Kids and Dinosaurs

Dinoland USA is one of seven areas in Disney's Animal Kingdom park. One of my stations there is a Kid's club, a puzzle of dinosaur heads and jawbones that kids can match. This activity is meant to teach children about piecing together dinosaur fossils. What I've learned, however, is that kids know much more about dinosaurs than the average education presenter, and I become the student as they teach me the classifications of the herbivores and carnivores of the cretaceous period.

My question to all of them: "how do you know so much about dinosaurs?" They respond, "I really like dinosaurs," or "I have a book about dinosaurs," or "I watch Dinosaur King." I am inspired. They learn about something, think it's interesting, then learn more, and love it!

Personally, I was never a dinosaur kid. You can't pet dinosaurs. You can't see them at the zoo, and there's no saving them from extinction. Then again, I see pictures like this and I'm reminded that giant reptiles let the imagination take flight.

Susan Hendrickson, the woman who discovered the largest and most complete t-rex fossil of the century, commented, "Somehow, I think we like to be put in our place by awesome things. Dinosaurs do that."

I have to admit, Dinosaurs are awesome things, though it's the kids with incredible knowledge and curiosity that put be in my place.