Colorado is a treasure trove for dinosaur enthusiasts! Fossils from the Mesozoic Era, which spanned from approximately 252 million to 66 million years ago and included the Late Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods, have been found in nearly every area of our state.
Although Dinosaur Day is not an officially recognized holiday, it's a great time to learn more about these fascinating prehistoric reptiles.
We have five fun ways to celebrate Dinosaur Day on June 1 — or anytime you want to have a Dino-mite day!
1. Start with a giggle.
Q. What do you call a dinosaur at bedtime?
A. A dino-snore!
2. Learn a fun fact.
Did you know that Colorado has a state dinosaur? It's the Stegosaurus!
The Stegosaurus lived approximately 155 to 150 million years ago during the Late Jurassic period. It's easily recognizable by the row of large, upright plates along its back and the paired spikes on its tail.
The selection of the Stegosaurus as the state dinosaur makes sense since Stegosaurus fossils have been found in abundance here, but it happened because of the efforts of children. In the early 1980s, the students at Fruita Elementary School, under the guidance of their teacher, learned about the legislative process and decided to propose the Stegosaurus as the state dinosaur. The Colorado state legislature made it official in 1982!
3. See dinosaur tracks and fossils.
If you've got a dinosaur fanatic in your family, seeing real fossils and tracks up close is exciting, and there's no better place than heading to Dinosaur Ridge and the Morrison Natural History Museum!
Dinosaur Ridge is the home of the world’s first Stegosaurus discovery. You can take a guided bus or walking tour along Dinosaur Ridge Trail to see more than 300 dinosaur tracks, visit the Exhibit Hall, and play in the Dig Area.
Less than four miles from Dinosaur Ridge is the Morrison Natural History Museum. It features fossils, skulls, and tracks from a variety of Jurassic dinosaurs low enough for children to reach, and many items are available for touching.
4. Hatch dinosaur eggs.
You only need three ingredients — baking soda, water, and gel food coloring — and some plastic dinosaurs to make our Fizzy Dinosaur eggs. They are easy to make and a blast to hatch, especially if you use vinegar!
Get our simple step-by-step instructions here.
5. Have a family movie night.
Snuggling up on the couch to watch a movie is one of our favorite ways to wind down after a busy week! We've got a mix of animated and live-action movie recommendations for you.
As always, review the movie's content and ratings to ensure they are appropriate for your children. The Jurassic Park series is one of our favorites, but it may be too intense and scary for young viewers.
Click the title of any movie to request to borrow it from Englewood Library.
- The Land Before Time (G)
- We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story (G)
- Dinosaur (PG)
- The Good Dinosaur (PG)
- Ice Age series (PG)
- Walking with Dinosaurs (PG)
- Jurassic Park series (PG-13)
