Iraya Gifts for a dinosaur-mad child: a guide by age, from 2 to 8
A love of dinosaurs follows a curve: it starts with a roar at 2, peaks between 3 and 4 with the impossible names, and by around 7 it either turns scientific or fades away. This guide goes age by age, using our own figures: what they love at each stage and which gift feeds it.
Free preview in about 2 minutes · €39.99 hardback
The obsession, age by age: what we see at Iraya
The last column shows how many Dinosaur Valley covers families created for each age up to October 2026 (covers, not sales: people make theirs for free to see how it looks).
| Age | What they love about dinosaurs | Gifts that fit | Covers at Iraya |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 and 2 | That they roar and they're huge. Every one of them is just “a dinosaur” | Soft figures, a lift-the-flap book, pyjamas with a tail | 25 and 31 |
| 3 and 4 | The names: telling a T-Rex from a triceratops and a stegosaurus is a point of pride | Realistic figures, a costume, a species jigsaw, a book with their face | 47 and 31 |
| 5 and 6 | The facts: what they ate, how big they were, who would win | A dig kit, an illustrated book with real facts, a museum trip | 17 and 12 |
| 7 and 8 | Palaeontology: fossils, eras, why they died out | Non-fiction books, a skeleton model, documentaries, a day out to see footprints | 7 and 4 |
Which dinosaur they love at each age
Ask them which one is their favourite and why: the answer picks the present. The youngest love the T-Rex and “the long-neck one”, no more detail needed, and a big cuddly toy hits the spot. Around 4 the triceratops, the stegosaurus and the velociraptor turn up, and they start correcting you if you mix them up: now the figure has to be accurate and the box has to carry the name. From 6 come the strange names and the nitpicking (“a pterodactyl isn't a dinosaur”): at that point any book packed with facts is a winner, and it will be opened a hundred times. And don't be afraid of sticking to the theme: the obsession lasts a year or two, and the gift that feeds it gets used every day.
Where to see dinosaurs in Spain
For a fan aged 5 or over, a day out is worth more than a figure. In Teruel there is Dinópolis, a park devoted entirely to dinosaurs with a palaeontology museum; in Madrid, the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales has a dinosaur hall with skeletons; in Asturias, the MUJA (Jurassic Museum of Asturias, in Colunga) sits on a coastline with open-air dinosaur footprints; in La Rioja there are ichnite trails, fossilised footprints, around Enciso; and in Cuenca there is the Museo de Paleontología de Castilla-La Mancha. Opening times and prices change with the season, so check before you go. And at 5, a single real bone in your local science museum is every bit as impressive as a whole skeleton.
Dinosaur Valley: what happens inside the book
Your little one is the explorer. They set off from home with their gilet and magnifying glass, head into a prehistoric valley and meet Pipo, a baby T-Rex who has got lost and is looking for his mama; they lead him through a forest of ferns, ride on a stegosaurus's back and pass a volcano, repeating the refrain “Where can Mama be?” until Mama Rex appears, enormous and loving. Their name is in the text on 16 pages and their face, drawn from a photo, is on every one. It is for children aged 2 to 8, in five languages, hardback, and costs €39.99.
Two things we have learned from making it many times. Girls choose it too: 31 girls had set off as explorers by October 2026, and the text changes to match. And the photo: take the dinosaur costume off first. The crested hood hides their hair and the character ends up with a made-up hairstyle; go for a photo facing the camera, with their hair visible and good light. Before you pay you see the cover and, if you're not happy with it, you just change the photo. If capes are more their thing, have a look at the superhero gift guide; if they are 3 or 4, see also what to give a 3-year-old and a 4-year-old.
Our books
Dinosaur Valley
Super Hero Saves the City
The Sock Planet
The Mystery of the Torn MapFrequently asked questions
What age is Dinosaur Valley for?
For children aged 2 to 8. In our figures the peak is at 3, and from 6 many read it on their own: it's two rhyming lines per page.
Is it scary, with a T-Rex in it?
No. Pipo is a baby who cries because he can't find his mama, and Mama Rex is big but gentle. It's a story about helping and being reunited, not about running away.
Can I use a photo with the dinosaur costume on?
Better not: the hood hides the hair and the headwear means the photo won't pass our check. Face to the camera, nothing on the head and eyes clearly visible.
Is there a dinosaur book for two siblings?
No: the siblings' books are The Mystery of the Torn Map and The Magic Button, with no dinosaurs. If each child wants their own, the second book in the same order costs €29.99.