Dinosaurs and Nature

Like most kids, my kids love dinosaurs. So when a local wildlife sanctuary had a life size dinosaur exhibit, we went to visit. It was also cool enough to wear light jackets in December.

The kids loved walking along the trail to see the different dinosaurs.

Many were decorated with wreaths and other things. A little strange, but festive none the less. 

This was one of the few dinosaurs they could go up and touch. Sweet daughter liked petting it like a large dog while sweet son liked sticking his head in the mouth to see if it had a throat.

I was also impressed with how many of the dinosaurs sweet son could name. We read a lot of dinosaur books, but I didn't realize how much he had retained. I love when kids impress me with their knowledge.

These weren't just statues. Most of them moved and made noises and one even sprayed water. While sweet son loved it, sweet daughter mostly just ran past them saying "I'm not scared" until she made it to my arms.

After walking the trail with the dinosaurs we went inside the museum to see some of the animals/exhibits. 

Sweet daughter wanted to bring these guys home. We are not getting a snake. EVER

The kids didn't want to go home, they wanted to go hiking. We took off on one of the other trails. It looked easy enough for toddlers.

It did get more difficult fun. There were small inclines, tree roots to step over, and even natural steps to walk down.

The best part of the day wasn't seeing the dinosaurs, animals, or hiking. The best part was getting out in nature and talking. We talked about the different trees, seasons, the sounds we could hear, and everything else that strikes the fancy of two year olds. The second best part of the day? After hiking for 2 hours (not including the time in the museum) the kids took a great nap.