We love dinosaurs. Dinosaurs are fantastic. Dinosaurs are extra fantastic when they are brought into modern day play grounds. Like a train park. Trains and Dinosaurs go hand-in-hand for Bean because she adores the TV show Dinosaur Train, which is on PBS Kids. She loves learning all the dinosaur facts, singing along with all their songs and acting like a dinosaur. So naturally this was an ideal set-up for her to let her imagination come to life.
Debating which trains to push off the tracks? Join the Carnivore Club! These fun-loving meat eaters like to hang out near the big mountains and scheme their next job. Bean took this very seriously... They even had to take turns!
Bash. The bravest steam engine that ever lived in a modern-prehistoric setting. He also happened to be faster than the dinosaurs. And sadly we do not have a troodon conductor, so there wasn't much time traveling. Instead we had train vs dinosaur races to see who could run the fastest. The kids took turns steering the dinosaurs and trains around the table and Bean won a lot. Ok, she won every race. But she was very nice and gave Munchkin the Train Champion necklace every time (it's a Thomas the Train necklace which we were using as a trophy of sorts - not that this is any kind of competition). Velociraptor won second place.
Look how peaceful they are? Everyone is getting along... until someone knocks over a tree or tips over a rock or becomes King of the Mountain (triceratops, because he's already wearing a crown - according to Bean). The fun they had! And it was so interesting watching Bean interact with the dinosaurs and change her story every time Munchkin moved something on her.
The old spinosaurus was in charge of the dock and was ever on the look-out for the big fish that haunted the lake.
It was interesting watching the "Helicopter man" give rides to the dinosaurs. Almost all the dinosaurs got a ride and paid in pirate treasure that was found in the lake.
Occasionally someone was eaten. But they got back up and walked it off. Dinosaurs are tough.
Bean was laughing so hard, I was almost disturbed and then she said, "you're tickling me!" And then it dawned on me. He's not being eaten, he's being tickled! Well, that's a relief.
Everyone up on the bridge so we can jump off! (This is something I used to do as a kid living up in New Hampshire near a wooden covered bridge - so much fun!)
Why is everyone biting each others tails?!
Meanwhile, the old spinosaurus is mowing the lawn with a bulldozer.
And this guy is mighty fancy flying a plane like that! He later crashed it and went back to taking helicopter rides. Notice the tipped over tree in the back? Bean told me they ate too much so the tree needed to grow back. So after a few minutes she would pick them up again and say they were great big trees and ready to be eaten. I love that she incorporated trees growing in her story.
And the livestock... I honestly thought they were going to end up as dinner for these hungry dinos, but surprisingly Bean had another plan for them. Whenever a carnivore came into their area, Bean tipped them over and declared they were "playing dead" or "hiding in the crops/hay bails" or "invisible". These three farm friends were very crafty animals! I asked Bean why the dinosaurs weren't eating anything and she said it's because they wanted pizza and she wanted pizza too. Of course, I should have guessed, these dinosaurs are clearly all pizzavores!
I enjoyed setting up this table and then becoming a bystander to watch them play and tell a story. Munchkin doesn't talk much, but he loved playing alongside his sister and helping her with all of the activities and games she created. Playing like this is so much fun!
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