To want a dino museum...with less skeletons? any ideas?

[BoyMeetsWorld]

Yes, I know skeletons are v educational. And awesome. Believe me, if it was me or older DS I'd love the full blown bony experience.

But littlest DS is 3 and dino mad. For his bday he wants to go to a dino museum. Trouble is, he really isn't v interested in skeletons, in fact they frazzle his teeny brain. & whilst I realise he could do with educating in this respect, I don't feel his birthday is the time or place.

Peppa Pig Dino Museum episode has a lot to answer for. I think he's expecting reconstructions, interactives etc.

Anybody know anywhere? Here's the catch....preferably not London. Although if NHM is reeeeally our only option, I guess we would brave it.

Museum of Natural History. It's lovely! There at fossils children can touch. The right amount of dinosaurs. You can spend a far amount of time here and won't feel exhausted afterwards!

Bugger! I wasn't specific! Museum of Natural History in OXFORD! Not London.

Edinburgh zoo has this dinosaur area with huge moving plastic dinosaurs that roar, or they did when I was last there. Google pictures to see what I mean. It is also a nice zoo for a trip.

Link

Dinosaur Adventure park is just outside Norwich, it's fab but depending where you are might just be too far.

Mrs Hiddleston oooh that's really close ....but hard to tell from pics though, are there many dino models or is it still mainly skeletal ones? Would a 3 year old be sufficiently interested?

Dino Adventure Park looks amazing! But yes, long way away...esp as we are planning to take a few people for his birthday treat

Dinosaur Adventure in Norfolk? Not a museum but possibly more fun if you are 3

I've never been but there is a dinosaur place in Torquay.

www.torquaysdinosaurworld.co.uk/

Land of the Living Dinosaurs at West Midlands Safari Park

Maybe a bit too far away though?

There's a Dinosaur Museum in Dorchester, but I haven't ever actually been to know the ratio of bones to models.

If you wait a few years, there's talk of a Jurassic Coast museum in an old quarry on Portland, but obviously that doesn't resolve your current issue.

Whatever you do, don't go to the Dinosaur Museum in Dorchester. It was £30 and an hour of our lives wasted.

The one in Torquay is great! Not very big but he can sit on dinosaurs and dig up fossils in the sandpits. We spent well over an hour there and DD doesn't even like dinosaurs.

Oxford museum of natural history has dinosaurs and in my opinion isbetter than the natural history museum in London however with a three year old I would expect to be max 1 hour in a museum so whether it's worth travelling I don't know

Following as I also have a dinosaur mad almost 3 year old.

We are in south Yorkshire though. But have said we might do the west midlands one soon.

I blame bloody Andy. Ds keeps asking to go to the Big Dinosaur Museum. And go through the 'cock' with his gizmo and his backpack. I think he would be disappointed with bones.

All things wild in Evesham

Went to this one in North Devon whilst on holiday and it was good www.wildlifedinosaurpark.co.uk. I have also heard good things about the exhibit at West Midlands safari park my dinosaur mad 3 year old nephew loved it

From what I recall the Oxford Museum has mainly skeletons and not much in the way of models. But it's a while since I've been there.

My kids loved this place, but it's a fair way from you I think:

www.showcaves.co.uk/dinosaurs.html

Oxford NHM is mostly skeletons... It is better than the London one (and you don't have to queue for hours to see the dinosaurs)

If you want "real" dinosaurs the ones at the west midland safari park are good.

I think he's just too young for most dinosaur exhibitions, that's all. He'll love those skeletons in a couple of years' time.

It's a bit like my then 3 year old who used to run around shouting he was "darbors". He thought Star Wars is all about wearing a cape and a Darth Vader sticker on his lunch box. He'd no more have enjoyed the actual Star Wars movies than your DS would those dinosaur exhibitions. Get him a T Rex outfit and do the exhibits when he is older.

Oxford one is skeletons (has been redone and not been since) but the pitt river museum behind is worth a visit!!!!!!!

My 4 year old liked Seaton Jurassic in East Devon. It's not that close to you though if you're near Oxford, but it's a lovely part of the country! I agree that the Oxford NHM is lovely, but it is quite a traditional museum and very skeleton heavy.

Knebworth House has a dinosaur trail in the grounds, apparently "The 70 life-sized dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures can be found grazing amongst the shrubbery." I've not been so can't recommend but it's on our list of to do's.