From Barney, the cheerful purple dinosaur adored by little ones, to the terrifying ground shakers of Jurassic Park, many of us are fascinated by dinosaurs. The jagged-toothed Tyrannosaurus rex, long-necked Diplodocus and swooping Pterodactyl reigned the earth for over 100 million years, yet no one knows exactly why they became extinct. However, a new exhibition is about to open which will help you to delve deeper into the dinosaur world and investigate just exactly what they ate to survive for such a long time.

Dino Jaws begins this month at the Natural History Museum in London, just in time for the school holidays. Designed for families with children age four and over, the exhibition will investigate the intriguing but sometimes unsavoury topic of dinosaurs and their food. Your six-year-old probably knows that T-rex was a carnivore, but do they know what Baryonyx, a dinosaur with 96 small sharp teeth, had for dinner?

Dinosaur diets varied widely, as did their methods of gathering or catching their food. At the exhibition you will be able to examine dinosaur jaws, claws, guts and even droppings, using the same techniques as real scientists. Fossil evidence and child-friendly interactive exhibits will be complemented by nine of the most realistic animatronic dinosaurs you will have ever seen. Prepare to be astounded, as you and your children become dino-detectives. But look out – these hungry dinosaurs use their ‘senses’ to spot their prey – which may include unsuspecting visitors.

Dino-crazy kids? Check out the Natural History Museum website to play Dinosaur Defender and save the Euoplocephalus babies from the scary Dromaeosaurus raptors!

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