If you’ve got a dinosaur-obsessed kid at home, we’ve got the ultimate list of movies just for you. From classics like The Land Before Time to documentaries like Walking with Dinosaurs, there’s something for everyone. Scroll down to see our top picks for the best dinosaur movies for kids.
Bob the Builder: Big Dino Dig Movie
Amazon
Ideal for tots who love Bob the Builder and dinosaurs. There is nothing scary, kids watch the characters work together to build an amusement park and see what happens when they dig up some dinosaur bones! The catchy song at the end will have little kids up and moving, too.
Rated NR
Recommended for kids ages 3 & up.
Dinosaur Train: Dinosaur Big City (2011)
Amazon
A sweet movie that’s a spin-off of the popular PBS series. Kids will learn about dinosaurs in a fun and educational way, and they’ll also get a sense of community and social responsibility when they watch the diverse group of dinosaurs working together.
Rated: G
Recommended for kids ages 3 & up.
The Land Before Time (1988)
IMDb
The classic dino movie you loved as a kid is just as sweet for kids today. Follow Littlefoot and his friends as they try to reach the Great Valley, all while outsmarting the scary Sharptooth, escaping volcanos and earthquakes and being separated from family. There may be some tears when Littlefoot’s mom dies, so be ready to explain things to your littlest viewers. There are over 10 more sequels, but the original is by far the best.
Rated G
Recommended for ages 5 & up.
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009)
IMDb
Dawn of the Dinosaurs is the third installment of the Ice Age series. This is the first one offered in 3D and is a little bit more intense than the previous two films. Sid gets the gang into trouble (no surprise there) when he swipes three eggs, and they turn out to belong to a T-Rex mama. This third film focuses more on action than friendship, but it’s still a lot of fun and will appeal to both preschoolers and older kids.
Rated PG
Recommended for kids ages 6 & up.
We’re Back! A Dinosaur Story (1993)
IMDb
In this ‘90s film, a set of prehistoric animals are given a dose of magic cereal that gives them the ability to talk, and then, via a time machine, they're taken to modern-day New York City. Filled with a quality cast that includes John Goodman, Walter Kronkite, Julia Child, Martin Short and others, this film is best for older kids who understand the difference between real and pretend violence. There’s a spooky villain, the dinosaurs go “native” for a time, and the child protagonists are transformed, but ultimately, this is a fun flick for dino lovers.
Rated G
Recommended for ages 7 & up.
The Good Dinosaur (2015)
IMDb
Arlo the Apatosaurus makes an unlikely friendship with a little cave boy in this visually stunning Pixar film. The pair will have to fight against some scary forces of nature (think flooding, waterfalls, carnivorous dinosaurs) on their journey, and the advanced animation will make this movie seem more realistic, especially to younger kids.
Rated PG
Recommended for kids 8 & up.
Dinosaur (2000)
IMDb
This Disney film is visually stunning but can be extremely scary at times. Several of the featured dinosaurs battle to the death, and even with the comic-relief lemurs, this is a good choice for older kids.
Following up on the success of Jurassic Park, this six-part BBC series is made in documentary form with impressive CGI animation. Narrator Kenneth Branagh takes viewers on an educational but entertaining journey that covers all things dinosaur in a factual way that's easy for kids to understand. The series spans the globe, featuring dinosaur hot spots like Chile, Tasmania and New Caledonia, among others, while following the evolution of the prehistoric creatures from their known beginning to their demise.
It’s hard to keep up with all of LEGO’s cool new releases, but this one is definitely a showstopper. The group just released a vintage typewriter that’s sure to be a conversation piece in your home. It was designed by a LEGO fan and it’s a fantastic gift for the expert builder or wordsmith in your life.
The typewriter has all the functionality you’d expect, with a center typebar that rises each time a letter key is pressed, a carriage that moves as you type and a roller to feed in real paper. It also comes with a letter signed by Thomas Kirk Kristiansen, the chairman of the LEGO Group and fourth-generation member of the family privately owning the business.
The fan who pitched the idea, Steve Guinness, said “I wanted to create something totally different from anything that LEGO has ever done before and showcase that you really can make anything out of LEGO. I bought a vintage typewriter for my research and then played around with bricks and the mechanism until I was happy with the design. I hope it will bring nostalgia to adult fans like me, and wonder and curiosity to younger fans who might not have ever seen a real typewriter!”
You’ll be able to snag this set starting June 16 if you have LEGO VIP Early Access for $199, or July 1 as a member of the general public. It clocks in at 2,079 pieces for adult builders to construct. Write on!
Get ready for a whole new awesome experience this summer! LEGO Movie World is opening in the LEGOLAND California Resort on May 27—and it’s packed with brand-new rides, attractions, dining options, and so much more.
Fans of the film franchises can take a trip through a brick-filled world on a Triple Decker Flying Couch on Emmet’s Flying Adventure Riding. If that isn’t enough awesomeness for your mini builder, check out Unikitty’s Disco Drop and Queen Watevra’s Carousel.
photo courtesy of Chip Litherland for LEGOLAND Florida Resort
Along with the three new rides, park guests can visit the LEGO Movie-themed attractions: Emmet’s Super Suite, Benny’s Playship and Build Watevra You Wa’Na Build.
There’s no doubt your brick-building kiddos will work up an appetite walking around the awesome adventure-filled park. When the fam is ready to take a break from the rides and other attractions, check out the land’s premiere dining experience Everything is Ramen, savor the sweetness of Cloud Cuckoo Crepes or hydrate yourself at Benny’s Blaster Slushies.
Of course your littles can’t leave this LEGOLAND park without hitting the gift store. The Awesome Shop is packed with souvenirs galore, including plenty of The LEGO Movie T-shirts, mugs and other merch.
Visit the LEGOLAND California Resort website here for info on Annual Passes and online ticket purchase options.
May the 4th be with you! LEGO is helping Star Wars to celebrate this epic holiday with a very special offer—a free Tatooine Homestead micro-build set and a free Imperial Shuttle.
The small-scale plastic brick builder set features the entire Lars family home from Star Wars: A New Hope.
Photo: LEGO
Along with a scene straight out of the film fave, this micro-build also includes a landspeeder, Sandcrawler and studs representing Luke Skywalker, R2-D2, C-3PO, Aunt Beru, Uncle Owen and two Jawas. The 217-piece set is age-graded for builders ages eight-plus and is just over 1.5 inches tall, 3.5 inches wide and 6.5 inches deep.
To get your Star Wars: Tatooine Homestead set for free (while supplies last), purchase at least $85 worth of LEGO Star Wars merch between May 1 and May 5. Visit the LEGO website here for more info on the free with-purchase micro-build.
Wait! That’s not all. Star Wars fans who shop LEGO Stores in-person can score a free Imperial Shuttle set with purchases $40 and more from May 1 through May 5.
LEGO recently announced the addition of three new Star Wars sets—and they’re all for you! That’s right, these new Star Wars LEGO brick sets are super-sophisticated and made specifically for the grown-up master builder.
Jens Kronvold Frederiksen, Creative Director, LEGO Star Wars, said in a press release, “Some of our favorite Star Wars characters have the most profound, intimidating on-screen presences, despite the fact that you can’t see facial expressions.”
Frederiksen continued, “In recreating the sinister helmets of Darth Vader and the Scout Trooper, it was important to capture the details and essential features that people around the world will recognize, even those who aren’t too familiar with the Star Wars galaxy. I think all three display sets are extremely cool and I hope fans will enjoy the building process and be thrilled to display them once complete.”
Along with the two helmets, fans can also build the 683-piece LEGO Star Wars Imperial Probe Droid ($59.99). Find all three builds on LEGO.com. The new Star Wars sets are available for pre-order starting Mar. 25 and will go on sale Apr. 26.
LEGO wants to help your little adventurer celebrate International Women’s Day with a very special deal! The new Amelia Earhart Tribute set is here—and it’s free with any purchase over $100.
You read that right. LEGO wants to gift your master builder with their very own brick version of Earhart’s Lockheed Vega 5B plane. The 203-piece set is age-graded for children ages eight and up and includes a mini figure of the aviator herself.
Mel Caddick, the designer behind the new set, said in a LEGO Q&A, “Amelia Earhart taught us that passions, aspirations and courage know no gender—a legacy not passed on by many, and for that I think we found the perfect personality to celebrate for 2021 International Women’s Day.” Caddick went on to talk about what people can learn from this model, “I am hoping the model of Amelia Earhart can inspire and encourage, not only women, but all people around the world, to be curious and brave about their passions and aspirations—especially when facing rigid traditions, structures or the likes, that tries to keep them down.”
Visit LEGO’s website here to learn more about the free (with $100 or more purchase offer). Don’t wait to order your kiddo’s Earhart-themed set. This offer is only good through Mar. 14. If you order after the free offer period or you don’t purchase $100 worth of other LEGO items, you can buy the set for $19.99.
Get ready for a whole new way to play Monopoly! Scratch that—get ready for two whole new ways to play the beloved board game.
Forget about buying railroads and get out of jail free cards. The soon-to-be released Monopoly Crooked Cash edition is all about sneaky strategies and devious deception.
The game features fake cash, fake Chance cards, and plenty of accusations. Mr. Monopoly will supply the decoder—giving the players a chance to sleuth out what’s real and what’s not. This fun-filled family-time game is perfect for kids ages eight-plus and their adults. Monopoly Crooked Cash edition has a suggested retail price of $19.99 and will hit stores nationally this coming fall.
As if one new game isn’t enough, Monopoly is bringing fans a second strategy-based option. Monopoly Builder board game takes buying and selling properties to a whole new level.
Instead of just going around the board, now you can build upwards. The game board’s center is more than just a flat open space. In this edition, it’s Monopoly Island! Players (two to four per game) strategically build their own island city using building blocks. The more you build, the more points you’ll earn.
Monopoly Builder is available nationwide starting Aug. 1, 2021 for the suggested retail price of $24.99.
Forget about roses and heart-shaped boxes of chocolate-covered cherries. This Valentine’s Day you can gift your sweetie a train trip!
Amtrak’s Valentine’s Day Buy One Get One Free Sale is a BOGO you can’t miss. The sale starts Feb. 11 and goes through Feb. 16. Customers who use the code C214 at checkout (or visit the Amtrak website here) will get a free companion ticket when they purchase one regular fare.
The Valentine’s Day BOGO special includes tickets used for nationwide travel between February 22 and August 27. This means you don’t have to use this holiday deal to actually celebrate Valentine’s Day. You can pick a later date for a spring break or summer-time getaway.
BOGO deals are available for adult-priced tickets on select train lines—the Auto Train, California Zephyr, Empire Builder, Southwest Chief, Acela, and Northeast Regional. Check with Amtrak for additional route availability. Fairs vary by route. Both adults must travel together. You may upgrade to Acela First Class and non-Acela Business Class for an extra charge, upon payment in full.
Seating is limited—so book your BOGO ASAP. Visit Amtrak’s website for a full list of restrictions, terms, and conditions.
That pile of LEGO in the middle of your living room isn’t going anywhere just yet (summer’s only half over!), so why not embrace the madness and give your master builders an opportunity to use their bricks in a whole new way? The following books will take your kids from stackers to master architects, and one will even teach them how to make their own stop-motion movies. From dragons to feature films to entire landscapes, keep reading to find the best LEGO books for your builders.
The LEGO® Castle Book: Build Your Own Medieval World
This brand-new LEGO building book takes master builders into medieval times, with plans for miniature castles and villages. There are basic builds and six impressive castles: Sleeping Dragon, Land's End, River Gate, Winter Palace, Eight Arches and the Winter Kingdom.
For LEGO buffs who are also Star Wars fans, this book is the ultimate guide to everything LEGO Star Wars. Darth Vader, Boba Fett, Yoda, Luke Skywalker, Rey and all of your fave characters are included in the book along with dozens of little-known facts and hundreds of photos of accessories, vehicles, weapons and even the Death Star! Learn about the history, manufacturing and construction of the minifigures of the Star Wars galaxy and come away a true LEGO Jedi Master.
The LEGO BOOST Idea Book: 95 Simple Robots and Hints for Making More!
This LEGO book is designed to go with the LEGO BOOST robotics system and offers 95 different builds. Kids can construct suspended vehicles and rocket-launchers with easy-to-follow instructions and full-color images.
For fans of the LEGO movie who want to take their epic creations to the next level, The LEGO Animation Book will show how to bring their mini-world to life using stop-motion animation. Follow the step-by-step instructions to make your first flick and learn about the filming process, including storyboards and post-production. Tips and tricks to make your minifigures look like they are flying, how to create explosions, lighting tips, LEGO-made camera dollies and rigs and so much more. This is the ultimate book for your LEGO-maniac.
Awesome LEGO Creations with Bricks You Already Have
The original LEGO book by Sarah Dees, the creative brain behind Frugal Fun 4 Boys (and Girls) this book is designed to help kids use their existing collection to make everything from animals, a robot lab, a skate park, a dragon and even a crossbow. The step-by-step instructions make it easy to follow, but more advanced builders can try the no-instruction projects where you are left to puzzle it out.
LEGO Tips, Tricks and Building Techniques: The Big Unofficial LEGO Builders Book
Whether you’ve got a beginning builder or a skilled builder who wants to improve her building techniques and create lifelike designs, this new volume of the popular LEGO builders’ books series gives step-by-step instructions as well as detailed pictures to help builders come up with their own LEGO creations. Builders can also learn how to create seamless LEGO masterpieces as well as buildings consisting of skeleton framing elements.
Journey through five incredible worlds—Outer Space, Modern Metropolis, The Wild West, Fantasyland and the Real World—in this all-new LEGO book. Bursting with hundreds of new LEGO approved ideas and building tips, this book unlocks the secrets of LEGO building and shows builders how to create a world with their imagination. Learn how to make a wild west train, outer space aliens or a realistic-looking cell phone, plus amazing models with the step-by-step guides and visual breakdowns.
If your LEGO lover is looking for new ways to use his old bricks, this 200-page book is filled with photos of LEGO creations that use the most common of bricks. The book is broken up into six themed chapters—transportation, buildings, space, kingdoms, adventure and useful makes—each with basic templates of key models and pictures to inspire builders to create their own. Even though you won’t find step-by-step instructions in this book, you will get hints and tips from Master Builders who can help you turn your classic car into a race car or add a bridge to your castle!
LEGO Chain Reactions: Design and Build Amazing Moving Machines
Jam-packed full of ideas, instructions and inspiration for 10 LEGO machines that spin, swing, pivot, roll, lift and drop, LEGO Chain Reactions is the next step in brick building. The 80-page book, recommended for ages 8 & up, comes with detailed instructions for 10 modules as well as 33 LEGO pieces, six plastic balls, string, paper, ramps and other components to make LEGO machines. Each machine can also be combined with the others, so you can create your own chain reactions. The best part? There’s no need to worry about not having the right bricks because each machine is designed with only the most common bricks, and there are plenty of substitutes.
The LEGO Power Functions Idea Book: Machines and Mechanisms
If your LEGO lover is transitioning from simple sets to more complex robotic sets, this is the perfect guide to help her get started. The book showcases projects to build with LEGO Technic gears, motors, gadgets and other moving elements. Plus, you'll find hundreds of clever, buildable mechanisms, each one demonstrating a key building technique or mechanical principle. Each model also includes a list of required parts and colorful photographs to guide kids through the build without the need for step-by-step instructions. Before you know it, your future engineer will be building sliding doors, grasping claws and designing rack-and-pinion mechanisms.
For those who want to discover all there is to know about LEGOs and the story behind the popular toy company, this book reveals, explores and celebrates the fascinating story of LEGO bricks and the history behind them. Included in the book is a timeline that highlights key moments in LEGO history and special features spotlighting numerous groundbreaking and momentous achievements in the LEGO world. Fans of all ages can also explore the LEGOLAND theme parks and their amazing animated models and the LEGO Group's expansion into films, video games and the visual arts in this fascinating tell-all book.
If your brick builder is ready to kick his LEGO building skills up a notch, this volume of the LEGO Adventure Book series will give him plenty of reasons to keep building. The 192-page book, designed for ages 9 and up, includes 40 step-by-step breakdowns and nearly 150 example models. Learn to create a Renaissance house, a classic movie theater, sushi, Miniland-scale marvels, an ice cream truck and even a chicken coop!
LEGO Play Book: Ideas to Bring Your Bricks to Life
Building on the success of the popular The LEGO Ideas Book, this book is designed for LEGO builders looking to think, build and play creatively. The fun guide features more than 200 different builds and includes a mixture of simple, medium and complex models. Plus, the book includes a section on "ten-minute builds" for quick play sessions, "a cool brick" section with ideas for using key LEGO bricks and a section on "a handful of bricks," so you can explore what can be done with a limited collection of LEGO bricks.
Need a bear in a hurry? Build-A-Bear Workshop and Shipt have partnered for this beary special reason!
The bear superstore and same-day delivery service provider have announced a new partnership that brings your furry friends straight to your doorstep throughout the week before Christmas and even beyond. Not only that, Shipt and the Build-A-Bear Foundation will be donating 10,000 teddy bears to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals to bring teddy bear hugs to children this holiday season.
photo: Build-A-Bear
Sharon Price John, Chief Executive Officer of Build-A-Bear Workshop, “As Build-A-Bear continues to execute our digital transformation to drive e-commerce revenue, we have continued to look for innovative solutions to fulfill the high level of order demand and deliver our furry friends to our guests. Therefore, we are pleased to partner with Shipt to provide another delivery option that can allow our furry friends to arrive in homes in time for Christmas gift-giving, especially with many areas seeing restrictions on traditional shopping activities.”
Guests can head to the Build-A-Bear Workshop’s online “The Bear Builder” configurator to start customizing their own bears ASAP, with same day delivery. Just like when you build a bear in a workshop, you can choose from sound chips, scents, clothing, and accessories.
Build-A-Bear Workshop’s same-day delivery is powered by Shipt Driven. When you place your online order, Build-A-Bear Workshop associates will package the order at your local store and it will be picked up by a Shipt Shopper and delivered to your home of your beary special someone.
