Study Shows Kids Obsessed With Dinosaurs Are Smarter

A study carried out at the universities of Indiana and Wisconsin found that children who develop an intense interest do better later in life. Joyce M. Alexander of Indiana University and her team found that this type of interest, especially those that demand a conceptual domain, “enhance perseverance, improve attention and enhance skills of complex thinking as the processing of information.”

Alexander differentiated this “conceptual interest” from situational interests. If a dinosaur lets out a loud roar, a child will be interested in that only at that moment in time. If dinosaurs themselves are the point of interest, that’s conceptual.

There’s something about the prehistoric animals that seem to capture the imagination of little ones in particular. It’s not a new study by the University of Indiana and the University of Wisconsin , but after being reported on by a number of sources recently, it seems to be back in the spotlight.

It’s also been shown to be a good indicator of higher understanding in younger children and suggests that the way children study dinosaurs helps them develop strategies to tackle problems throughout their lives, much better than those who didn’t.

Dinosaurs may be extinct from the face of the planet, but they are alive and well in our imaginations.

-Steve Miller

So then, what do dinosaurs have to do with higher intelligence?

How some children study their object of interest – in this case, the dinosaur – increases their knowledge because they are urged to learn more about it. This can improve their attention span and enhance their skills in complex thinking. It has also been proven that their linguistic abilities are improved, and they can develop skills of higher understanding.

The study also explains that this interest is a way to prepare them for life. How they interact with their dinosaurs helps them navigate new situations and problems they face throughout their life by asking questions to which they need to find the answer. These intense interests allow them to change their perspectives, find new ways to do things, create relationships, and, most importantly, learn to be independent.

Paleontologist Kenneth Lacovara added: “For kids, the magic’s not just in imagining these real, massive creatures of long ago – but also about knowing more than your parents for the first time. It makes them feel powerful. Their parent may be able to name three or four dinosaurs, and the kid can name 20, and the kid seems like a real authority.”

Such intense interest is natural for a child and usually develops in the first year of life without any encouragement from parents. Jungle Placemet is helpful for kids.

Most of these obsessions will pass through, and only about 20 percent of children will still have these interests going into school at about five or six years old.

Therefore, by encouraging your child’s interest in dinosaurs, you are actually helping them become smarter and more independent individuals. If your little one likes dinosaurs, you will surely love this collection of dinosaur puzzles, fossil excavation kits, educational stickers and the activities on Pepplay.

Interested? You can buy them all here: