Dinosaurs have been an evergreen favourite with youngsters for generations – I loved them as a child and now I enjoy playing with dinosaur toys and games with my son.
Here, we gather a selection of our favourite dinosaur toys and games, from card games to construction toys and action figures, as well as scientifically approved kits for the budding paleontologist in your life.
For more present ideas for the nature lovers in your life, check out our articles on gifts for children, books for children, stocking fillers for £12 and under, and jigsaw puzzles.
Best dinosaur toys and games
Dinosaur Lego kits
There's something about dinosaurs that make them ideal for recreating out of bricks, so it's no surprise that Lego has dino-themed kits for everyone from toddlers to the retired! There's a huge range, but we picked our four favourites below.
LEGO DUPLO Jurassic World Dinosaur Nursery
The Lego Jurassic World theme includes countless sets, beginning with this gorgeous Duplo kit for dino fans aged 2 and up. Included are baby Triceratops, Pteranodon and Brachiosaurus dinosaur toys, plus Claire Dearing – the leader of the Dinosaur Protection Group.
LEGO Jurassic World T-rex and Atrociraptor Dinosaur Breakout Set
There's so much going on in this kit from the Lego Jurassic World franchise. The set includes Owen Grady, Rainn Delacourt and Soyona Santos, each with tranquilliser elements, and Claire Dearing, plus a T-rex (11 cm), and an Atrociraptor. You can recreate the action from 2022's Jurassic World Dominion movie – the clever built-in breakout function allows for dramatic T-rex escapes.
LEGO Creator Mighty Dinosaurs, 3-in-1 T-rex, Triceratops and Pterodactyl
The great thing with the Lego 3-in-1 kits is that (fairly obviously) you get three kits in one box. There's a few dino sets to pick from, but we loved this T-rex, Triceratops and Pterodactyl kit. And once you've made those three, see what other prehistoric animals you can make from the same pieces. We were very pleased with the Velociraptor we improvised!
LEGO Ideas Dinosaur Fossils
With almost 1,000 pieces, these authentically detailed models of T-rex, Triceratops and Pteranodon fossils are a challenging build for older brickheads, and look great on display once finished. The instruction booklet includes educational dino facts to teach you about your models.
Dinosaur Top Trumps
Top Trumps games are ideal for children who love data – which is rather a lot of them! So what better handy game to keep in your travel bag than Dinosaur Top Trumps? We get them out on trains, in restaurants, on car journeys or on holiday and always have fun.
Each card boasts great illustrations, a size chart and a fact file. But the real business is done by competing on weight, height, length, killer rating, intelligence and age. In some cases, size tumps intelligence, while killer rating can overcome vastness. It's a great way to learn about the different types of dinosaurs, spread across millions of years. One word of advice – watch our for the lesser-known-but-deadly Predator X!
Dinosaurs World
Step back in time with this activity play set for children from 3 – although in our experience, children continue to play with this well into their school years. It’s great value – included are 10 dinosaur figures (all with rounded rather than sharp or pointy edges), play mat, trees, eggs, nests and a volcano with lights and sounds, which` even steams when you add water. It’s pretty impressive stuff.
Monopoly: Jurassic Park Edition
There can’t be many editions of Monopoly where being in jail might seem like an advantage. But in this Jurassic Park-themed version, at least being behind bars might save you from being eaten by the exclusive T-rex character figure. The other figures are all characters from the original (and, let's be honest here, best!) Jurassic Park movie.
This edition offers twists on the traditional multi-player economics-based board game, such as an electronic gate that determines how much you earn from passing ‘Go!’. Also, rather than houses and hotels, this game is all about building protective fences on your property. It's roar-some fun for the whole family!
Dig a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton kit
- Buy now from the Natural History Museum (£18.00).
For authenticity, look no further than the Natural History Museum's online store, where you can pick up gifts approved by the Museum's scientists. Take this Dig A Tyrannosaurus Rex Skeleton kit.
Introduce your young ones to the exciting world of excavation – this pack replicates a proper dino dig site. Included are tools and earth, and it's down to the digger to first unearth the bones, before piecing them together to make a replica dinosaur skeleton, which they can then proudly display in their room. Also available in Triceratops and Velociraptor!
Match These Bones: A Dinosaur Memory Game
A traditional children's memory matching game with a twist. Here we have 25 dinosaur skeletons, and 25 dinosaurs with their skin and flesh attached. Simply match the bones to the living dino and you win the pair. The player with the most pairs at the end of the game wins.
As well as being great fun for the whole family, these cards help aspiring paleontologists learn to quickly recognise the difference between a Pterodactyl and an Archaeopteryx, and tell a Diplodocus from a Brontosaurus.
