We had a colossal adventure this weekend! We were offered tickets to visit the Discover the Dinosaurs event at the Meadowview Convention Center. Not knowing what to expect, I went to the website to get an idea of the activities. The site mentioned moving dinosaurs, rides, and more. Sold!! My son, a budding paleontologist, couldn’t wait to get there.  My daughter saw the commercial and couldn’t stop talking about the event.  I knew this would be a winner.

We walked through the doors about 20 minutes after the event opened on Saturday morning. There were several families waiting outside for the rest of their party to arrive. I liked that it was a family event for all ages. The admission section was very well organized, always a bonus when you have anxious kids waiting in line. There was a separate table for those who had purchased tickets online. It took those smarties literally seconds to walk in, hand over their printed tickets, and enter the facility. There was a line for those who were purchasing tickets on site and it even seemed to move pretty quickly.

Before we walked in we could hear the Dino roars. The entrance was complete with faux stones, the illusion of fire, and greenery. The lighting was low and dramatic. It looked as though we were strolling through a prehistoric forest. There were dividers set up to guide traffic through each attraction. This helped a lot to lessen the crowds in any particular area. Within a few feet we encountered our first animatronic dinosaur. My son cowered against me as the Dino lifted his head, opened and closed his jaws, and we heard roaring sounds. I pulled back one of the curtains to show my little guy that the sound was coming from the speakers. I’m not sure that he was convinced, but he let me lead him past the beast. As we continued on he relaxed. He started to identify the dinosaurs that he remembered from the many books we’ve read together. My daughter walked in front of us most of the time, scouting out the signs and coming back to tell us what was ahead. This event was really great for reaching the interests of a wide age range.

There were many photo opportunities throughout the attractions. We had to remember to look on the walls, too, because there was so much cool information. From timelines to trivia, there was something to take in at every turn. Many of the dinosaurs were interactive; buttons were there for children to push and control the movements.

My kids especially enjoyed watching a video that was set up with a large TV. On it, two dinosaurs were engaged in a life or death battle. At the end, when one of the dinosaurs opens his mouth for the death blow, he comes at the screen……and there is a little box that sprays “Dino spit” at the audience. My kids watched that at least three times, they thought it was hilarious!

Other activities were set up throughout the exhibit. There was an excavation site, scavenger hunt, and more.

My kids’ eyes widened as we walked out of the dimly kit exhibit and into a world of FUN. Dinosaur rides and bouncy houses were set up in one area; in another, there was a gem mining station and face painting. Those last two activities required an additional fee, but the dinosaur rides and bounce house section was included with our tickets. When you go, be sure to wear or take socks for your kiddos! These areas were VERY well supervised. I was so impressed by that. Bounce houses usually make me cringe in anticipation of imminent injury, but the staff was attentive and didn’t let these areas become overcrowded.  Another thing I liked was that the staff was in a dedicated area.  Employees weren’t roaming around chatting; they were in a specific spot and observing the children’s safety.  That means a lot to me!!!   There were chairs set up along the front perimeter of the attractions so that parents could take a breather while their kids jumped to their hearts’ content. This area was a grandparents’ dream! I saw many a grandfather looking like he was about to doze off in this section. We must have missed a couple of the activities because I never noticed the mini golf area or Dino theater, but we definitely had enough to do.

As we prepared to leave, my kids noticed the scavenger hunt sheet collection table. Unfortunately I didn’t take a pen with me, so our sheets weren’t completed. No worries! The staff member let us spin the wheel anyway, and both of my kids ended up with a small souvenir to take home. As we left, the kids enjoyed a cold drink of water and immediately asked if we could return the next time the dinosaurs came.  Of course we can!

Is Discover the Dinosaurs is coming to your area? Check it out!  Be sure to follow them on Twitter and Facebook for announcements.

I received tickets for review purposes.  The opinions shared here are 100% mine.