Ultimate guide: 3 easy tricks for finding scientifically-accurate dinosaur gifts

“It’s not a proper dinosaur!”

My face reddened while my chest swelled with pride.

Our LDA was already explaining why the carefully-chosen dinosaur gift was wrong. Loudly. To my bemused mother-in-law. Deafness is a blessing when facing a stern telling-off from a six-year-old.

And the kicker: “That’s ok, Oma. You’re not a dinosaur expert like me.”

I had to leave the room to compose myself.

So how do you prevent such outbursts? How do you find scientifically-accurate dinosaur gifts for your little dinosaur fan? We’ve got three tips to help.

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3 tips for finding scientifically-accurate dinosaur gifts

Finding dinosaur gifts is not difficult (we’ve got some gift guides to help). Finding scientifically-accurate dinosaur gifts can be a challenge – unless you use these three simple tricks.

1. Shop at the source

The easiest way to ensure your dinosaur gifts are scientifically accurate is to shop at Museum shops. Not only are you supporting your local museum when you do, but you can rest assured your gifts will at least not be grossly inaccurate.

They have fantastic merchandise you can’t find elsewhere, too. Check out the list of our favourite scientifically-accurate dinosaur gifts from the Natural History Museum.

2. Buy brands you can trust

If you don’t feel confident enough to assess the accuracy of a dinosaur’s characteristics, buy brands you can trust. No, I am not trying to sell you a car or any pharmaceutical products.

Some companies, such as Schleich, have a long history of working with palaeontologists to ensure their dinosaurs represent the latest scientific findings:

… commitment to quality starts well before the choice of materials… Once we’re satisfied with a model down to every tiniest hair or scale, it’s time for experts such as zoologists to cast a critical gaze. These experts help us by checking whether our initial design faithfully captures all the distinctive features of the species in question. Only when everyone is satisfied is our mission complete: namely, to create a replica of nature that combines love and passion with scientific knowledge, so kids can have fun playing while simultaneously learning something about the world around them and the wonders of nature.

Schleich-S.com

This level of care is not just for zoo animals but for dinosaurs, too. Schleich admits that their dinosaur models can take up to two months to prepare. However, it does mean Schleich gifts will be scientifically-accurate. At least when they are released (our knowledge of dinosaurs is growing at a rapid pace).

And I can confirm: the latest dinosaur we bought from Schleich was a Utahraptor – with feathers!

Did you know some of the best dinosaur museums produce their own products, especially books? These include the Smithsonian, the American Museum of Natural History and the London Museum of Natural History. Naturally, these are guaranteed to be scientifically-accurate dinosaur gifts.

• Last year, St Nicholas brought our LDA “The Dinosaurs Night Before Christmas“, which comes with a CD of songs and the story read aloud. Our LDA loves it – I can’t count on one hand how often we have read it this year.
• When she was smaller, she adored “1-2-3 Dinosaurs Bite“. Proceeds from sales of both books go to the American Museum of Natural History.
• We also have a copy of the Natural History Museum’s gorgeous “The Girl who really really really loves Dinosaurs“. (There’s a follow-up book about animals, too).
• And this dinosaur torch projector is in regular use.
• I love that this Smithsonian palaeontologist doll set is for a female doll!

Generally, if your gifts come from a reputable dinosaur museum brand, they will be scientifically-accurate dinosaur gifts. The Smithsonian confirms: if a book has a Smithsonian seal on it, they’ve approved the content for scientific accuracy.

(And if a Smithsonian book is missing the seal, use trick number 3 to verify whether the book is inaccurate or dated.)

3. Learn a little about dinosaurs

The best and most flexible – but not necessarily the easiest – way to know your dinosaur gift is scientifically accurate is to learn about dinosaurs.

It’s not enough to have passed Dinosaur 101 and know a few names. Instead, you might need to know a few key and easy-to-verify characteristics.

• Raptors (Coelurosaurian theropods) had feathers. These include Velociraptor, Therizinosaurus, Deinonychus, Dromaeosaurus and Troodon and other dinosaurs that are the direct ancestors of modern birds. While feather evidence has not been found for all dinosaurs of this group, enough has been found to assume all the members of the group had feathers. Yes, the Velociraptors in Jurassic Park are inaccurate.
• Whether T-Rex had feathers is a matter of scientific debate. Because many therapods had feathers, T-Rex should have had them too. However, recent research into skin impressions failed to find any evidence of feathers. T-Rex might still have had plumage on their back, head or tail. And Juvenile T-Rexes may have had downy feathers, even if adults did not.
• Larger non-feathered therapod dinosaurs, such as Allosaurus, Dilophosaurus and Spinosaurus should have claws facing each other. Many toys – and I have looked – depict these dinosaurs with their palms facing downwards, an impossible position. Curiously, older lifesized models at dinosaur parks often also show the palms facing downwards.
• T-Rex should only have two fingers on each hand. Other therapods should generally have three.
• Stegosaurus should have 17 or possibly 19 back plates, depending on the species. Count away!
• Long-necked dinosaurs – the sauropods – do not have swan-like curved necks. Diplodocus, Amargasaurus and Apatosaurus have small heads and flat backs. They would swing their necks back and forth while eating plants that were the height of their back or lower. Their neck should be mostly straight and their head should be about the same height as their shoulder.
• Other long-necked dinosaurs (Macronarians), like Brachiosaurus and Camarasaurus, have font legs that were longer than their back legs. They had much bigger heads than the Diplodocoidea and ate from tall trees. Their necks flowed gently from the angle of their back without a sharp bend at their shoulders.
• Generally, dinosaurs did not drag their tails on the ground.

Print out a copy of this list and use it when searching for scientifically-accurate dinosaur gifts online. You can also take it with you when you shop.

Shop smart!

Grab the list before grabbing your dinosaur gifts and follow these tips to ensure your gifts are educational, scientifically accurate and fun.

And avoid bemused expressions.

Do you think it’s important for dinosaur gifts to be scientifically accurate?

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