Our writers test and research products independently. When you buy through a link on our site we may earn a commission but this never affects our product choices.
10 best dinosaur toys for kids of all ages
Looking for the most roarsome dinosaur toy for your little one? We've crafted a list of tried-and-tested toys for gifts and budgets big and small.
By Carol Linfield | Last updated Apr 16, 2024
It may be around 66 million years since dinosaurs became extinct but we're still completely fascinated by them. And it's highly likely that your child will become dinosaur mad at some point in time. Whether their obsession started with a dinosaur soft toy, a dinosaur figure or from watching Jurassic World, it's likely they'll be hoping for a dinosaur toy for Christmas or adding a dinosaur toy to their birthday wishlist.
To round up the best dinosaur toys, we started by getting tips and guidance from parents on the Mumsnet forums and then consulted review sites and retailers to make sure we're recommending quality toys to appeal to kids of all ages and to suit all budgets.
From Triceratops toys for toddlers to realistic raptors, we've got the best dinosaur toys wrapped up in a handy list.
What are the best dinosaur toys to buy?
Best dinosaur toy: TEMI Dinosaur Toys with Activity Play Mat
Best realistic dinosaur toy: Schleich Dinosaurs Dino Set
Best big dinosaur toy: Jurassic World Mosasaurus Dinosaur Toy
Best dinosaur game: abeec Dinosaur Operation Game
Best dinosaur toy for babies: CubicFun Crawling Dinosaur Toy
Related: Discover the best board games for kids of all ages according to Mumsnet parents.
1. Best overall dinosaur toy: TEMI Dinosaur Toys for Kids with Activity Play Mat
Price £16 | Buy now from Amazon
"Look on Amazon for a dinosaur playmat that folds into a storage box. They come with some dinosaurs, and keeps things tidy. My son loves it" - recommended by Mumsnet user, Figmentofimagination
If you're looking for an interactive dinosaur set that will keep fidgety kids still and happy for a while, then look no further than this realistic dinosaur set from TEMI. It comes with nine hand-painted walking dinosaur figures, including a Tyrannosaurus Rex, a Giganotosaurus, a Therizinosaurus and a Stegosaurus, five trees, a fun dino mat and a handy storage box, which should help keep things tidy.
It's recommended for toddlers but kids will likely play with this long after they start school. It's such great value and will help teach younger children how to share and enjoy imaginative play together.
Key specs
Recommended age range: 3+ years
Size: 25 x 19 x 12cm
Read next: Find out which came out on top of our list of the best tablet for kids as rated by Mumsnetters.
2. Best budget dinosaur toy: Large Soft Foam Rubber Stuffed T-Rex
Price £16 | Buy now from Amazon
"I bought this one for Gds when he was 2 1/2 - he was still at the chucking-and bashing-everything stage, so any of the fancier walking/talking ones wouldn’t have lasted past Christmas dinner. It went down very well - it’s chuck-and-bash proof, and he still plays with it at nearly 4" - recommended by Mumsnet user, GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER
This budget-friendly dinosaur toy has already been put through its paces by one Mumsnetter, who sings its praises for being 'chuck-and-bash proof'! With very detailed colouring, this cool, large T-Rex is sure to please dinosaur fans, making it a great addition to any kids' dino collection.
Standing at 36cm, you're going to want to make sure you have room in the toy box. Though there are no sharp edges to worry about, you'll still want to make sure that it won't be used as a weapon against annoying, space-invading siblings. Reviews state that it's robust enough to withstand rough treatment from lively children. Perfect.
Key specs
Recommended age range: 3+ years
Size: 36cm
Read next: Boost your child's learning all year round with the best online tutoring.
3. Best Jurassic World toy: Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous Super Colossal Indominus Rex
Price £107| Buy now from Amazon
"Jurassic World toys are good" - recommened by Mumsnet user, Bellafrenum
"Another vote for Jurassic World, they are very good quality. Imaginext toys are reasonable too" - rated by Mumsnet user, Delphinna
With a hatch in its belly and an incredibly lifelike skin texture, this impressive Super Colossal Indominus Rex can swallow up to 20 mini dinosaur figures (sold separately). This Jurassic World dinosaur toy stands at 46 cm, and features a seriously fierce chomping action as its mouth opens wide to consume its prey (little fingers beware!). Granted, it's on the pricey side, but if you have a special birthday coming up for a Jurassic World fan, then this is a brilliant choice.
Key specs
Recommended age range: 4+ years
Size: 94 x 31 x 42cm
Related: The best trikes for babies and toddlers, tried and tested by Mumsnetters
4. Best realistic dinosaur toy: Schleich Dinosaurs Dino Set With Cave
Price £41| Buy now from Amazon
"As you probably can tell by my name, my DS loves dinos! He is 3. He loves the Schleich figures, Holztiger dinos" - recommended by Mumsnet user, DinosaurOfFire
"My lo was obsessed with dinosaurs. We always found the Schleich ones to be the best - pricey though" - rated by Mumsnet user, ChristmasCovid
When it comes to dinosaur toys, Schleich is a brand that crops up time and time again on the forums. Schleich dinosaur toys are loved for being realistic, well-made and indestructible. Each figure in this popular dinosaur set is hand-painted and the front part of the cave can be turned into a catapult to take out deadly enemies. Stimulating imaginative and educational play, it's a race against the clock before stone pillars are knocked down in battle and rocks collapse and bury everything in sight. All of the dinosaurs, including the carnivorous Herrerasaurus, the four-winged Paravian Dinosaur, and the Psittacosaurus are designed to roam around the treacherous cave.
Key specs
Recommended age range: 2.5-10 years
Size: 39 x 14 x 23cm
Related: The best remote control cars for kids, as recommended by Mumsnetters
5. Best dinosaur toy for toddlers: Tender Leaf Toys Wooden Dinosaur Animal Shelf
Price £55 | Buy now from Amazon
"Tender Leaf has a nice range of wooden ones, we have the t-rex and velociraptor. They are also around half the price of Holztiger and personally I prefer the look of the Tender Leaf ones for the carnivores and the Holztiger for the herbivores" - recommended by Mumsnet user, Dinosauratemydaffodils
Children (and adults) can enjoy wooden toys without worrying about having to replace batteries, making them an excellent choice for sustainable households looking for plastic-free play options. This shelving unit would make a perfect centrepiece for any nursery wall and holds a whole range of prehistoric animals, made with small hands in mind.
The wood is great for developing touch senses and also inspires colour and shape recognition. You'll get a tyrannosaurus rex, a velociraptor, a parasaurolophus, a triceratops, a pterodactyl, a stegosaurus, an ankylosaurus and a bontosaurus. The only issue we can foresee is getting the dinosaurs back on the shelf after little hands take hold.
Key specs
Recommended age range: 3+ years
Size: 38 x 8 x 33cm
Read next: Looking for a homework-friendly tablet for your kids this summer? Check out our review of the Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids and Kids Pro.
6. Best big dinosaur toy: Jurassic World Mosasaurus Dinosaur Toy
Price £53| Buy now from Amazon
"We have the Jurassic World Mosasaurus and Spinosaurus, the kids love them. The Mosasaurus in particular is big" - recommended by Mumsnet user, Dinosauratemydaffodils
Mosasaurus is technically a marine reptile rather than a dinosaur, but given that it features in Jurassic World and has over 1,800 five-star ratings, we think it deserves a place on our list. Inspired by the films, its lifelike textured skin sets the Mosasaurus apart from other underwater monsters. Plus, there's plenty of combat play to be had with the open jaws. It gets a thumbs up from almost all that have purchased it. This dino toy is bound to be a big hit with kids even if they haven't seen the series.
Key specs
Recommended age range: 3+ years
Size: 13 x 61 x 20cm
7. Best dinosaur set: Playmobil Triceratops Battle for The Legendary Stones Dino Rise Playset
Price £17| Buy now from Amazon
"My daughter loved the Playmobil dinos, they are great quality" - recommended by Mumsnet user, TheHobbitMum
Kids will love preparing for jurassic battle with this triceratops playset from Playmobil that continues the legendary story of Dino Rise, a group of intrepid adventurers fighting against the evil Comet Corporation to save dino-kind and nature forever. The set includes a large triceratops and two human figures, complete with durable armour, with both coming together to save the vanishing dinosaur world.
There's no shortage of fun and features with this battle playset that will happily stage many hair-raising raptor escapes. There are also thousands of positive reviews online and Playmobil is a brand that Mumsnetters trust.
Key specs
Recommended age range: 5-10 years
Size: 35 x 19 x 12cm
8. Best dinosaur game: abeec Dinosaur Operation Game
Price £10 | Buy now from Amazon
We all remember the original silly-skills game from our childhood and this raptor rework will appeal to dinosaur fans big and small. It's a challenging game for the whole family - you'll need to persevere and use your tweezers to collect 11 dinosaur body parts by holding your nerve to ensure the buzzer doesn't go off. If your cherub doesn't take to losing very well, you might want to give them a few practice runs as it might take a few tries to master.
Key specs
Recommended age range: 6+ years
Size: 6 x 27 x 28cm
9. Best dinosaur toy for babies: CubicFun Baby Toys Touch Go Musical Light Crawling Dinosaur Toy
Price £20 | Buy now from Amazon
This is a lovely, affordable and well-reviewed dino toy for babies. Featuring a touch sensor on its back that makes it nod its head, play dinosaur sounds and music with LED lights, it will encourage babies to chase and crawl and is designed to develop those fine motor skills. There are two function modes; chase and crawl and play mode. We're not going to lie, it's the sort of toy that'll have you reaching for the off switch after a few outings, but your tiny tot will absolutely love it.
Key specs
Recommended age range: 9+ months
Size: 13 x 10 x 17 cm
10. Best interactive dinosaur toy: Dinosaur Toys Painting Kit With 16 Figures
Price £22 | Buy now from Amazon
Help your dino-obsessed youngster devleop their hand and eye coordination skills, explore colour and express their creativity with this art set. Containing six large dinosaurs, six small dinosaurs, two dinosaur cars, two volcanoes, two sets of primary colour paints, two sets of metallic colour paints, one set of glow-in-the-dark paints, colour mixing palettes, brushes, 3D dinosaur stickers, a bracelet, an apron and a mat, it's packed full of fun and should keep little ones occupied for at least 15 minutes.
With plenty of brushes and paints to choose from, several children can play at the same time so it's perfect for play dates. This would also make a brilliant birthday gift for a creative dino-loving kid.
Key specs
Recommended age range: 3+ years
Size: 29 x 22 x 9cm
Where can I buy dinosaur toys?
Most kids will go through a dinosaur phase at some point. Luckily, there are plenty of retailers that stock fun dinosaur toys. Argos, The Entertainer and John Lewis all stock dinosaur toys, including educational and interactive toys to plushies and puzzles, board games and beyond. Naturally, Amazon stocks thousands of dinosaur toy options, including useful user reviews. You can use filters to highlight a few key features you're looking.
What's a good dinosaur gift to buy?
What's great about dinosaur toys is that they come in all shapes and sizes, with something suitable for all ages. Whether you have a die-hard "Jurassic world" fan at home, a toddler who is learning to play and fine-tuning their motor skills, or a school child who is captivated by the prehistoric world and figurines, you'll be spoilt for choice. We'd recommend a dinosaur painting set for creative kids or a set of dinosaur figures with an activity mat as a great all-round option.
What's the best dinosaur toy?
The TEMI Dinosaur Toys for Kids with Activity Play Mat is our star dinosaur buy. It's interactive and practical and can help develop imaginative play. It comes with a handy storage case too which will likely appeal to parents. It has a family-friendly price tag and receives rave reviews to boot.
How we chose our recommendations
We spent several hours sifting through Mumsnet's forums for recommendations from our users on the best dinosaur toys they rated most highly. We were also on the lookout for poor reviews of products to avoid.
We also consulted recommendations from experts, consumer websites and print media and made sure we included brands that regularly appeared in top 10 lists.
We then looked at reviews for each of our best dinosaur toys to check that previous customers were satisfied with their purchases. By doing this, we whittled down and chose a top list that we think offers something for everybody.
Why you should trust us
We work hard to provide unbiased, independent advice you can trust. We do sometimes earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. This helps us fund more helpful articles like this one.