Whys & Finds

Watch what your toddler already does with dinosaurs every day, and pick a gift that joins that habit, not one that is cute for any child.

Show Notes

What to buy a dinosaur-obsessed toddler?

Start with what your toddler already does with dinosaurs every day. Pick a gift that joins one of those habits: acting out stories, carrying a dinosaur everywhere, or the same dinosaur book at story time.

The American Academy of Pediatrics says to match a toy to what the child can already do, with a little room to grow. The same page says: "A certain toy is not necessary for your child to reach his or her next developmental milestone." Ellie and Ben talk about why a gift that is cute for any child often misses a dinosaur fan.

The CDC, the U.S. public health agency, says: "Encourage your child to take part in pretend play." Ben points out that the habits overlap: the story kid often carries their dinosaurs too, because the story doesn't stop at the front door. So the gift may be a way to take them along, like a small backpack they carry themselves. For the child who wants the same dinosaur book every night, the hosts look at an animal-shaped lamp for their room. It gives a warm light for story time.

Sources:

Whys & Finds is made by Naturally KIDS.
This episode uses AI-generated voices for both hosts.

What is Whys & Finds?

The whys parents and gift-givers ask about little kids, and the finds that actually get used. On Whys & Finds, two hosts, Ellie and Ben, take one question per episode, answer it up front, and are honest about when something else would suit a child better. Both hosts are AI-generated voices. Made by Naturally KIDS.

Ben: They can say "Stegosaurus" before they can say their own last name. They roar at breakfast. And now you need a gift, and the lists you find could be for any kid.

Ellie: Welcome to Whys & Finds. I'm Ellie.

Ben: And I'm Ben.

Ellie: Today: what to buy a toddler who's obsessed with dinosaurs.

Ellie: It comes down to what your child already does with dinosaurs every day. Do they act out stories with them? Carry one everywhere? Want a dinosaur book every night? Pick a gift that joins one of those habits. Not a gift that's cute for any child.

Ben: So not just anything with a dinosaur printed on it.

Ellie: No. A dinosaur printed on it doesn't make it theirs. The real question is whether they'll reach for it on a regular morning.

Ben: Where does that come from? Or is that just you?

Ellie: Part of it is a public source. The American Academy of Pediatrics has a page of toy buying tips for young children. It says to match the toy to what the child can already do, with a little room to grow.

Ben: What they can already do. With dinosaurs, that's mostly roaring.

Ellie: And naming them, sorting them, carrying them around, making up stories. That's a lot to work with.

Ben: Okay, let me take the other side. A nice puzzle. A ball. Lots of toddlers get those, and they're fine.

Ellie: That's the generic gift. Cute for everyone, picked for no one. For a dinosaur kid, it can end up at the back of the closet. They wanted a dinosaur, not a puzzle.

Ben: Is there a fact behind that, or is it a feeling?

Ellie: Here's the line I'd lean on. The same AAP page says: "A certain toy is not necessary for your child to reach his or her next developmental milestone."

Ben: Wait. That sounds like an argument against buying anything.

Ellie: It's an argument against the must-have list. No single toy is required. So you're free to pick for the child in front of you, not for the list.

Ben: Okay. I like that better than the list.

Ellie: So let's match the gift to the child. There are three habits I'd look for.

Ben: Go.

Ellie: First, they act out stories. The T-Rex chases the triceratops. Somebody gets rescued from the bathtub.

Ben: Loudly, I bet.

Ellie: The AAP page names toy characters, like dolls, animals and action figures, as one way children pretend. And the CDC, the U.S. public health agency, has a page of parenting tips about toddlers, two to three years old. It says: "Encourage your child to take part in pretend play."

Ben: "Encourage." Not "buy a kit for."

Ellie: Right. The CDC's word is "encourage." The dinosaurs are just who shows up in the story.

Ben: Okay. Second habit?

Ellie: They take one everywhere. The car, the store, their grandparents' house.

Ben: And leave it under the car seat.

Ellie: Sometimes. Third: dinosaurs at story time. The same dinosaur book, again and again.

Ben: So which one do I buy for?

Ellie: Watch them for a week. Whichever habit shows up the most, that's where the gift goes. For the story kid, more characters. For the carrier, something to carry them in. For the reader, something for their room.

Ben: Can I push back on that? You split one kid into three. The story kid, the carrier and the reader.

Ellie: Go on.

Ben: That's one kid. The T-Rex goes to the store because the story isn't over. The chase goes on in the car. So the story kid and the carrier are the same kid.

Ellie: Fair.

Ben: So don't pick one habit. Look for where two of them meet. The story doesn't stop at the front door.

Ellie: You're right. That's better than what I said. Watch for where two habits meet, and put the gift there.

Ben: I'll take that.

Ellie: Take it. It's a better plan.

Ben: So the story and the carrying meet. What does that look like? A shoebox?

Ellie: A shoebox works at home. Out of the house, I'd look at a small backpack they carry themselves. One practical option: Naturally KIDS makes a T-Rex backpack. It's the right size for a child's little shoulders. Room for a snack and a treasure. For this kid, the treasure is probably a dinosaur.

Ben: And the backpack itself is a dinosaur?

Ellie: There's a plush T-Rex on the front, with soft felt teeth. It's removable. Your child can take it out for a hug and put it back.

Ben: Okay, so the T-Rex on the Naturally KIDS backpack comes out to play, and the bag holds the rest of the story. That I can see them using every day.

Ellie: That's the test. And for a triceratops kid, there's a triceratops one too.

Ben: Of course there is. They'd tell you the difference.

Ellie: In detail.

Ben: What about the third kid? The one with the same dinosaur book every night. Is there anything for them that isn't one more toy?

Ellie: Something for their room. The same brand makes animal-shaped lamps, and there are a few dinosaur models.

Ben: A lamp. I thought we were talking about gifts for a kid.

Ellie: We're talking about their room. A grown-up turns it on as part of the bedtime routine, and it stands on a dresser or a shelf, with an outlet close by.

Ben: Okay. So what does it actually do?

Ellie: It gives a warm light, and it brightens story time. It comes with an LED bulb that stays cool to the touch.

Ben: So the dinosaur lights up the page, and then you read about dinosaurs.

Ellie: Under a dinosaur. Yes. And it's a lamp for any age, so it can stay when the room changes.

Ellie: Now, a few different situations. If they don't have many dinosaurs yet, start with more characters. There's a set of six plush dinosaurs: a T-Rex, a Mosasaurus, a Spinosaurus, a Triceratops, a Brachiosaurus and a Stegosaurus. They come in different sizes, from 3 to 6 inches tall. Each one is made so a child's hand can grab it and hold on. One version comes with a drawstring bag for easy carrying.

Ben: And if they want to take them all along?

Ellie: There's a set for that too: a backpack with a plush T-Rex, and four more plush dinosaurs.

Ben: And if the dinosaur phase is turning into another animal?

Ellie: Then follow the new favorite. A gift for last month's animal is the generic gift again. The backpack comes with other animals too: a dog, a giraffe, a frog or a unicorn.

Ben: And if they already have a shelf full of dinosaurs?

Ellie: Then give time. A trip to the library for a stack of dinosaur books, and read them together. The AAP page says books "create opportunities for you and your child to interact and have fun together."

Ben: So the gift is the reading.

Ellie: Right. The habit matters more than the thing.

Ben: Okay, let me see if I've got it. One: the American Academy of Pediatrics says to match the toy to what the child can already do, with a little room to grow. Two: the same page says a certain toy is not necessary for the next milestone, so forget the must-have list. Three: watch which dinosaur habit shows up the most, stories, carrying or story time, and buy for that one. Four: the CDC says to encourage pretend play, and for a dinosaur kid, dinosaurs are who's in the story. And five: the habits overlap. The story kid often carries their dinosaurs too, so look for a gift where two habits meet.

Ellie: You've got it. That last one was yours.

Ellie: That's it for today. A reminder: the voices in this episode are AI-generated. Whys & Finds is made by Naturally KIDS.

Ellie: That's today's why. See you at the next find.