Travel Back In Time At Field Station: Dinosaurs (Sponsored)
A few weeks ago, we had the opportunity to check out Field Station: Dinosaurs in Secaucus, New Jersey. Only about 35 minutes from home, it is a great half-day or full day trip for dinosaur lovers young and old. The park provided us with complimentary Commander's Passes, which admit us to the dinosaur park, allow us to watch the Dinosaur Alive! 3D movie, and give us access to to the Commander's Tent (an air-conditioned oasis for coloring, storytime, and just sitting and relaxing).
The 20+ acre park is a fantastic recreation of a palentologist's field site except instead of looking for fossils, you are searching for life-sized dinosaurs scattered throughout the trails. Many dinosaurs are animatronic - smartly triggered by motion-detectors - so it was a thrill to see giant dinos roar and suddenly make a move towards you as if you were the hunted. There were numerous times when my four-year-old asked if the dinosaurs were real, and my animal-loving daughter kept wanting to reach out and give the dinosaurs a hug and kiss (something she likes to do every time she sees a pet dog or cat.) Our favorite of course was the T-Rex, which can be found roaring at the Empire State Building in the distant background.
Besides searching for dinosaurs throughout the park, my son loved the many activities offered throughout the day. We took a break from the heat by watching the 3D movie Dinosaurs Alive! (Tip: I would not recommend the movie for children under 2 since they can't wear the 3D glasses, it's dark, and the sound effects are loud and sometimes startling). We tested our dinosaur trivia skills by participating in the Raptor Feud (like the famous game show Family Feud). We listened to an interactive story about dinosaurs, where I was pleasantly surprised by how much my son actually knows about dinosaurs. And we also learned about dinosaurs' eating habits by handling casts of actual dinosaur teeth while listening to a Dinosaur Troubadour singing some dino tunes.
Overall, it was a great day trip for the family. If you do go, make sure to bring bug spray, sunscreen, and lots of water as it does get hot as you're walking through the trails. Also wear comfortable shoes; the trails are not paved so leave the high heels and wedges at home! For more pictures from our adventure, check out our Facebook Page here. For more information about Field Station: Dinosaurs, click here.
Take Him/Her To Delaware River Railroad Excursions' Dinosaur Train event in August. (Sponsored)
Meet Buddy and his Dinosaur Train pals, take a train ride to the Ol' Susquehanna Mine, participate in a dino dig and more during this great family-friendly event. Click here for more information and order tickets online. (Check back here in mid-August for Macaroni Kid's review!) Participate In A Children's Archeology Dig at Pascack Museum on August 8th
Volunteers at the Pascack Historical Society Museum (19 Ridge Avenue, Park Ridge) will be hosting "STONES & BONES”, an outdoor children’s archaeological dig for Grades 2-6 scheduled for Thursday, August 8, 10AM-1PM. Children will learn how to become "history detectives" by learning "thinking skills" such as analysis, reasoning and evaulation. Children will discover and document buried treasure from their own archeological dig, play discovery games, and see and handle real dinosaur gastrolites (gizzard balls), believed to be from the Hadrosaurus that was excavated by a professional archaeologist in Woodcliff Lake many years ago. Registration required. Limited enrollment. A $ 5.00 donation per child is requested for Society members, $10.00 donation per child for non-members. To register, call George Sherman at 201-664-7924.
Check Out Dinosaur Fossils and A Dino Dig at The American Museum of Natural History
There is no better place to have a Dino Day than at the American Museum of Natural History. Besides the amazing displays of dinosaur fossils, the museum's Discovery Room offers little ones ages 5 to 12 some hands-on experiences assembling a life-sized cast skeleton of a dinosaur, touching real fossils, and unearthing an Oviraptor nest in a recreated field site. Don't forget that some public libraries have a family pass to visit the AMNH for free: click here for more info or call your local library.
Go On A Dinosaur Safari at the Bronx Zoo
Jump on a palentologist's wagon and watch life-sized dinosaurs roar and hiss at you during the Bronx Zoo's Dinosaur Safari. There are also crafts, dinosaur shows, meet and greets with dinosaur characters and more. The Safari is only open through September 8, 2013 and requires a separate admission ticket. Click here to purchase discounted tickets online. (Check this page soon for Macaroni Kid's review!)
Check Out Dinosaur Books At Your Local Library
If you can't make it out for some hands-on dinosaur adventures at local venues, relive the age of dinosaurs through books. Here are a few of our faves borrowed from our local library. Feel free to share your own in the comments section below!
Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs by Byron Barton: A great read for 0-3 year-olds. We love all of Byron Barton's books for its colorful illustrations and simple story, and this one is no exception.
Oh, Say Can You Say Di-no-saur? by Bonnie Worth. This is a fun introductory book of how to pronounce dinosaur names. A good beginner book for ages 2 to 6 years old.
Encyclopedia Prehistorica Dinosaurs: The Definitive Pop-Up by Robert Sabuda. If you can't get to a museum to see dinosaur bones, this book is a great substitute. The pop-ups are intricate and beautiful, and the narratives are short and informative. For ages 3 and up.
The Big Book of Dinosaurs by Angela Wilkes. This book has great life-like pictures, and the extra-large pages make the pictures more real. It also names A LOT of dinosaurs and includes short descriptions of each of them. For ages 3 and up.
