The Paleo Preschool Experience

If you're like me, you've spent many a night tossing and turning, worried sick about the day Buddy realizes he's a T-Rex and eats his adoptive brothers Tiny, Shiny and Don.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, you should consider yourself lucky that you don't have the theme song from Dinosaur Train burned into your brain first thing in the morning, rearing its ugly head throughout the day every time you have a moment of peace. 

I'm told a lot of kids go through dinosaur phases, and my girls are in the thick of it.

Take a look at our bathtub in the top picture (do your best to ignore the phantom poop stains – I don't really “clean”) and you'll see what I mean.

My children rank dinosaurs right up there with food, oxygen and carousels, and I rank time they are happily engaged and I can zone out with, well – that just about outranks everything.

So obviously we all jumped at the chance to visit the Paleo Preschool at the Saint Louis Science Center, a new early childhood program launched this year.

Kids have the opportunity to learn some interesting dinosaur facts, such as: Did you know that dinosaurs loved The Real Housewives? Actually that's not true. Did you miss the part about how I told you I got to zone out for an hour while they were happily engaged? I really don't remember anything except feeling relaxed.    

The class also made a replica of a fossil, created a fun dinosaur habitat, played lots of dinosaur games and read a dinosaur book.  

After “classroom” time, the group dug for bones and worked together and assemble a dinosaur skeleton. Or, if your daughter is an introvert like mine, happily read (mostly look at pictures in) a dinosaur book in the corner by herself while shuddering at the thought of actually touching another human being.   

Notice the swiped femur on the bench beside her. Well played, Ellie. Well played.  

Now, if someone could just help me get word to the velociraptors on Dinosaur Train I can finally rest easy.  

Paleo Preschool is offered at the Saint Louis Science Center the last Monday of the month from 10 – 11 a.m., and designed for kids ages 3-5. Upcoming dates are June 24, July 29, August 26 and Sept. 30.

It takes place at the Dana Brown Fossil Prep Lab (next to the big dinosaurs, which can be a little scary for some little ones). The cost to members is $3 per person; non-members are $5. Call 314-289-4424 for reservations – space is limited and our class was full so make sure to get there early.

Photos by Hannah Mayer