My 9-year old son has loved dinosaurs for as far back as I can remember.  He even has a non-typical, very specific favorite: The Brachiosaurus.  Deacon knows all about this ancient beast.  I'm talking about what they ate, where they lived, and how they defended themselves.  FYI, that's green, leafy plants - North America, parts of Europe, and Africa - and their enormous tails.   The great thing about liking dinosaurs is that kids can dig as deep as they want into the subject.

Fox61 reports that the ease at which kids absorb information about dinosaurs most likely stems from a child's familiarity with the subject.  Most kids grow up watching dinosaur cartoons, playing with dinosaur toys, sometimes even wearing clothes featuring dinosaur designs.  When it comes to learning about these magnificent beasts, most kids already know them.  These are old friends that they have most likely have had pretend play time with.  According to psychologists, once kids consider themselves "masters" of a subject (like dinosaurs), it's boosts their confidence - which helps them do better in other, more unfamiliar subjects.

It's not just dinosaurs, by the way.  There are lots of other subjects that kids can be introduced to early in order to jump-start the learning process.  Space, sea creatures, construction, and tons more subjects meet the criteria for this special kind of self-motivated learning. The key is to get them hooked between the ages of 3-5.

If you are having a hard time figuring out what toy to buy for a child in your life, you just cant beat a toy dinosaur.  You will most likely put a smile on their face, and you'll definitely make them smarter.

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