Dinosaur Day | JOY for Today

(Updated 4/18/2024)

From an early age our nephew found dinosaurs fascinating. I bet one or two people in your life do too! The intrigue of dinosaurs provides opportunities for imagination, curiosity, and discovery. And, as we explore the secrets God stows in creation, it serves to help us know Him more. What an incredible opportunity for JOY!

Dinosaur Day: May's Third Tuesday AND June 1st Annually

JOY for Today Offerings:

• Did You Know... Four we didn't.
• Wolfe Stew Connects To dinosaurs.
• Bible Verses and Quotes Related to dinosaurs or creation.
• Activity Suggestions Dress-up ideas, book list, hands-on paleontology, "Would you rather...", and family challenge. 

UPCOMING HOLIDAYS:

• World Turtle Day (May 23rd Annually)
• Memorial Day (May's Last Monday) 
• Love Conquers All Day (June 3rd Annually)

Did You Know:

1. The longest dinosaur name is micropachycephalosaurus? This dinosaur name features 23 characters and nine syllables. The name means tiny, thick-headed lizard. It lived in the late cretaceous period and is about 0.5 meters long by 0.25 meters high. (Guiness World Records, National History Museum and Kidadl)
2. The oldest fossil found was formed by a single-celled organism? The stromatolite fossils age in at about 3.4 billion years old and they still exist today. Stromatolite fossils are formed by cyanobacteria. Cyanobacteria forms toxic algae in warm, nutrient-rich water. (National History Museum and NASA)
3. The biggest dinosaurs belong to the titanic sauropod group? Also referred to as titanosaurs, members of this group include the heaviest (Argentinosaurus at around 165,000 lbs), tallest (Sauroposeidon proteles at 59 ft high), and longest dinosaurs (Amphicoelias at 197ft long). (Guiness Records)
4. The smallest dinosaur was discovered in 2020? About the size of a hummingbird, the Oculudentavis khaungraae was found encased in a 98-million-year-old amber deposit in Myanmar. At first assumed to be a bird, scientists now think it was more likely a lizard. (Smithsonian Magazine) 
5. Dinosaur facts are constantly changing? As we learn more, the facts change. Once we knew them as large lizards, and now we link them with birds. We thought they were cold-blooded and now think they could have been warm-blooded. Brontosaurus became apatosaurus and is now going back to brontosaurus. (National History Museum, Yale News, Science.org)

We'd Love to Know:   

Which fact was new to you?

Wolfe Stew Connects

Dinosaurs! Who doesn't love them? My favorite dinosaur was always the Brontosaurs. In part due to Littlefoot in The Land Before Time but also because I ate one - as a sugar cookie frosted in Sinclair Green. Mmm. That remains the most enjoyable sugar cookie I ever ate.

In the Wolfe Stew household, our nephew is the resident paleontologist. His dream: create Jurassic Park in real life but do it right.

Why are dinosaurs so captivating? The mystery? The enormity? What fascinates you about them? 

What fascinates me is that they are always discovering something new, developing new theories, and imagining new possibilities. Learning about dinosaurs forces you to stay curious, to wonder, to explore. And, as we learn about our natural world, we learn more about its creator. The JOY here is in accepting that while we will not find all the answers, the journey to discovery is how we draw nearer to God.

In response:

1. Research to find a new-to-you fact about your favorite dinosaur. Then, challenge yourself to find a way to connect your new dinosaur fact back to a lesson God has taught you.
2. Join us as we grow to be resourceful by looking at Proverbs 31:14. Next week, we are interpreting how to be resourceful in varying roles. Take a peek at our Wolfe Notes to see what we covered last week. Or engage in last year's growth opportunity and learn to IDENTIFY our true battle.

Bible Verses and Quotes 

Bible Verses

• "It is by faith we understand that the whole world was made by God's command. This means that what we see was made by something that cannot be seen." Hebrews 11:3 ICB
• "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much." Job 38:4 NLT
• "Take a look at Behemoth, which I made, just as I made you...It is a prime example of God's handiwork, and only its Creator can threaten it." Job 40:15, 19 NLT
• "Can you catch Leviathan with a hook or put a noose around its jaw? ... And since no one dares to disturb it, who then can stand up to me?" Job 41:1, 10 NLT
• "What has been is the same as what will be, and what has been done is the same as what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun. Ecclesiastes 1:9 MEV

Quotes

• "Gravity explains the motions of the planets, but it cannot explain who sets the planets in motion." - Isaac Newton
• "God indeed created, but Genesis 1 and 2 may not exist for the purpose of a science lesson, but rather for a much more important purpose. Genesis tells us of a people God set aside to bless all nations, and through the creation accounts we learn of the basic outlook this people had because of their relationship to God." - Richard F. Carlson 
• "Dinosaurs may be extinct from the face of the planet, but they are alive and well in our imaginations." - Steve Miller
• "Great white sharks, big storms - somehow, I think we like to be put in our place by awesome things. Dinosaurs do that." - Sue Hendrickson
• "If history repeats itself, I am so getting a dinosaur." - Anonymous

We'd Love to Know:

Which verse or quote you would display alongside your new dinosaur fact.

 

Activity Suggestions

Wear Dinosaur Clothes

My nephew originally suggested everyone wear an inflatable dinosaur outfit but settled for everyone wearing their best dino attire. If your closet is devoid of dino gear, try one of these quick fixes:

• Converting a sweatsuit and adding a tail with Homemaker's Habitat
• Crafting a paper tail with Artsy Craftsy Mom
• Adorning a baseball hat with Laly Mom
• Slitting a shoebox to make feet with Julian Serro

Read a Dinosaur Book

• PreK-1st: Cookiesaurus Rex by Amy Fellner Dominy & Nate Evans; illustrated by A.G. Ford. Cookiesaurus Rex expects a lot but when the decorator doesn't bend, he takes things into his own hands. Will he get his way or will he be put back on his tray?
• 2nd & 3rd: When Dinosaurs Came with Everything by Elise Broach; illustrated by David Small. Imagine if everywhere you went you got a dinosaur. That's what happened on errand day. And while it is a dream come true for the child, Mom's not too sure. How do you care for a dinosaur?
• 4th: Dinosaur Lady by Linda Skeers; illustrated by Marta Alvarez Miguens. A brief biography of Mary Anning - paleontologist and seashell seller. What began as a quest for curiosities to sell ended in uncovering secrets of ancient earth - including dinosaurs. With illustrated timeline.
• 5th: Barnum's Bones by Tracey E. Fern; illustrated by Boris Kulikov. A illustrated true tale of the man who first uncovered the T. Rex and collected the majority of the fossils for the American Museum of National History.
• 6th +: The Age of Dinosaurs by Steve Brusatte. Written in an approachable manner by a paleontologist, this book explains when and how dinosaurs came to be, how they thrived, and how they died in fourteen chapters

Complete a Dinosaur Activity

• Make your own bones with Kitchen Floor Crafts
• Bury bones with the American Museum of Natural History
• Reinvent a dinosaur's appearance with the American Museum of Natural History

Discuss "Would You Rather..." Questions

• Have a pet triceratops or ankylosaurus?
• Dig for or assemble dinosaur bones?
• Live in the dinosaur age with electricity or modern times without?

If you would like three "Would You Rather...?" questions for every May day, download this Wolfe Stew PowerPoint or get it (for free!) at our TPT store.

Take on the Family Challenge

Watch a dinosaur movie together and discuss scenes where you would make different choices.

We'd Love to Know:

About your favorite dinosaur related activity.

We’re excited to share one more day with you and wish you JOY for Today and HOPE for Tomorrow. 

Your Partners in JOY Finding,

Sample these related posts:

To celebrate a modern-day dinosaur: turtles!

To gain reptile awareness.

To add a reptile center to your repertoire.

To see tortoises on a nature walk with Mr. Wolfe.

To connect with how God uses creation to teach us.

Find even more JOY for Today in our monthly calendars, holiday, and seasonal posts.