Latest / Whys & Finds / Why Are Toddlers So Obsessed With Dinosaurs?
Transcript
- Ben: They're three. Dinosaurs on their socks. Dinosaurs on their cup. And every story at dinner ends with a T-Rex. Ellie: Welcome to Whys & Finds. I'm Ellie. Ben: And I'm Ben. Ellie: Today: why are so many toddlers obsessed with dinosaurs? Ellie: Honestly? It's less about dinosaurs than it sounds. A lot of young children pick one big topic and go all in. For some it's trains. For some it's planes. And for a lot of the kids in our reviews, it's dinosaurs. Your part is simple: follow the interest, and let your child lead. Ben: So it's a phase. Ellie: It's a common one. Researchers have a name for it: an intense interest. Researchers from the University of Virginia and two other universities surveyed and interviewed 177 parents. In their words: "nearly one third of young children have extremely intense interests." Ben: Nearly one in three. So the dinosaur kid isn't the odd one out. Ellie: Not at all. The summary of the same study opens with this line: "Some normally developing young children show an intense, passionate interest in a particular category of objects or activities." Ben: "Normally developing." That's the part a parent wants to hear. Ellie: That's why I read it out. Ben: Okay, but that's what. I asked why. Why does a three-year-old care so much about one thing? Ellie: Here's the public source for that. The CDC, the U.S. public health agency, has a page of parenting tips for three- to five-year-olds. It says: "As children grow into early childhood, their world will open up as they explore and ask about the things around them." Ben: Explore and ask. So the dinosaurs are what they're exploring. Ellie: That's how I read it. They're asking about everything. Dinosaurs just give them a lot to ask about. Ben: But why dinosaurs? Why not, I don't know, spoons? Ellie: I'll be straight with you. The sources I read don't say why one topic wins. The study summary says the interest is in "a particular category of objects or activities." It doesn't say which one, or why. Ben: So nobody knows. Ellie: Nobody I can quote. I'd rather say that than make something up. Ben: Fair. Ellie: What I can tell you is what these kids actually do. We read our reviews. Hundreds of them mention dinosaurs. In more than 15, the writer says the child is obsessed with them. Ben: More than 15 people wrote that a kid is obsessed with dinosaurs. Ellie: In writing. One parent wrote: "He has an obsession with dinosaurs and this feeds that." Ben: That parent sounds happy about it. Ellie: They do. And in these reviews, the kids learn the dinosaurs' names and carry them around. Ben: Learn the names? Ellie: Yes. Another reviewer wrote: "He likes dinosaurs. I like that he's already able to use each dinosaurs real name." Ben: Real names. Not just "the big one." Ellie: Right. And one grandparent wrote about a three-year-old: "She just recently discovered dinosaurs, she just turned three." Ben: So it can start out of nowhere. Ellie: It can. Ben: Okay. So what do I do with a kid who only talks about dinosaurs? Ellie: Bring in books. The same CDC page says: "Continue to read to your child. Nurture their love for books by taking them to the library or bookstore." Ben: A dinosaur book from the library. Ellie: Five of them. They'll still ask for the same one. Ben: And then? Ellie: Then the dinosaurs go everywhere with them. That's the other thing in the reviews. One reviewer wrote about a nephew: "My nephew loves the dinosaur and uses the inside of the backpack to carry his plastic toy dinosaurs with him when he's out." Ben: Right. A handful of small dinosaurs, everywhere they go. Ellie: So give the collection a place to travel. One practical option: Naturally KIDS makes a small T-Rex backpack. The T-Rex rides on the front, with soft felt teeth. It's removable, so it can come out for a game on the floor. The T-Rex meets the small dinosaurs, and your child tells you who's who. Inside, there's room for a snack and a treasure. Or a few small dinosaurs. Ben: Okay, so the Naturally KIDS T-Rex is the dinosaur they carry, and the backpack is where the rest of them go. Ellie: That's it. There's a triceratops too, if that's their favorite, and a version with two pockets inside. And if they want more dinosaurs to carry, there's a set of 6 plush ones, from a T-Rex to a stegosaurus, with a drawstring bag. Ben: Can I push back on one thing, though? You said bring in books. With books, you're the one bringing them more dinosaurs. You picked the book, and you do the talking. Ellie: Sure, but a book is still following the interest. Ben: It is. But you're the one who leads. I'd flip it. Let them teach you. Ask which one has the three horns. Ask which one eats plants. Get one wrong on purpose, and let them correct you. On this topic, they're the expert in the house. Ellie: You're right. That's better than what I said. The books are what you bring. Asking lets them lead, and that was my whole answer. Ben: I'll take that. Ellie: You earned it. Keep the books, too, though. Ben: Deal. Ellie: Now, a few different situations. If they've moved on from dinosaurs to another animal, follow the new one. Our small backpack also comes with a dog, a giraffe, a frog or a unicorn. Ben: And if they already have a backpack they love? Ellie: Then keep that one. Their dinosaurs can ride in it just the same. Ben: And if the family has asked for no more stuff? Ellie: Then give them an afternoon. They name every dinosaur in their book, and you just listen. Ben: So the interest matters more than the stuff. Ellie: Right. Ben: Okay, let me see if I've got it. One: researchers surveyed and interviewed 177 parents and found nearly one third of young children have extremely intense interests. Two: the CDC says at this age a child's world opens up as they explore and ask about the things around them. Three: the sources don't say why it's dinosaurs and not something else. Four: the CDC says to keep reading to your child and to take them to the library. And five, my point: let them teach you the names. They're the expert. Ellie: You've got it. Ellie: That's it for today. A reminder: the voices in this episode are AI-generated. Whys & Finds is made by Naturally KIDS. Ellie: That's today's why. See you at the next find.