7 Dinosaur Games for Young Paleontologists

Dinosaur games—there is nothing quite like the lure of Prehistoric creatures to get kids excited about science, and no better way to do it! From the roaring T-Rex to the soaring Pterodactyl, dinosaurs are the pet project of of many young children. You may even know a handful of serious enthusiasts—you know the type: too young to tie their own shoes, but able to name thirty different dino species. With so many books, shows and movies dedicated to dinosaurs, children are more enamored than ever before. Whether your child loves the gentle creatures of The Good Dinosaur, or the terrifying T-Rex in Jurassic Park, there’s a dinosaur board game on the market that they’ll be sure to enjoy. Check out our list below for our top seven picks.

Interested in Robot Dinosaurs or Dinosaur Toys?

If a robotic dinosaur is more your child’s style, you should stop by our other review. If old-fashioned plastic dinosaur toys for your kids is more your style (and theirs as well), we have a list that will keep you happy.

Top 7 Dinosaur Games and Activities for Budding Paleontologists Compared

Dino Meal Board Game
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Dino-Opoly
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Find It: Dinosaurs
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Dinosaur Escape Game
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1. Dino Meal Board Game

Get ready for a Jurassic rescue with Dino Meal. Think Hungry Hungry Hippos in reverse—instead of trying to eat all the eggs up, you’ll be racing to rescue the eggs from being eaten by a moving, 3-D dino model! Simply fill the nest with eggs, then move carefully and quickly to save them one by one before the dino lunges. Picking up each dinosaur egg with the included tweezers encourages fine motor development and perseverance. Kids will love helping to save the baby dinosaurs and the unexpected shock when the moving T-Rex pounces and roars!

Players: 2–4

Ages: 4+

2. Dino-Opoly

Dino-Opoly “has all the fun of a traditional property trading game with some prehistoric twists. The game board features everyone’s favorite dinosaurs from giant-sized herbivores to teeny tiny carnivores.” Play pieces are dinosaur themed, and fossils and dinosaur bones take the place of traditional Monopoly houses and hotels. And forget about going to jail—if you make a wrong move, you’ll end up on the “nearly extinct” space! Each property space is replaced by a detailed drawing of a dino and it’s scientific name, so you can have fun while learning more about these prehistoric creatures.

Players: 2–6
Ages: 8+

3. My First Match It: Dinosaur Friends

Looking for a basic dinosaur game to instill a love of the prehistoric creature in your littlest loved ones? Look no further than My First Match It: Dinosaur Friends. This simple activity includes 15 self-correcting puzzle sets, perfect for toddlers. Help teach them colors and shapes with a dinosaur twist. Help your tots assemble the puzzles while teaching them all about carnivores and herbivores. The Learning Journey offers many more puzzles and games, electronic toys and DIY marble maze kits.

Players: 1+
Ages: 2+

4. Find It: Dinosaurs

Find It: Dinosaurs is not only great for learning more about dinosaurs—it’s perfect for promoting focus, patience and fine motor skills, too. The dinosaur game includes a tumbler filled with hidden dinosaurs and related objects, and over forty challenge cards. Pick one, and then twist, shake and spin the tumbler to find what you’re looking for. Once you’ve completed all of the challenge cards, you can come up with more of your own. The game is ideal in a classroom setting, as it’s self-contained and can be played in small groups.

Players: 1+
Ages: 3+

5. Wreck ‘N Roar

Wreck ‘N Roar with a dinosaur! This game brings Jurassic World and Play-Doh together for a quick-paced fight-style game, similar to Rock ’em Sock ‘em Robots. Two players go head-to-head with the large dino replicas to be the first to gobble up their opponent and Play-Doh figurines. This dinosaur game includes two plastic dinosaurs, a play mat, two jars of Play-Doh and shape cutters. It’s great for active children who prefer powerful carnivores over peaceful herbivores.

Players: 2
Ages: 5+

6. The Good Dinosaur Roarin’ River Game

Fans of The Good Dinosaur movie will love the Roarin’ River Game. You’ll help Spot and Ario find their way back home by building a path to safely traverse the roaring river. Each player takes a turn building a new piece of the path as they go, so the board will look different each time you play. It encourages teamwork, as the goal is to get all of the dinosaurs to safety. This cooperative game doesn’t require any reading, so it’s easy to play, even for younger children. This dynamic dinosaur game will “let players relive fun of the movie all over again!”

Players: 2–4
Ages: 4+

7. Dinosaur Escape Game

Look out! A volcano is about to erupt in the Dinosaur Escape Game! In this cooperative, non-competitive game, players will work together to save the dinosaurs from the lava. Winner of the Oppenheim Gold and NAPPA Gold Awards, Dinosaur Escape game fosters social development skills, strategy building and problem solving. Roll the die to advance, if you land on a fern token, flip it over. Match dinosaur tokens to save the dinos—but be careful not to flip over the T-Rex token! If you help all three dinos escape before the 3D volcano puzzle is completed, then everyone wins!

Players: 2–4
Ages: 4+

Have you discovered any T-rex-errific dinosaur games your your paleontologist loves? Share with us in the comments below, and share the love with other fans.

Feature image courtesy of Flickr, JD Hancock.

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