Father’s Day Dino Breakfast Menu ideas and “The Dinosaur Train All Aboard Game” Review

How about celebrating this Father’s Day Dino-Style?

June 19 is Father’s Day, and the clan from Dinosaur Train would love to help you celebrate!

Why not kick off Father’s Day starting with a special Dino Breakfast, made especially for Dad! Then, Buddy recommends that everyone have some Dino Fun and play The Dinosaur Train All Aboard Game. And we have 50 games to offer for review OR giveaway for the first 50 responders!

So to start the day, here are some healthy, easy-to-make menu ideas to prepare with your child! Explain that he/she is going to help to prepare a special breakfast for Dad that could be served Aboooooooooard – the Dinosaur Train!

·       T.rex Footprint Pancakes – with adult help, children shape the batter into the large three-toed feet of a Tyrannosaurus.

·       Paleontologist Pancakes – make small pancakes, then stack them up 5 or 6 high (maybe putting apple sauce or sour cream between them), and hiding “fossils” between the layers – the fossils being pieces of strawberry, banana slices, chocolate chips, and so on.

·       Stegosaurus Smoothie – a colorful, healthy fruit smoothie made with a blend of yogurt, a frozen banana, and any other fruit you wish. Serve it on a dish with a rim. In the middle of the dish, place a line of triangular fruit pieces – such as pineapple, apples, or cantaloupe. These little fruity triangles will look like the plates on a stegosaurus’ back.

·       Triceratops Eggs – scrambled eggs that have “horns” sticking out of them – made of breadsticks.

Your child can write and design the menu to announce all the tasty food they will be serving (You can help your younger ones to do the writing, of course!) And before preparing any food, have a discussion about safety in the kitchen. What are some jobs that are good for kids to do? What jobs should be handled by an adult?

You can also show your child a clip from Gilbert the Junior Conductor in which the Pteranadon Family enjoys eating breakfast on the Dinosaur Train at the following link: http://www.pbs.org/parents/dinosaurtrain/activities/artscraftscooking/dinobreakfast.html

Then, everyone can gather round to play The Dinosaur Train All Aboard Game! In this game, players will choose a character – Buddy, Tiny, Shiny, Don, Cory, Tank or Mr. Conductor – and try to move the fastest along the tracks.  Speed through the three dinosaur eras: Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous along the beautiful scenery.  Special Stopwatch spaces will help you get closer to the nest, while Dinosaur Crossing spaces will send you back.  The first player to reach the nest area in the center of the board wins. (For 2 to 6 players ages 4+; SRP $12.00).

We received a copy of the "Dinosaur Train All Aboard Game" to review and it was a huge hit in our house. My kids loved being able to take part in the ride around their favorite prehistoric world with all their favorite characters.  The game is easy for preschool kids to follow, but lots of fun for the older kids too. Its a great way to sit down with your family on Father's Day or any Family Game night and just enjoy some time together.

To finish off your fun Father’s Day, you might want to go on a nature hike. You’ll need a high-energy snack for the road! Explain that paleontologists sometimes have to explore remote areas, so ask kids to create a mix of healthy nuts, dried fruit, and maybe dried cereal to make Dad’s Favorite Trail Mix!

IMPORTANT: Before serving any of these dishes, make sure that no one is allergic to any of the ingredients, or should not eat particular foods because of a family dietary practice, such as vegetarianism.