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There’s nothing kids enjoy more than exploring the world of dinosaurs. They are quite fascinated by a dinosaur’s aggression, size, and powers. The best dinosaur movies for kids will keep them entertained and teach them more about the creatures they oh-so love. Children are in awe of dinosaurs and can relate to them through these movies. So play the dinosaur movie marathon, and your kids will thank you for it. Here, we have curated a list of popular dinosaur movies for kids and dinosaur enthusiasts. Read on to pick the film that your children would love.
Top Picks
17 Best Dinosaur Movies For Kids
Grab the popcorn, get into the sofa with the kids, set up the big screen, and get ready to be enthralled and entertained by these movies on dinosaurs.
1. Best Academy-Award Winning: Jurassic Park
In this classic film on dinosaurs, a new park is set up on Isla Nublar, where the genetically engineered dinosaurs are kept for the public to see. Paleontologists Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler are among the few selected to take a tour of this theme park. Though the safety of roaming inside the park is assured, the team finds it otherwise as some of the deadly dinosaurs break free from their paddock and start hunting the visitors. Each scene in this film captivated many kids, making it their favorite dinosaur movie.
Quick fact2. Best Movie About Teamwork: The Land Before Time
The story revolves around an orphaned brontosaurus named Littlefoot, who embarks on an astonishing journey to find the Great Valley, which is a lush green vegetation land where the dinosaurs thrive. On his way there, he teams up with four other young dinosaurs. Their journey is not a cakewalk, but they work together to overcome the obstacles. The story sends out a great message of teamwork.
3. Best Dinosaur-Themed: Jurassic World
Jurassic World is a sequel to the dinosaur-themed movie, Jurassic Park. In this film on dinosaurs, a new theme park opens after 20 years at the same place where the original Jurassic park was created. The new park is open for the world to see the new genetically engineered breed of dinosaur called the Indominus Rex. However, something goes wrong in the park that sets the dinosaur free, and a dinosaur is once again hunting people.
Did you know?4. Best Comedy: Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
This dinosaur-themed animated movie is about Manny, the mammoth, who is anxious as he is expecting his first child and is doing all that he should to welcome his child. Sid, the sloth, envies Manny as he cannot become a father. But, he happens to come across three eggs in an abandoned cave. Without realizing that the eggs belong to a dinosaur, he brings them along. Little does Sid know that his deeds will lead him to the hidden world of the dinosaurs.
5. Best Movie About Coexisting: Dinotopia
The airplane that Karl and David were flying in crashes near an uncharted island. They manage to reach the shore and are stunned to see an enchanting world of talking dinosaurs that are living in harmony with humans. Though they don’t see the imminent disasters ahead, they work together to combat the consequences.
6. Best MonsterVerse Movie: Godzilla 2014
In this popular dinosaur-themed film, Ford Brody, a naval bomb expert, is forced to go to Japan to help his estranged father Joe in finding the truth behind the mysterious Janjira nuclear plant massacre. However, their search enables them to witness a terrible disaster for humanity. The only hope is the Godzilla, the king of the monsters who can save humanity.
Trivia7. Best Movie About Extinction: Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
The Jurassic world is closed after the menace of the genetically bred dinosaurs. However, there are still a few dinosaurs left on the abandoned island and need to be rescued as a dormant volcano has become active there. Owen and Claire are on a mission to rescue these dinosaurs, to save the species and all life on the island from extinction.
8. Best Robot-Themed Movie: Terror of Mechagodzilla
Aliens from a dying galaxy are all set to capture the Earth to make it their new home. They use Mechagodzilla, a robotic Godzilla armed with sophisticated weapons to destroy everything on planet Earth. Professor Mafune joins the aliens and gives them another weapon, which is a deadly Titanosaurus, an amphibious dinosaur. Now, it’s up to the real Godzilla to save the planet from the alien destruction.
9. Best Time-Travel Movie: We’re Back! A Dinosaur’s Story
Captain New Eyes decides to travel back in time into the Cretaceous Period, where he meets four dinosaurs named Rex, Elsa, Dweeb, and Woog. He feeds them with a brain grain cereal that turns the dinosaurs into intelligent, and non-violent creatures. These dinosaurs travel with the captain to the 21st century with some good intentions. However, the captain’s brother, Professor Screw Eyes, has some evil intentions to play around with the dinosaurs.
10. Best Adventurous: Journey to the Center of the Earth 2008
In this fascinating adventure movie for children, Professor Trevor Anderson sets on an adventurous journey to find his missing brother Max. He is accompanied by his nephew Sean Anderson and a reference book that details everything about his brother’s last journey. During their quest, they get trapped inside a cave. As they try to find an exit, they discover a vicious lost world of dinosaurs in the center of the Earth. It is an action adventure movie that will keep the kids hooked till the end.
11. Best Wondering Movie:Land of the Lost
A research team is sent to Isla Sorna, which is an island eighty miles away from Isla Nublar, home to the original Jurassic Park. Isla Sorna is the Site B of Jurassic Park where the dinosaurs were bred before being deported to Isla Nublar. The mission of the team is to study the dinosaurs, but disaster awaits them as another team arrives there intending to capture the dinosaurs and exploit them. The movie will definitely keep the children hooked till the end, wondering about which team succeeds in their mission.
12. Walking with Dinosaurs: The Movie
Zack, a paleontologist by profession, is on a fossil hunt with his nephew Ricky and niece Jade. During the journey, Ricky meets an Alexornis bird from the Cretaceous period that narrates the story of dinosaurs that existed about 70 million years ago. The story of this kids’ dinosaur movie revolves around Patchi, an underdog dino, who finds the courage to emerge as a leader of the herd and becomes an icon among dinosaurs for ages.
13. Best Women Survival Movie:When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth
One of the best dinosaur films, it is set in a past era, where a small tribal community is struggling to survive the menace of deadly dinosaurs. Their fear forces them to sacrifice a community member named Sanna, as a part of their offerings to the deity whom they believe can save them from the giant lizards. But, she outlives her fate only to encounter the deadly creatures. Will she be able to fight them alone? You’ll have to watch the movie to enjoy the key fight scenes and know the climax.
14. Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend
This entertaining dinosaur movie tells the story of Susan Matthews-Loomis, who assists her former professor Doctor Eric Kiviat at an archeological site in the Ivory Coast. There she comes across a bone, which she believes is a dinosaur bone, but her professor denies it. Susan embarks on an exciting journey to find the truth behind the bones and lands in the middle of a forest where a family of brontosaurus is living. It is a sci-fi adventure movie for kids that will keep them entertained.
15. Best Kids Entertainment Movie:Back to the Jurassic
In this cartoon adventure, Ernie, Julia, and Max are three kids who accidentally kick an egg-shaped time machine that takes them 65 million years back into dino time. As they land in the world of the dinosaurs, they are adopted by a motherly female dino and a rambunctious dinosaur brother. However, their parents are on a search for their kids back in the present time. It is an animated adventure dino movie that will certainly keep the kids entertained until the end.
16. Best Exciting Movie:Dinosaurus
A construction crew is carrying out a series of explosions in the bed of the Caribbean sea, which accidentally digs an ice cold pocket, that has been preserving the bodies of two dinosaurs and a caveman. The frozen bodies are brought to the shore by the crew, who do not realize that the dinosaurs are alive but are in a frozen state. During the night, lightning strikes and a thunderstorm breaks the protective frozen layers of ice to awaken the giant creatures.
17. Best Graphics:Dinosaur Island
The story of this children’s dinosaur movie revolves around four teens who are selected as a cast for a survivor-style TV show. While they travel to their shooting location, the plane crashes, and they land up on a remote island which is inhabited by cavemen and a variety of dinosaurs. They realize that their biggest challenge is to learn to work together as a team if they want to make it alive out of the dangerous island.
How To Choose The Right Dinosaur Movies For Kids?
Here is a list of factors to consider while picking the right dinosaur movies for children.
- Age-appropriate: Check the movie’s ratings and reviews to ensure it is appropriate for your child’s age. Knowing the age recommendation will ensure you pick a movie without inappropriate content or excessive violence.
- Visuals: Choose a kid-friendly dinosaur film with spectacular visuals, animation, and special effects to create a dynamic setting that will keep your children engrossed.
- Content: Consider movies that are simple enough for children to understand. Humorous and wholesome movies can be suitable if you want your children to learn valuable lessons. You can also choose action-packed movies for a thrilling experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Do children get scared while watching dinosaur movies?
Younger children might get scared while watching dinosaur movies because of their big size and loud, scary sounds. Therefore, you should consider the age of your child before choosing a movie for them. If they are a dinosaur fan, the dino movies can excite them.
2. At what age do children start watching movies?
By the time children are 18 to 24 months old, you can let them start watching movies (1). However, choose a movie according to their age and also limit their screen time.
3. What kinds of movies are best for children?
Movies with educational or historical themes are some good options to consider when choosing a movie for children.
Why Trust MomJunction?
Based on a comprehensive study, ratings in various forums, and viewer reviews, we have compiled a list of dinosaur films for kids that are not only captivating, but will also teach them more about the majestic types of dinosaurs. We have also summarized each film to help you choose an exciting dinosaur film for your kids. These family-friendly dinosaur films are age-appropriate, engaging, and suitable for family movie nights.
The Bottom Line
Neither adults nor kids can be unaffected by the charm and mystery surrounding dinosaurs, which is why films about them are so popular. The best dinosaur movies for kids mentioned in this list cover various genres and are highly entertaining. For instance, the list includes the classic Jurassic Park and the Godzilla 2014, showcasing Godzilla, the king of the monster, as the savior of humanity. It even features the Jurassic World, which introduces the genetically engineered breed, Indominus Rex. So, what are you waiting for? Pick your favorite movie, grab your favorite snack, and enjoy a fun-filled movie night with your little ones.
References
- The Jurassic Period
https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/mesozoic/jurassic/jurassic.php
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