Dinosaur World Live is an interactive stage show which is brilliant for kids who are into dinosaurs. We went along to a performance at the Alban Arena, which was one of the first stops in the tour.
The show is led by one main actress, who explains that she grew up on a land inhabited by dinosaurs as her parents were dinosaur researchers, and she’s brought some of them back here with her. She then introduces to audience to lots of different types of dinosaurs, from big to small, herbivores and carnivores!
With each dinosaur introduced, one child from the audience would be picked to come up and help out by feeding, grooming or doing other dinosaur care tasks. There are quite a few dinosaurs so quite a lot of opportunities for children to be involved although of course not everyone can be picked.
The dinosaurs ranged from well known and recognisable ones like Triceratops and of course the mighty T-Rex, to lesser known ones like the Giraffititan and Segnosaurus so even if you have a little dinosaur expert on your hands they may well still learn something new. Plenty of facts about the dinosaurs were given, but weaved into the story in a casual way so that it didn’t feel like a lesson but just a very informative and interactive show.
The dinosaur puppets used are very large, and very detailed, so are pretty impressive. You can see the people moving them at the bottom, but it doesn’t really detract from the show. My kids at 6, 8 and 9 were well aware that they were not real dinosaurs, but some younger audience members may believe they are actually real ones!
When the large T-Rex is brought out, that one is shrouded in smoke so does give a more realistic effect and is pretty cool. There is plenty of build up to the large T-Rex and then lots of whole audience participation to get him under control, as he is “too dangerous” for one child to go up and pet him!
Another fun part of the show was the dinosaur egg at the corner of the stage. Throughout the show, it would start moving and looking like it was about to crack then each time the children would have to shout out to get the lady’s attention. At the end of the show it does hatch, and you get to see a really cute newborn baby dinosaur be united with it’s mum which was a sweet ending to the show.
The show is recommended for age 3+, however I did see younger children there in Alban Arena despite not bringing my own toddler because of her being under the age limit, so this may not be strictly enforced? I would suggest checking with your local arena.
My boys are 6, 8 and 9 so among the older end of the age range at the show and they all enjoyed it so I would say it would suit up to 9/10 particularly if you do have younger ones in your party as well.
The aspect which let the show down a little on the day that we visited was the meet & greet experience at the end of the show. I can’t really say whether this was just due to teething problems with the show being new, and perhaps this will be improved on later performances but the organisation of the meet & greet was not done well. The children were asked to queue in one place, and then changed to a different place so that those who were at the front then suddenly lost their place and became right at the back and then the dinosaur just moved along the stage very quickly so children couldn’t really interact. Luckily, my boys did not really mind about that as they had enjoyed the show and they knew it wasn’t a real dinosaur (as they’re a bit older) but little ones may have been disappointed. I have heard from local parents that the organisation did improve the following day, so hopefully this will run more smoothly going forward in the other arenas.
Overall, we enjoyed the show. It was a fun day out and something a bit different. I also felt that we learned somethings as well as being entertained, and it was a great option for a rainy day!
Watch this Video to see parts of the show in action and get more of a taste for what it’s like.
Visit the Dinosaur World Live website for more info and to book tickets
Anna Marikar, mum of four and seasoned blogger, has spent over a decade sharing her parenting journey and passion for kid-friendly crafts and free printables.
Her easy-to-follow craft ideas and practical parenting advice have transformed In The Playroom into a cherished resource for parents.