15 best dinosaur toys 2024 to satisfy your child's dino obsession

(Image credit: Future)

last updated 9 February 2024

Prehistoric playtime is always going to be a firm favourite of children both big and small, but what are the best toy dinosaurs out there?

The long-lasting appeal of the extinct scaly reptiles is still going strong - unsurprisingly, there is a dino-themed toy on the list of this year's top toys - and most little dino fans (and their parents) already know their triceratops from their stegosaurus. And that'll be good news for many, as it's been shown that those with 'intense interest' in dinosaurs have higher intelligence.

Whether you have a little dinosaur enthusiast in your life, or are looking to introduce your little one to the prehistoric world, these are the best dinosaur toys around right now. We made our choices by consulting some very serious dinosaur enthusiasts (our kids, nephews, and Godchildren), taking into account parent reviews, and making sure we had a balance of fun, educational and imaginative options on the list.

The best toy dinosaurs you can buy right now

Why you can trust GoodtoKnow. Our experienced Consumer Editor & parent reviewers spend hours testing products to help you make the best choice. Find out how we test and review products.

1. Dinosaurs Wooden Chunky Puzzles

Age suitability: 12m+

This set of four chunky wooden puzzles are a great introduction to the world of dinosaurs for little ones. Bright and colourful, they'll help to teach your child patience, logic, distinction and grow their fine motor skills. Each piece has smooth edges and is coated in non-toxic paint.

2. Chad Valley Talk and Touch T-Rex Dinosaur

Age suitability: 3+

With different buttons for eating, stomping, and roaring sounds, and a talkback feature where you can record your own voice, this toy is not just fun, but also encourages auditory skills. It also has light-up eyes and movable arms, which help to develop hand-eye coordination.

3. LEGO Jurassic World T-rex Dinosaur Breakout Set

Age Suitability: 4+

This Jurassic World themed set is perfect for little dino fans (even if they're not quite old enough for the movie). With 140 pieces and three minifigures, this LEGO set not only encourages problem solving and imaginative play, but can also help to boost fine motor skills.

4. ZURU SMASHERS Mini Light-Up Dino T-Rex

Age Suitability: 5+

If you're little one has energy to burn, they'll love having to smash open this dinosaur egg, and squelch through the slime to find the dino inside, which also lights up and roars. There's three to collect, including a T-rex, Spinosaurus and Stegosaurus.

5. Guess Who? Dinosaur Edition Board Game

Age suitability: 3+

Does it have a crest? Does it have feathers? Does it have a beak? The classic guessing board game has been reimagined for the Natural History Museum, helping kids to identify dinosaurs. A brilliant gift idea for a little dinosaur enthusiast.

6. Walk With Me Dinosaur

Age suitability: 18m+

What could be cuter than a pet dinosaur? Suitable for toddlers, it wags its tail, shakes its head, lights up and plays a tune. The remote control is easy to use and has big buttons - perfect for little hands. There's also a choice of volume levels for grown-ups, as well as optional silent mode.

7. Melissa & Doug Play, Draw, Create - Dinosaurs

Age suitability: 3+

This Melissa & Doug dinosaur-themed reusable drawing and magnet activity kit will provide hours of fun for any dino fan. With 41 magnets and five dry-erase markers, the set contains a built-in magnetic board and a 13-page activity book.

8. TEMI Dinosaur Truck Toy

Age Suitability: 3+

There's a reason this T-rex truck toy is an Amazon bestseller. Not only is it a truck with a T-rex head, it also comes with eight dinosaur figures of different sizes and a large playmat to help kids imagine their own dinosaur world.

9. Paleontologist Set

Age suitability: 3+

This Paleontologist Play Set is sure to be a big hit with little explorers. The sturdy wooden kit comes with everything an aspiring paleontologist needs, from a pickaxe to a kaleidoscope magnifying glass to examine their finds.

10. Build It Dinosaur Set

Age suitability: 3+

Using the chunky screwdriver, it's easy for kiddies to assemble the dinosaur body parts to create a tyrannosaurus rex, triceratops, and stegosaurus. This helps to develop fine motor skills, hand-to-eye coordination and encourages imaginative play.

11. HahaGift Dinosaur Figures

Age Suitability: 3+

It's all well and good having loads of dinosaur toys, but you'll need somewhere to store them. This set includes 16 dinosaur figures, two pull-back cars, and a playmat - all of which fit into the durable storage case. A great first dino gift idea.

12. Dinosaur Dominoes

Age Suitability: 3-5 years

A dinosaur themed take on the classic dominoes game, this mini game is perfect for days out or holidays as its travel size means it will easily fit into a handbag or backpack. It'll help to improve your child's matching and observational skills and teach them about taking turns and fair play.

13. Personalised Make Your Own Dinosaur Garden

Age suitability: 3+

This kit is a perfect choice for children who enjoy being creative and watching things grow. The dinosaur garden comes with wooden dinosaur shapes, plus eggs, a tree, and a signpost. They can each be decorated with jumbo watercolour pencils and a paintbrush.

14. Dinosaur Lotto Match and Memory Game

Age suitability: 3-7 years

Helping your child to experience competitive play, this dinosaur lotto game will boost their matching and memory skills, while also teaching them how to take turns and how to be a gracious winner (or good loser).

15. Children's Ride In Dinosaur Costume

Age suitability: 3-5 years or 6-8 years

What's better than playing with dinosaurs? Becoming a dinosaur of course! Dino-mad kids will adore being able to play dinosaur in this ride-in costume. It's machine washable on a cool gentle cycle, but don't pop it in the tumble dryer or iron it.

We also spoke to Peter Jenkinson, from Toyology, which provides news and reviews on the latest toys available, about what makes toy dinosaurs so popular, "Second only to vehicles, dinosaurs are the favourite toys by a country mile and they're most certainly more gender-neutral than ever. The combination of children reading dinosaur books and kid-friendly films and TV shows leads them to this intense interest - which they then discover that many other kids share."

And if you want Peter's advice about the best toy dinosaurs to go for, he says: "The best toy dinosaur should really be BIG and if you can find one that roars, all the better!"

Why do kids love dinosaurs so much?

Finding the answer to why kids love dinosaurs so much is not easy as there are so many variables, and ultimately, it depends on who you ask. Speak to a palaeontologist, and they'll argue that it's as simple as dinosaurs being awesome, fantastical creatures. Speaking to the Financial Times on the topic, Steve Brusatte, a professor at the University of Edinburgh said: "These were fantastic creatures, many of immense size, with horns and spikes and dagger teeth. I think they are more fantastic than any dragons or unicorns or sea monsters invented by humans in myths and legends, but dinosaurs were real! You can see their fossils at museums."

Beyond that, there's also the fact that kids can see dinosaurs everywhere; in the toy shop, on TV, on clothes, in books, even in food form. Seeing this at a time in their development when imaginative play is so important, it's no wonder many kids become obsessed with these seemingly other-worldly creatures.

One thing that is generally agreed upon though is the benefit an 'intense interest' can have on development. In a report called The development of conceptual interests in young children, researchers found that these interests lead to a number of benefits including 'increased knowledge and persistence', 'heightened attention', and 'deeper levels of processing'.

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Sarah is GoodtoKnow’s Money Editor. After Sarah graduated from University of Wales, Aberystwyth, with a degree in English and Creative Writing, she entered the world of publishing in 2007, working as a writer and digital editor on a range of titles including Real Homes, Homebuilding & Renovating, The Money Edit and more. When not writing or editing, Sarah can be found hanging out with her rockstar dog, getting opinionated about a movie or learning British Sign Language.