If your kiddo has a dinosaur obsession, you should be thrilled. Science calls this an “intense interest” and says it will drive a child’s learning as well as help foster lifelong curiosity.
In fact, above-average intelligence is not unusual for kids who are enamored with dinosaurs, or any subject that generates a natural strong interest.
The same thing goes for a focus on cars, trucks, trains, dolls, drawing, etc. If a child shows an incredible fondness in something, it can be a very good thing.
In this post, I’m going to talk specifically talk about dinos because it’s such a popular interest among kids.
Why a Dinosaur Obsession Is So Great
“When we’re interested in what we’re learning, we pay closer attention; we process the information more efficiently; we employ more effective learning strategies…” – source
That’s precisely why boys and girls who are fascinated with dinosaurs can tell you the names of so many of them. They find them incredibly interesting which makes them want to seek out new information about the prehistoric creatures.
Dino fans want to know what a particular dinosaur ate, how it sounded, and how its looks differ from others.
Any parent who has called a dinosaur anything other than its proper scientific name knows how happy a 4-year-old will be to correct you.
“That’s not a Mosasaurus, Mom! That’s a Spinosaurus!”
PS: I can’t pronounce either of those things and I had to Google to be able to spell them. A 4-year-old would wipe the floor with me in a dinosaur recognition contest.
Researchers have found again and again that when a child is excited by something, like dinosaurs, their attention span is better, they learn better, and they often have above-average intelligence.
FUN WAYS YOU CAN PROMOTE CURIOSITY ABOUT DINOSAURS
There is so much incredible content online that you can use to engage with the little dinosaur-lover in your life. I want to share some of the most interesting, fun things I’ve found.