Everything Dinosaur Blog - Dinosaur Models

26 10, 2022

Rebor Display Bases Video Review

By Mike|2022-10-26T22:15:19+01:00October 26th, 2022|Categories: Adobe CS5, Dinosaur Fans, Everything Dinosaur News and Updates, Everything Dinosaur videos, Main Page, Photos of Everything Dinosaur Products|0 Comments

With the recent arrival of the Rebor display bases “Summer Kisses” and “Winter Tears”, team members at Everything Dinosaur have been busy preparing them for despatch to customers, however, we did take time out of our busy schedule to create a short YouTube video of these fabulous new additions to the Rebor range.

Everything Dinosaur reviews the Rebor non-scale diorama bases, “Summer Kisses” and “Winter Tears”.

“Summer Kisses” and “Winter Tears”

These are the first, bespoke display bases that Rebor have made, and they have been cleverly designed to accommodate a variety of models, bipedal theropods but also some of the Rebor ornithischians such as their Stegosaurus figures.

Rebor display bases — *The Rebor non-scale diorama display base “Summer Kisses” provides a home for a pair of Rebor stegosaur replicas.*

A Dry Season and a Wet Season

Each base has amazing details, but there is still plenty of room to pose a prehistoric animal figure or two. A large tree stump towards the rear of each base provides additional support for the model on the base. Although the bases depict the same area of prehistoric landscape, their colour schemes are very different. The lush, verdant “Summer Kisses” depicts the area during the wet season, whilst “Winter Tears” with its muted browns and greys depicts the same location but in the dry season when the lack of water leads to a reduction in the amount of vegetation.

A Rebor tyrannosaur model on the Winter Tears display base. — A most impressive display. The large tree stump at the back of the display base provides additional support for the Rebor Vanilla Ice Mountain replica. The tyrannosaur has been placed on “Winter Tears” the display base that depicts the dry season. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Rebor Display Bases

These stunning Rebor display bases are delicate, fragile polystone casts and we advise customers to remove them from their protective foam packaging with care. In Everything Dinosaur’s short video (it lasts just under five minutes thirty seconds), we provide a really useful tip to help customers avoid damaging their display base when they attempt to unpack it.

In our YouTube video, we explain that each box has been opened and the contents checked and then the bases have been repacked with extra cardboard protection. Team members have included a helpful advisory note to assist with unpacking in the box.

Visit Everything Dinosaur on YouTube (we recommend you subscribe): Everything Dinosaur on YouTube.

Rebor Models and Figures

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented that the video gave viewers the opportunity to have a really good look at these two bases as well as providing advice and assistance to ensure that the polystone bases were not damaged when being removed from their packaging.

To view the display bases and the other figures and replicas in the Rebor model range: Rebor Prehistoric Animal Models and Figures.

25 10, 2022

Smilodon Cub a Creative Model Suggestion from a Fan

By Mike|2024-03-09T17:00:06+00:00October 25th, 2022|Categories: Dinosaur Fans, Everything Dinosaur Products, Main Page, Photos of Everything Dinosaur Products, Press Releases|0 Comments

At Everything Dinosaur, we receive lots of emails from young collectors and fans of prehistoric animal models. For example, we recently received a suggestion for a new prehistoric animal figure for us to pass onto our chums at CollectA. We received a Smilodon cub model suggestion. The emailer can be assured that we have forwarded on this request.

Smilodon cub model suggestion — *A product suggestion sent into Everything Dinosaur by a young dinosaur fan. Could we ask our chums at CollectA to make a model of a Sabre-tooth cat cub?*

Suggestions from Customers

We receive lots of feedback from our customers, and as we await the announcements about new figures for 2023 from the manufacturers, we are happy to pass on such helpful information. Ironically, our chums at Papo recently introduced a replica of a Sabre-tooth cat (Smilodon), this model arrived at our UK warehouse earlier this year.

Papo young Smilodon model. — *Papo young Smilodon figure in right lateral view. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.*

The Papo range “Les Dinosaures” including a variety of Sabre-toothed cat models can be found here: Papo Prehistoric Animal Models.

Smilodon Cub Model Suggestion

The Smilodon (Sabre-toothed cat), is a popular Ice Age animal. It regularly appears in the top-ten of our prehistoric animal surveys, and we receive numerous requests for Smilodon fact sheets and drawing materials. It is one of two prehistoric mammals that feature in these surveys, the other being the largely contemporaneous Woolly Mammoth (M. primigenius).

CollectA Woolly Mammoth models. — The CollectA Deluxe Woolly Mammoth model in 1:20 scale and the CollectA Prehistoric Life Woolly Mammoth calf. If there are models of juvenile Woolly Mammoths around could CollectA make a replica of a Sabre-tooth cat cub to accompany their adult Smilodon figure? Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

To view the range of CollectA scale models including a replica of a Smilodon: CollectA Deluxe Prehistoric World Figures.

CollectA Smilodon model — *Nicely crafted Sabre-toothed Cat model. Can CollectA make a Sabre-toothed cat cub?*

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:

“We are grateful for all the new product suggestions that we get. We review all our correspondence, and we pass on the feedback about new prehistoric animal figures. We enjoy reading all the comments and suggestions about new dinosaur and prehistoric animal models.”

24 10, 2022

Dinosaur Toys Encourage Creative and Imaginative Play in Children

By Mike|2024-03-09T17:00:53+00:00October 24th, 2022|Categories: 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.

23 10, 2022

Fuelled by Dinosaurs Spotting a Funny Bumper Sticker

By Mike|2024-03-09T17:01:19+00:00October 23rd, 2022|Categories: Adobe CS5, Dinosaur Fans, Geology, Main Page, Photos|1 Comment

Sometimes dinosaurs can be spotted in the most unusual places. For example, an eagle-eyed Everything Dinosaur team member spotted a fuelled by dinosaurs sticker on a car parked next to our “dino van” at our warehouse the other day.

Fuelled by Dinosaurs — Fuelled by recycled dinosaurs. A decal spotted on a car which was parked next to Everything Dinosaur’s “dino van”. Not sure if the statement made is technically correct but we appreciated the sentiment. We note the Americanised spelling of “fueled”. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

A Mistaken Assumption

The idea that petrol and other oil derived fuels are made up of the constituents of dead dinosaurs is a common assumption. Unfortunately, whilst it might please a petrol head to think that their super-charged, sports car is powered by long extinct animals like Triceratops and T. rex, this is not true. Fossil fuels such as petrol and natural gas are derived from the remains of (mostly) plant matter such as plankton (algae) laid down in a marine environment.

Most people understand that coal is derived from plant material, in the case of the UK, our plentiful and ubiquitous supplies of coal that fuelled the industrial revolution and industry until very recently largely consists of the remains of Carboniferous swamps and forests.

A carboniferous scene. — *By the Carboniferous, the insects were already highly diversified. These swamps formed the extensive coal measures associated with the UK. Picture credit: Richard Bizley.*

Fuelled by Dinosaurs

We are sorry car fans, for all you petrol heads out there, your vehicle is not powered by dinosaurs but by the ancient remains of some of the simplest, yet most important organisms on Earth – marine plankton.

Still, it’s a thought. Perhaps some clever car maker or another part of the oil or automotive industry will latch onto this misnomer and use it in their advertising. After all, not so long ago, a well-known brand of petrol advertised its fuel by stating put “a tiger in your tank”!

22 10, 2022

Wild Safari Prehistoric World Malawisaurus

By Mike|2022-10-29T16:44:07+01:00October 22nd, 2022|Categories: Adobe CS5, Dinosaur Fans, Everything Dinosaur Products, Main Page, Photos of Everything Dinosaur Products|0 Comments

Team members at Everything Dinosaur were sent an email asking whether titanosaurs roamed southern Africa during the Early Cretaceous. We were able to answer in the affirmative and sent a fact sheet all about the controversial titanosaur Malawisaurus. We even sent a picture of the Wild Safari Prehistoric World Malawisaurus model, to provide further information about this herbivorous dinosaur’s appearance.

*The Wild Safari Prehistoric World Malawisaurus dinosaur model.*

We could have written about Karongasaurus (K. gittelmani) which is also known from Malawi, but as we had a Malawisaurus fact sheet to hand, it seemed sensible to provide information on Malawisaurus.

Malawisaurus dixeyi

Originally described nearly one hundred years ago (Haughton, 1928), this sauropod is known from the disarticulated remains of several individual animals excavated from Lower Cretaceous deposits exposed in northern Malawi (southern Africa). The taxonomic history of this sauropod is complicated, however, in 1993 following a review of the fossil material it was assigned its own genus Malawisaurus and although its placement within the Titanosauria clade is uncertain, it is widely regarded as a basal member of the Lithostrotia, a clade of derived titanosaurs that were geographically widespread and survived up until the end of the Cretaceous. The species name honours the British entomologist Frederick Augustus Dixey (1855 – 1935).

Wild Safari Prehistoric World Malawisaurus

Introduced in 2018, the Wild Safari Prehistoric World Malawisaurus model tends to be one of the more difficult to obtain Safari Ltd sauropod figures, unless of course, you contact Everything Dinosaur.

To read Everything Dinosaur’s blog post about this Safari Ltd figure (2019): Reviewing the Wild Safari Prehistoric World Malawisaurus.

Although sometimes overlooked by other stockists who prefer to stock the better-known dinosaurs such as Triceratops and Stegosaurus, the Malawisaurus replica has proved popular with collectors who appreciate the fine details of this prehistoric animal figure. For example, in the scientific description of Malawisaurus it was noted that this dinosaur had osteoderms (dermal armour) embedded in its skin. This anatomical trait has been faithfully recreated by the design team at Safari Ltd.

To view the Safari Ltd range of prehistoric animal models in stock at Everything Dinosaur: Wild Safari Prehistoric World.

21 10, 2022

A New Papo Green Styracosaurus Dinosaur Model

By Mike|2024-03-09T17:01:45+00:00October 21st, 2022|Categories: Adobe CS5, Dinosaur Fans, Everything Dinosaur News and Updates, Everything Dinosaur Products, Main Page, Photos of Everything Dinosaur Products, Press Releases, Product Reviews|0 Comments

The Papo green Styracosaurus dinosaur model is now in stock at Everything Dinosaur. This figure is a new colour variant of the original (red) Papo Styracosaurus figure that was introduced into the “Les Dinosaures” model range in 2011, but has now been retired.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

A Popular Horned Dinosaur

Styracosaurus is a popular horned dinosaur. Team members at Everything Dinosaur are often asked about this spiky centrosaurine, a dinosaur that was formally described and named more than a century ago (Lawrence Lambe in 1913). It is perhaps second only to Triceratops in terms of its popularity. Styracosaurus can be regarded as a superstar amongst the Ceratopsia.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Papo Green Styracosaurus Dinosaur Model

One of a handful of new models to be added to the Papo range, this figure effectively replaces the original Papo Styracosaurus model. Everything Dinosaur has been able to source a limited stock of the retired Papo red Styracosaurus. The UK-based mail order company is able to, at least for a short while, to offer both Papo Styracosaurus figures (green and red).

Papo red Styracosaurus dinosaur model. — Everything Dinosaur have been able to obtain some Papo red Styracosaurus dinosaur models. This model has been retired but Everything Dinosaur has been able to source some figures from the factory. Available whilst stocks last. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

To view the range of Papo “Les Dinosaures” figures available from Everything Dinosaur: Papo Prehistoric Animal and Dinosaur Figures.

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:

“We are pleased to announce that the green Papo Styracosaurus figure is now available. It is great to have this figure in stock in time for the festive season.”

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

20 10, 2022

Special Models for Customers

By Mike|2022-10-21T10:03:52+01:00October 20th, 2022|Categories: Adobe CS5, Animal News Stories, Everything Dinosaur News and Updates, Main Page, Photos, Press Releases|0 Comments

Everything Dinosaur’s team members receive lots of email enquiries every day including requests to source special models for customers. A mother of a reptile-obsessed dinosaur fan emailed us to ask could we source and supply some snake replicas. We made some enquiries and we were able to sort this out, bringing in some Squamata with our next shipment of Safari Ltd prehistoric animal models.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Snakes on a Shipment

You might have heard about the film “Snakes on a Plane”, starring Samuel L. Jackson. This film was released in 2006 to mixed reviews. In this instance, team members had to ensure there were “snakes on a shipment”, to satisfy the demands of a snake-loving dinosaur fan.

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:

“If customers are looking to source some unusual models, or perhaps a replica that has been recently retired, we are happy to use our extensive contacts in the industry to see if we can obtain the figure for them.”

The snake models come from the Safari Ltd range of replicas, to view the Safari Ltd prehistoric animal models in stock at Everything Dinosaur: Wild Safari Prehistoric World Figures and Models.

Special Models for Customers

Everything Dinosaur does supply some prehistoric snake models, for example the popular Rebor Titanoboa Museum Class Maquettes “Brian Diccus” and “Monty Resurgent”. These limited-production figures were introduced in 2020, a museu-quality replica of a Titanoboa swallowing its crocodilian prey.

To view the range of Rebor figures and replicas in stock at Everything Dinosaur: Rebor Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animal Replicas.

*The Rebor Titanoboa Museum Class Maquette Brian Diccus.*

When it came to handling the very realistic snake figures from Safari Ltd, team members tried not to be too squeamish, but whatever the model might be, we will try our best to source it and supply it, even if it is a green Anaconda!

To ask about how Everything Dinosaur can help you find a rare, retired or otherwise difficult to find model or figure: Contact Everything Dinosaur.

19 10, 2022

Rebor Display Bases to have a Video Review

By Mike|2022-10-19T10:19:15+01:00October 19th, 2022|Categories: Adobe CS5, Dinosaur Fans, Everything Dinosaur News and Updates, Everything Dinosaur Products, Main Page, Photos of Everything Dinosaur Products, Press Releases|0 Comments

The next entry on Everything Dinosaur’s YouTube channel will be a Rebor display bases video review. The Rebor non-scale diorama base two pack entitled Summer Kisses, Winter Tears will be the focus of our next video. A short video highlighting these two excellent display bases will be posted up in a few days.

Rebor display bases to feature in a video. — *The Rebor non-scale diorama base two pack Summer Kisses and Winter Tears will be featured on Everything Dinosaur’s YouTube channel. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.*

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

New Additions to the Rebor Range

Everything Dinosaur has stocked every Rebor figure, since the company burst onto the model collecting scene back in late 2014. This is the first time that Rebor have made display bases. The stunning bases are made from polystone resin and show the same landscape but at different times of the year. The Summer Kisses display base shows the landscape during the wet season and consequently, the ground is verdant and lush. In contrast, Winter Tears depicts the same ground but during the dry season, when there was little fresh vegetation about.

Rebor Summer Kisses Winter Tears diorama bases — The Rebor diorama display bases Summer Kisses (top) and Winter Tears (bottom).

Rebor Display Bases

Although the bases have been cleverly designed, the cartons containing these beautiful models were damaged in transit. The outer carton (product packaging) is not in the usual high standard expected of the Rebor range. Everything Dinosaur has put up a note about the condition of the outer carton on the Rebor display bases product page:

“Please note the outer packaging for these figures has been damaged in transit to our warehouse. Whilst we have opened, inspected and checked all the display bases, unfortunately the outer packaging for the Rebor Non-scale Diorama bases is below the standard one would normally expect.”

YouTube Winter Tears and Summer Kisses — *Everything Dinosaur has announced that their next YouTube video will focus on the Rebor display bases – Summer Kisses and Winter Tears.* *Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.*

Team members concerned about customers receiving a broken model have set about opening all the Rebor bases that we have in stock. Each figure has been carefully unpacked, checked and then re-packed with extra card inserted to help support the outer carton and to prevent any damage to the beautiful bases.

Our diligence is certainly paying off, it may be early days, these magnificent bases have only been in stock for a short while, but they have already picked up 5-star reviews.

Rebor display bases - five-star feedback. — *Everything Dinosaur receives 5-star feedback for the Rebor display bases.* *Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.*

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur confirmed that they would take great care with the packing of these bases, doing all they can to ensure that the bases reach customers in tip-top condition.

To view the extensive range of Rebor models and figures available from Everything Dinosaur: Rebor Prehistoric Animal Models and Figures.

18 10, 2022

A Funny and Clever Dinosaur Poem

By Mike|2024-03-09T17:03:08+00:00October 18th, 2022|Categories: Adobe CS5, Educational Activities, Main Page, Photos/Schools, Teaching|1 Comment

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.

17 10, 2022

Spotting Inaccurate Teaching Materials Doing Our Best to Highlight Corrections

By Mike|2024-03-09T17:03:52+00:00October 17th, 2022|Categories: Everything Dinosaur News and Updates, General Teaching, Main Page, Photos/Schools, Press Releases, Teaching|0 Comments

Everything Dinosaur team members have visited many schools. Unfortunately, during our travels we have come across many instances of inaccurate teaching materials. Educational budgets are stretched as never before and it always disappoints team members when they discover inaccurate information about dinosaurs and prehistoric animals being used in schools.

Take for example, this teaching aid downloaded and used by a school, which we came across a few years ago during a dinosaur workshop at the school.

Inaccurate teaching materials — *Unfortunately, some of the dinosaur and prehistoric animal themed teaching resources available in the UK are wildly inaccurate. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.*

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The picture makes a statement about dinosaurs. The fossil record does provide evidence to support the idea that like other reptiles, dinosaurs were scaly. However, the prehistoric animal depicted on the “fact card” is a pterosaur and pterosaurs are not members of the Dinosauria.

Inaccurate Teaching Materials

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented that team members regularly came across inaccurate and misleading information about dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals in schools.

The spokesperson added:

“Organisations compile teaching materials and sell these to schools and nurseries. Unfortunately, some of the learning materials contain obvious errors and inaccuracies. When we come across these materials, we do our best to point them out to the teaching team and to offer them, free of charge, replacement teaching materials that more accurately reflect the fossil record.”

Contact Everything Dinosaur team members for advice about teaching materials: Email Everything Dinosaur Team Members.

Providing Support for Teachers and Teaching Assistants

As well as providing support for teachers and teaching assistants, Everything Dinosaur team members have assisted parents who are home educating their children. We have provided helpful teaching resources and provided links to other sources of accurate facts about dinosaurs and prehistoric animals. Everything Dinosaur has also provided information about museums, events and exhibitions to visit many of which are free.

The company also provides a range of dinosaur themed toys and games including replicas of iconic animals preserved in the fossil record: Dinosaur Toys, Replicas Fossils and Gifts.

The spokesperson added that team members remained committed to helping where they could and they answered swiftly and promptly all the emails and enquiries that they received.