Educational Activities

26 03, 2023

A Clever and Creative Dinosaur Wall Display

By Mike|2024-01-02T16:07:55+00:00March 26th, 2023|Educational Activities, General Teaching, Key Stage 1/2, Main Page, Photos, Teaching|0 Comments

A colourful dinosaur wall display was spotted in a classroom when Everything Dinosaur team members conducted a dinosaur workshop at the school. The Year Two pupils had been learning all about prehistoric animals and fossils. The wall display had been produced during the term topic exploring “Would a Dinosaur Make a Good Pet”?

A Colourful Dinosaur Wall Display

Children at Oakdene Primary produced fact sheets featuring their favourite prehistoric animal. There were fact sheets on Velociraptor, Tyrannosaurus rex and Triceratops. The eager, young palaeontologists had illustrated their dinosaur data sheets. The pictures and fact sheets were then posted up onto the “Wow Wall” in the classroom. The dinosaur facts and other learning materials made an attractive and most informative display.

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:

“We visited Oakdene Primary some years ago to deliver a dinosaur themed workshop. Everything Dinosaur had been invited into the school to support the children’s learning. At the time we praised the colourful wall display, and we were given permission to take a photograph.”

Learning About Dinosaurs

The spokesperson explained that Everything Dinosaur team members always tried to encourage children and to help them with their studies. Team members were quick to praise the teaching team for their hard work and dedication.

Visit Everything Dinosaur’s award-winning website: Visit Everything Dinosaur.

Many schools in England and Wales introduce a dinosaur and fossil themed term topic. Foundation Stage pupils as they transition from Nursery to Reception can find a dinosaur topic helpful. Year 3 pupils often learn about fossils and dinosaurs when studying rocks and soils.

A dinosaur term topic is also enjoyed by the teaching team. It certainly brings out plenty of creativity in the pupils that Everything Dinosaur team members have met.

28 02, 2023

Frogspawn in the Office Pond

By Mike|2023-02-28T10:53:58+00:00February 28th, 2023|Animal News Stories, Educational Activities, Everything Dinosaur News and Updates, Main Page, Photos|0 Comments

We have frogspawn in the office pond. This morning (February 28th, 2023), the first batch of frogspawn was spotted in the Everything Dinosaur office pond. The eggs had probably been laid just a few hours earlier in the very early morning. It had rained in the night and there was extensive cloud cover. The night had been chilly with temperatures around 4 degrees Celsius, what would normally be expected in our area at the end of February.

This is the first time that we have recorded frogspawn in February.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Frogspawn in February

We have not recorded frogspawn in the office pond being laid in February before. Last year, we recorded the first frogspawn on March 2nd, this was the earliest we had recorded spawn, until a new record for early spawning was set this year.

Over the last few years, Everything Dinosaur team members have noted the date of the first frogspawn being laid. The trend is for the frogs (Rana temporaria) to spawn earlier each year. Is this caused by the impact of global climate change?

Earliest recorded spawning dates for Common frogs in the office pond:

February 28th 2023
March 2nd 2022
March 11th 2021
March 20th 2020
March 22nd 2019
March 17th 2018
March 11th 2017
March 20th 2016
March 12th 2015

Other dates when we have recorded the first frogspawn in a year:

March 19th 2013, March 11th 2012, March 18th 2011 and the first ever frogspawn in the office pond was laid on March 16th 2008.

18 02, 2023

Frogs in the Office Pond

By Mike|2023-02-18T16:57:35+00:00February 18th, 2023|Adobe CS5, Animal News Stories, Educational Activities, Main Page|0 Comments

Team members at Everything Dinosaur have spotted frogs in the office pond. This is the first time this year (2023) that the amphibians have been recorded. The pond has been recently cleaned, lots of pond weed and other plants have been removed. Pebbles have been added to one side of the small pond to make it easier for small animals to enter the pond and for birds to bathe.

In the photograph (below), the group of frogs are in a “knot”, located in the shallows at the edge of the pond.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Rana temporaria

The frogs are Common frogs (Rana temporaria). The name is a bit of a misnomer as frogs are becoming less common in the British countryside. Small ponds are a vital resource for wildlife and this morning we spotted a “knot” of frogs, possibly three frogs altogether. No frogspawn was spotted, perhaps this was a group of over enthusiastic males, fighting each other prior to the arrival of a female.

Frogs in the Office Pond

Although the winter has been quite mild, it is still a little early to expect frogspawn. In 2022, the first frogspawn in the office pond was spotted on the 2nd of March.

To read about the March 2022, frogspawn discovery: Frogspawn in the Office Pond (2022).

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:

“We had stored some rainwater over the autumn which we used to top up the water level in the pond. We have removed a lot of the weed which was choking the pond and tidied up the area in the hope that we could attract more wildlife including frogs. Perhaps we might even see a newt or two this year.”

10 11, 2022

Passionate about Dinosaurs and Dinosaur Models

By Mike|2024-03-09T16:08:31+00:00November 10th, 2022|Adobe CS5, Educational Activities, Everything Dinosaur videos, Main Page, Photos of Everything Dinosaur Products, Press Releases|0 Comments

Everything Dinosaur are passionate about dinosaurs and prehistoric animal models. The award-winning, UK-based company exports to over a hundred countries and recently they were interviewed about their export success as part of a project to help inspire others to follow their dreams.

Passionate about dinosaurs - Everything Dinosaur sucessful exporters. — Cheshire and Warrington Growth Hub wanted to highlight local businesses that could help to inspire other companies to export their goods and services. Everything Dinosaur team members were interviewed, and a short video produced. The aim of this project is to help and inspire others to export. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Everything Dinosaur Helping to Inspire Others

Cheshire and Warrington Growth Hub wanted to help support the drive for exports during International Trade Week and contacted Everything Dinosaur to see if team members were willing to be interviewed about how they sell dinosaur and prehistoric animal models to customers based overseas. Lauren and Emily from Prickly Peach Films were despatched, and they made a short video about Everything Dinosaur’s export success.

Everything Dinosaur video. — *Lauren and Emily from Prickly Peach Films with a representative of the DIT preparing to shoot a video at Everything Dinosaur’s warehouse. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.*

The aim of this video, one of a series of promotional activities organised by the Cheshire and Warrington Growth Hub in collaboration with the Department of Industry and Trade (DIT), is to help encourage other companies to open businesses and to export their goods and services.

Passionate About Dinosaurs

Sue of Everything Dinosaur was reluctant to be interviewed but she helped with the shooting of the B-roll as she was filmed and photographed preparing and packing an order for a customer. Mike was given the task of answering the questions posed by the interviewer and hopefully the video will help to inspire others to pursue their passions and develop sales overseas.

The Everything Dinosaur Exporting Case Study

Everything Dinosaur Exporting Case Study – Cheshire and Warrington Growth Hub

Mike and Sue hope their short video helps to inspire other companies to explore export markets. Perhaps it might even encourage young people just beginning their careers to start their own business dealing with something that they too care about passionately in the same way that Mike and Sue are passionate about dinosaurs.

To view Everything Dinosaur’s award-winning website: Everything Dinosaur.

28 10, 2022

Terrific Dinosaur Books for Christmas

By Mike|2023-12-12T08:43:45+00:00October 28th, 2022|Book Reviews, Dinosaur Fans, Educational Activities, Main Page, Press Releases|0 Comments

At this time of year, as we approach the run up to the festive season, team members at Everything Dinosaur receive emails asking for book recommendations, here is a trio of ideal dinosaur books for Christmas.

All three books have been written by Dr Dean Lomax. Dr Lomax is an English vertebrate palaeontologist and science communicator, a world authority on ichthyosaurs and their close relatives.

Three books written by Dr Dean Lomax. — Dean has recently completed three books – “Locked in Time” (left) which is illustrated by Bob Nicholls. “Prehistoric Pets” (centre) and (right) “Dinosaurs 10 Things You Should Know”. All three books make ideal gifts for the festive season. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

“Locked in Time”

Fossils have provided scientists with a unique insight into life in the past. The book “Locked in Time – Animal Behavior Unearthed in 50 Extraordinary Fossils” takes the reader on a journal through deep geological time and highlights fifty of the most incredible fossil discoveries ever made. Illustrated by Bob Nicholls, fossils discussed include brooding dinosaurs, prehistoric fish entombed in giant clams, predator death traps and Jurassic crocodilians with broken jaws.

Read Everything Dinosaur’s review of “Locked in Time” here: “Locked in Time” Reviewed.

Published by Columbia University Press, this highly recommend book is priced at around £25.00.

Find “Locked in Time” here (search on the website for author Dean Lomax): Columbia University Press.

Fighting Columbian mammoths — One of the dramatic illustrations from the book “Locked in Time”. A pair of Columbian mammoths (Mammuthus columbi) that died together when their tusks became locked together during combat. Picture Credit: Bob Nicholls.

“Prehistoric Pets”

“Prehistoric Pets” is aimed at the younger reader. It links animals alive today with their prehistoric ancestors. Favourite pets had prehistoric animal ancestors and Dr Lomax provides fun facts on fish and their 500-million-year evolutionary history, demonstrates that budgerigars are dinosaurs and that guinea pigs are distantly related to a rodent the size of a horse!

To read Everything Dinosaur’s review of “Prehistoric Pets”: “Prehistoric Pets” Reviewed by Everything Dinosaur.

The front cover of "Prehistoric Pets". — This colourful and well-written book takes the reader on a journey back in time, linking common household pets today with their prehistoric ancestors. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur/Templar Books.

Published by Templar Books and available as a hardcopy format, this eye-catching and humorous book makes an ideal Christmas gift for young readers.

“Prehistoric Pets” by Dr Dean Lomax and illustrated by Mike Love can be purchased here: Waterstones Book Store.

Search for author Dean Lomax to discover the books.

“Dinosaurs Ten Things You Should Know”

Dr Lomax builds on his extensive experience as a science communicator and presents ten bite-sized essays that brings the Dinosauria to life in the 128-page “Dinosaurs Ten Things You Should Know”. He tackles big ideas about the dinosaurs, their evolution, their diversity, how they behaved and their ultimate demise.

Published by the Orion Publishing Group, “Dinosaurs Ten Things You Should Know” can be found here (just search for author Dean Lomax): Orion Publishing Group.

24 10, 2022

Dinosaur Toys Encourage Creative and Imaginative Play in Children

By Mike|2024-03-09T17:00:53+00:00October 24th, 2022|Adobe CS5, Early Years Foundation Reception, Educational Activities, Main Page, Press Releases, Teaching|0 Comments

Academics have defined different types of play activity that children indulge in and concluded that dinosaur toys encourage play. Creative, imaginative play is very important for a child’s development and there are lots of dinosaur and prehistoric animal models available from Everything Dinosaur to keep even the most discerning young dinosaur fan happy.

Picture credit: Schleich

Defining Different Types of Play

Scientists such as psychologists and paediatricians have defined six types of basic play activity namely:

Independent Play – playing on their own, using imagination.
Co-operative Play – playing with others, learning to share and to play together.
Motor skills – hand and eye co-ordination.
Visual Development – learning to focus, to develop observational skills such as being able to track moving objects.
Linguistic skills – learning language skills and developing a vocabulary.
Mathematical skills – learning with numbers, developing confidence with mathematics.

Children engaging in play whether on their own or with others helps them to develop important life skills.

Dinosaur Toys Encourage Play

A spokesperson from the UK-based Everything Dinosaur commented that they were aware that many Reception classes start their autumn term with a topic focused on dinosaurs. This term topic helps to encourage the children to take part in more cognitive based learning activities as they move away from free play.

A Reception class dinosaur themed creative play area. — *A creative play area with a dinosaur theme in the Reception class. Children playing with dinosaurs helps them develop important life skills. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.*

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

We wish all the teaching teams every success with this autumn’s term topics.

Everything Dinosaur stocks a massive range of dinosaur and prehistoric animal themed toys and games, all of which have been tested and approved by team members.

To view the range of dinosaur toys, models and creative play craft items: Prehistoric Animal Toys and Gifts.

18 10, 2022

A Funny and Clever Dinosaur Poem

By Mike|2024-03-09T17:03:08+00:00October 18th, 2022|Adobe CS5, Educational Activities, Main Page, Photos/Schools, Teaching|0 Comments

Whilst sorting through the company’s extensive teaching database a picture of a dinosaur poem spotted during a school visit was found. During a routine tidy up of the images associated with Everything Dinosaur’s work in school, a poem about a Triceratops written by a young schoolgirl called Grace was discovered.

A Dinosaur Poem. Developing Language and Communication Skills — *“Three horned Face” has a poem written about it. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.*

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Helping to Gain Confidence with Writing

Dinosaurs and prehistoric animals provide a rewarding and satisfying term topic for many teachers of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 pupils. The children approach the topic with enthusiasm and demonstrate lots of knowledge. The term topic lends itself to extensive activities related to English, maths and artwork as well as science. A dinosaur term topic can help children develop confidence with numeracy and literacy.

Team members at Everything Dinosaur have become quite creative in their support for teachers and teaching assistants. For example, fossil shark teeth have been used to make unusual “greater than” and “less than” symbols to help young children gain more confidence when using numbers.

Fossil shark teeth used to help demonstrate symbols in maths. — *Fossils used to make mathematical symbols for use in schools. Greater than and less than thanks to Otodus megalodon. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.*

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

A Dinosaur Poem

Team members have come across many instances of dinosaurs inspiring young poets to write prose. Many of the children’s poems have been posted up on the walls of the classroom and they make bright and colourful displays.

Dinosaur poems — *Prehistoric Animal Poems. Helping children to gain confidence with writing and literacy. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.*

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

A spokesperson for the UK-based, dinosaur company commented that over the years of delivering dinosaur themed workshops and supporting teachers, team members had come across some amazing examples of prehistoric animal themed poems.

Whether limericks, free verse or even Japanese inspired poetry forms such as haiku, Everything Dinosaur team members have always tried to encourage and inspire children.

To view the extensive range of prehistoric animal models and toys, all approved by the company’s teaching team, visit Everything Dinosaur’s website: Visit Everything Dinosaur’s Website.

11 10, 2022

Fossils and Rocks with Year 3

By Mike|2022-10-16T17:16:09+01:00October 11th, 2022|Educational Activities, General Teaching, Key Stage 1/2, Main Page, Photos/Schools, Teaching|0 Comments

Whilst examining some old files on the Everything Dinosaur database, team members came across a picture of a wonderful dinosaur themed wall display at Pebble Brook Primary, when Everything Dinosaur visited to conduct a workshop all about dinosaurs, fossils and rocks.

The children had been studying soils, rocks and fossils as part of their work during the autumn term and to start the topic with an event, a team member was invited to the school to lead a series of dinosaur and fossil themed workshops for the day.

During a pause in the busy schedule, a photograph of a very colourful wall display created by the children was taken.

A Delightful and Colourful Dinosaur Wall Display

Fossils and rocks studied by Year 3 pupils. — *Year 3 children learn about dinosaurs, fossils, rocks and volcanoes in a term topic entitled “Dinosaurs Yabba Dabba Doo”! Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur/Pebble Brook Primary.*

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur/Pebble Brook Primary

Exploring Fossils and Rocks

The children investigated how fossils form, how they feel and what they can tell us about animals that lived in the past and extinction. For the science element of the term topic, the class have been examining numerous types of rock, exploring the school grounds and the buildings to identify different types of stone and rock.

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:

“We remember visiting the school on a couple of occasions to work with different classes and enrich their curriculum. The classrooms were full of colourful artwork and delightful wall displays. We all had a great time”

Everything Dinosaur stocks a wide range of prehistoric animal themed crafts and art materials as well as replicas of dinosaurs and famous animals such as trilobites, belemnites and ammonites from the fossil record. All the items that the UK-based mail order company stocks have been tested and approved by the company’s teaching team.

To view the range of products available, visit Everything Dinosaur’s award-winning website: Dinosaur Crafts for Kids.

7 10, 2022

A Fantastic Dilophosaurus Drawing by George

By Mike|2024-03-19T16:47:05+00:00October 7th, 2022|Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal Drawings, Dinosaur Fans, Educational Activities, Main Page|0 Comments

Earlier this week a young fan of dinosaurs came to visit us, we challenged our visitor to send us an illustration of their favourite dinosaur and we have received a Dilophosaurus drawing by George.

What a dramatic and imaginative illustration of this Early Jurassic, carnivorous dinosaur.

Dilophosaurus illustrated. A Dilophosaurus drawing by George — *A very colourful and dramatic illustration of one of George’s favourite dinosaurs. A Dilophosaurus drawing influenced by the “Jurassic Park/Jurassic World” franchise. Picture credit: George.*

Dilophosaurus Dinosaur Drawing

George is nine (nearly ten) and he is obsessed with dinosaurs. His favourite film is “Jurassic Park” and Audra and Richard, the grown-ups who came along with George for a tour of our warehouse, explained that George watches the “Jurassic Park/Jurassic World” movies over and over again. The Dilophosaurus drawing that George kindly provided is heavily influenced by the depiction of Dilophosaurus as a “frilled dinosaur that spits venom” from the film franchise.

George’s Dilophosaurus is very brightly coloured and the dinosaur has been given a spiked tail, sharp claws and spikes on the posterior portion of its hind legs. It looks a very formidable and dangerous dinosaur!

He is not alone in being influenced by the cinema recreations of dinosaurs. Back in 2021, team members at Everything Dinosaur were involved in product testing and certification of a frilled Dilophosaurus display piece created by our chums at ITOY Studio.

We think George’s drawing is equally dramatic and impressive.

ITOY Studio Dilophosaurus dinosaur model (2021) — *A view of the superb crest on the new for 2021 ITOY Studio Dilophosaurus dinosaur model.*

To read a blog post on the frilled Dilophosaurus model and our short YouTube video about this replica: ITOY Studio Dilophosaurus Testing and Model Video Review.

Dilophosaurus Drawing by George

George is a big fan of the CollectA model range and spoke at length about some of his favourite models. He likes Ceratosaurus and was fascinated to hear that when this dinosaur was first discovered the fossils of the tail (caudal vertebrae) reminded scientists of the tail of a crocodile. This led them to conclude that Ceratosaurus was aquatic.

Audra and Richard commented that they would have liked to visit Lyme Regis with George so that he could go fossil hunting. Fortunately, we happened to have some ammonite and belemnite fossils from the “Jurassic Coast” of Dorset which we were happy to give to George. He was also delighted to receive some crocodile osteoderms and some small pieces of dinosaur bone to take home.

Thank you George for your wonderful dinosaur drawing.

Our thanks to mum Kay, for giving us permission to post up George’s artwork.

26 07, 2022

Remembering School Workshops in Blackpool

By Mike|2022-10-19T13:44:25+01:00July 26th, 2022|Adobe CS5, Educational Activities, General Teaching, Key Stage 1/2, Main Page, Photos/Schools, Press Releases|0 Comments

Whilst reviewing some old files in the Everything Dinosaur offices as part of our compliance with GDPR regulations, team members came across some feedback from teachers after we had delivered as series of prehistoric animal themed workshops at Unity Academy in Lancashire.

Everything Dinosaur had been invited to participate in the “Blackpool Celebrating Science Conference”. This event, which took place back in 2015 is well remembered by our staff. We prepared and delivered two workshops around the theme of “A Jurassic World”. We received excellent feedback from the teachers that observed our workshops.

One teacher commented:

“Fabulous! Very interesting! Children really engaged and focused. Thoroughly, enjoyed it – thank you.”

Feedback from Blackpool — *Five stars for Everything Dinosaur. Excellent feedback received by Everything Dinosaur after workshops supporting the “Blackpool Celebrating Science Conference”.*

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

A second teacher, who attended one of our workshops with her Key Stage 2 pupils added:

“Very informative and entertaining”

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur stated that team members were delighted to have received the feedback and it was a pleasure working with all the enthusiastic and highly motivated children.

To view the range of educational prehistoric animal toys and gifts available from Everything Dinosaur’s user-friendly and award-winning website: Everything Dinosaur.