Learn About Dinosaurs

Welcome to Read Listen Draw! Let’s learn about dinosaurs and some of the remarkable reptiles that lived beside them. First, meet Brontosaurus. Say it slowly: Bron-to-saur-us. Brontosaurus was a gigantic plant-eating dinosaur with a long neck, a long tail and four strong legs. Its name means thunder lizard. Can you stretch your neck up tall like a Brontosaurus?

This is Triceratops. Try the name: Try-ser-a-tops. Triceratops had three horns on its face and a broad, bony frill behind its head. It walked on four sturdy legs and used its sharp beak to snip plants. Point to the two long brow horns, then find the shorter horn on its nose.

Here comes Velociraptor. Say: Vel-oss-i-rap-tor. The real Velociraptor was much smaller than the giant raptors in movies. It walked on two legs, balanced with a long tail and had feathers. Each foot had a curved claw that could lift away from the ground. Can you stand tall and balance like a raptor?

Meet Stegosaurus. Say: Steg-o-saur-us. Big plates stood in two rows along its back, and sharp spikes grew near the end of its tail. Stegosaurus had a tiny head compared with its wide body. It was a plant eater, so those impressive spikes were not for catching food. Trace an imaginary row of plates through the air.

Look up! This is Pteranodon. Say: Teh-ran-o-don. Pteranodon was a flying reptile, not a dinosaur. Its wings were made of skin, and one very long finger helped support each wing. It had a long, toothless beak and a crest at the back of its head. Spread your arms and glide gently through the sky.

Now dive down to meet Plesiosaurus. Say: Plee-see-o-saur-us. Plesiosaurus was a sea-going reptile, not a dinosaur. It had a small head, a long neck and four strong flippers. The flippers pushed through the water a little like underwater wings. Move your arms slowly and pretend to swim through an ancient sea.

This armoured dinosaur is Ankylosaurus. Say: An-kye-lo-saur-us. Bony plates protected its broad back, and a heavy club grew at the end of its tail. Ankylosaurus walked on four legs and ate low-growing plants. Its armour helped protect it from danger. Make your body low and wide like a strong Ankylosaurus.

Last comes Tyrannosaurus rex, often called T. rex. Say: Tie-ran-o-sore-us rex. T. rex had a huge head, powerful back legs, a long balancing tail and two fingers on each tiny hand. Its teeth had jagged edges, and it ate meat. Which prehistoric animal would you most like to draw? Remember: every living bird belongs to the dinosaur family!