Little Barn Owls Nursery and Farm School

The Dinosaur blog post!

"Why are there NO MORE dinosaurs?"

2, 3 and 4 year olds in the pre-school researching dinosaurs led to a complicated question from one boy: 'Why are there NO MORE Dinosaurs?"

The same group spent time with Abi (Educator) creating a mind map of their ideas for the reason for this phenomenon. One of the most intriguing being:

"A asteroid from space come down onto earth...left lots of gas and dirt and the dinosaurs couldn't breathe. Dinosaurs are not very good at breathing!"

Later they continued their research using clay and recycled materials to express and develop their ideas about dinosaurs further including a creation of 'a building for the dinosaur', a 'Tricerotops' and 'Dinosaur footprints' made by printing found objects and loose parts into clay to create varying impressions that concur with the children's imaginations of dinosaur footprints.

A Dinosaur Skeleton - Mark 1!

As part of ongoing research in the preschool into dinosaurs, a group of excavators discovered and 'dug up' some pre-planted dinosaur bones (sticks) from around the garden.  Maddy H collected her found 'bones' together and proposed that "we could make a whole dinosaur skeleton with these!".

The photograph of the construction is Maddy's first sculpted interpretation of a dinosaur skeleton developed purely from imagination. Interestingly she chose clay as a way to fix the 'bones' together and rather competently her creation stands up - much like a model skeleton would in a museum.

Can Maddy's proposal to develop a "whole" dinosaur skeleton be undertaken with this group? Our plan is to re-launch her idea to the group and facilitate further research through drawing, designing and sculpting to create a more comprehensive structure in order for Maddy's idea to be given time, space and attention to be brought to life. We'll keep you posted...