Design Your Dino Activity and “Oh My Oh My Oh Dinosaurs!” Review

by Ashley Beecher

Oh My Oh My Oh Dinosaurs! by Sandra Boynton, is a book my mom used to read to me when I was little. Now I read it to my kids in exactly the same way and they seem to enjoy it as much as I did.

It’s not a complicated book, but that adds to its charm. Packed into this short board book are a bunch of beneficial concepts like emotions, opposites, descriptive vocabulary, musical elements, and color words. That’s a lot for a board book! Plus, it’s all the more fun because it has dinosaurs. I grew up with a dinosaur-crazy brother and now that I’m a parent, I love anything with dinosaurs.

Even though it’s a board book, it’s surprisingly versatile. It’s short enough to entertain the youngest children (also durable!), but the varied vocabulary includes both familiar words and a few challenging words for early readers. It also includes one line of music that your young musicians can try playing. That might catch the attention of older children. My mom always sang that page to us, but it wasn’t until I was an adult that I really looked at the music notes and realized she sang the notes on the page.

To buy this book on Amazon, click here.

Create your own dinosaurs using the concepts found in the book.

Supplies:

Design Your Dino Printouts (see button to download below), crayons or other drawing materials.

Directions:

1. Choose a dinosaur worksheet from the options provided.
2. Add details on the dinosaur. Is it happy or sad? Is it smooth or spiny? What color is it? What clothes is it wearing?
3. Circle your dinosaur’s preferences on the bottom of the worksheet to tell us more about the dinosaur.

Different Variations:

• For Older Children: Use the blank worksheet so your child can draw their own dinosaur. Instead of circling the answers at the bottom, have your child write the answer on the line.
• Musical Bonus: If your child’s dinosaur likes music, have them pick their dinosaur’s favorite song or write their own!