs

The best dinosaur shows, clothes, toys, and books, according to my two-year-old.

We have entered our dinosaur era. (Today I had to pretend I was a T. Rex looking for her egg and encourage my toddler to join in, just to get him in the house for lunch. It worked!) It isn’t always easy to track where your kids pick up their specific interests, but for our toddler, it’s usually a book, which leads to another book, which might lead to a TV show, which leads to full on obsession. Previous-but-ongoing eras include: farm animals, dogs, and dragons (which might have been the gateway to dinosaurs).

To mark this new phase, I’m sharing the dinosaur things that have taken over our house in the last few weeks. I hope you find this collection helpful for your own dinosaur-loving kids, nieces, nephews, or students. This newsletter is free, so please pass it on!

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On Friday, I have some big announcements to share in regards to my Summer Romance List, my direction for this newsletter, and personal life stuff. I know I’ve been off schedule lately (which I hate), but I think Friday’s dispatch will clear things up. Thank you for being here, and I can’t wait to share more!

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Three Dinosaur Must-Haves + One Show

These mold-free dinosaur bath toys have held up so well and star as the main characters in Theo’s imaginary play every night.

Theo’s jumbo dinosaurs landed in the water table last weekend, which made for a fun 10 minute activity. I highly recommend Learning Resources Jumbo Animals for high quality, realistic figurine toys. They’re worth the money.

I could not resist this $6 Book-A-Saurus t-shirt from Old Navy. As soon as I opened the package, Theo wanted to put it on. He’ll get a lot of wear out of it this summer.

Dino Ranch is serving as our main screen time and source of inspiration for imaginary play. It’s a cute Canadian cartoon available on Disney+, and although it isn’t targeted towards toddlers, we find it to be warm, fun, and two-year-old friendly.

Dinosaur Picture Books

• Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs by Byron Barton

• Dad and the Dinosaur by Gennifer Choldenko

• Poopasaurus by Plum Coconut

• Am I Yours? by Alex Latimer

• Santiago’s Dinosaurios by Mariana Rios Ramirez

• Tiny T. Rex and the Impossible Hug by Jonathan Stutzman

• Some Dinosaurs are Small by Charlotte Voake

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Did you (or your child) have any delightfully nerdy, quirky, or silly obsessions?

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To find out more about my current reads, favorite things, and life updates follow me on Instagram. If you’re interested in reading classic literature with accessible guidance and a cozy community, check out the Novel Pairings podcast and Patreon.