Blade-of-the-Moon's Art

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

This isn't a place for those that walk on land...

Terrors of the Deep!

We're still accepting any donations for this exhibit, we've done some testing and this exhibit will be ready to open if we can just get the funds for the electrical wiring, around 900.00 , if 90 patrons could donate 10.00 each we'd could open it up next week! Remember we do accept online donations to our paypal account here : backyardterrors@gmail.com We can't do it without your support!

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Need ideas on fun, cheap, interesting ways to teach/show the relationship of birds/dinosaurs. Something quick and easy for younger kids. Any thoughts welcome!

[stargatedalek]

Need ideas on fun, cheap, interesting ways to teach/show the relationship of birds/dinosaurs. Something quick and easy for younger kids. Any thoughts welcome!

The only thing that comes to mind immediately would be some sort of poster or chart, with lots of diagrams for the kids.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Need ideas on fun, cheap, interesting ways to teach/show the relationship of birds/dinosaurs. Something quick and easy for younger kids. Any thoughts welcome!

The only thing that comes to mind immediately would be some sort of poster or chart, with lots of diagrams for the kids.

Yeah  I considered that..it has unfortunately the same problem as my display showing how we build dinosaurs. The parents might look but the kids will be running around everywhere..no idea what would how their attention.  Wish I could afford a set of those sculptures showing the compy-like dino turning into a bird.

[Takama]

Need ideas on fun, cheap, interesting ways to teach/show the relationship of birds/dinosaurs. Something quick and easy for younger kids. Any thoughts welcome!

The only thing that comes to mind immediately would be some sort of poster or chart, with lots of diagrams for the kids.

Yeah  I considered that..it has unfortunately the same problem as my display showing how we build dinosaurs. The parents might look but the kids will be running around everywhere..no idea what would how their attention.  Wish I could afford a set of those sculptures showing the compy-like dino turning into a bird.

I wish i could find That set.   Maybe make your own Set?

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Need ideas on fun, cheap, interesting ways to teach/show the relationship of birds/dinosaurs. Something quick and easy for younger kids. Any thoughts welcome!

The only thing that comes to mind immediately would be some sort of poster or chart, with lots of diagrams for the kids.

Yeah  I considered that..it has unfortunately the same problem as my display showing how we build dinosaurs. The parents might look but the kids will be running around everywhere..no idea what would how their attention.  Wish I could afford a set of those sculptures showing the compy-like dino turning into a bird.

I wish i could find That set.   Maybe make your own Set?

They are 1:1 version made by a company that does outdoor dinosaur shows. No idea who sculpted them ..but I'd say you should be able to buy a set for the right price.

I'm not great at smaller dinos..but even if I could try it I haven't the time right now. We are already working on 2016 pieces, our Earth Shaker event, Terrors of the Deep, Dino Park in the Dark ideas..just no end in sight..ugh.

I did get a neat idea on fb, using chicken bones and cast dinosaur bones kids can tr to I.D. if it's a dinosaur or a chicken, have some obvious ones that are chicken, some that are dinos but then have a couple where it's really hard to tell showing their similarities.  Chicken bones I can get. Dinosaur cast bones..not so much.  Anyone wanna sponsor us for the event?

[Mamasaurus]

I have an almost 3 year-old and a 1 year-old, so I can't say much for the older kids but...

The dinosaur bone vs. chicken bone is a good one.   You don't have to do anything as pricey as buying cast replicas, perhaps only one or two if you really must. You can make them out of something cheap and simple, since little ones won't really care about the difference between a cast replica and a plaster bone popped out of a cheap mold.  Just so long as the "Dino bone" can be compared with the chicken bone, that will be enough.

Depending on the age range you can also have something as simple as a small display of models and figures, preferably of feathered dinos.  If you have some figures of birds, particularly ostriches or similarly "prehistoric" looking birds, then that is an easy way to compare.  For really little ones, the simple statement that birds are dinosaurs is enough, especially if you have pictures of say, emus or ostriches alongside reconstructions of gallimimus and other similar dinosaurs.  My 3 year-old sees a picture of a feathered deinonychus and he calls it a bird, and that's the first step. 😊 if you have some way to set up a small video instead of just a picture,  I've seen a YouTube video with experiments attaching tails to chickens. The video showed a normal chicken walking, then another with a tail like a dromeaosaur's attached. Something like that would be helpful to see how dinosaurs may have moved, and how research on birds can help us learn more about dinosaurs. Precisely because of their similarities.

Hmm, you could also have a small activity center or tangible display with different types of feathers. Filamentous downy feathers, ostrich or emu feathers, coverts and primaries, you name it.  The more variety the better. Have large pictures illustrating where these different kinds of feathers are found in birds and in dinosaurs.  If you have toys or figures that will increase the "touch and feel" aspect of it even more. 

Eggs, feathers, footprints, bones, all are things that lend themselves well for cheap, tactile comparisons.  And if you can't have physical things due to expense or inability to access, then you could always have a compare/contrast coloring sheet or two. 😊 it doesn't take anything real fancy to teach kids a thing or two, and just having an activity with birds and dinosaurs side by side will go a long way. 😊

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

This event is aimed at I think 10 and under or around there?  I do have feathered dinosaur models. It would take a little looking a few bucks to find some nice Ostrich/Emus..I'm sure Safari/Schleich has some.

For chicken/dino I'd like to compare skulls ( obvious) arms ( harder) feet (almost the same).. kids can be perceptive..if they can tell the bones aren't real next to the chicken bones they will be able to guess it immediately.  Maybe I could use laminated images if I can get someone to put them together for me? I really have very little time. :/ Comparing eggs would be good..maybe 2 eggs that look identical but you turn them over and one has a bird the other has a dinosaur?   Our changing view of dinosaurs would be a good one, first lizard like, then 90's versions, then feathered. I might have enough figures to do that.

I've also got to set up a display for how we build dinosaurs..that's going to be fun too..lol

[Mamasaurus]

kids can be perceptive..if they can tell the bones aren't real next to the chicken bones they will be able to guess it immediately.  Maybe I could use laminated images if I can get someone to put them together for me? I really have very little time. :/ Comparing eggs would be good..maybe 2 eggs that look identical but you turn them over and one has a bird the other has a dinosaur?   Our changing view of dinosaurs would be a good one, first lizard like, then 90's versions, then feathered. I might have enough figures to do that.

I've also got to set up a display for how we build dinosaurs..that's going to be fun too..lol

Of course kids are quite a bit smarter than most people give them credit. My point was for representative purposes, a hand made version of a bone from cheap materials will be enough to get the point across. Of course they would know it's not a real dinosaur bone, but for purposes of comparison they can understand what it's meant to be. Laminated images of the bones would work well. 😊

It sounds like a lot of fun!  I wish we lived somewhere nearby so my little ones could go to the event. ☺️

[stargatedalek]

If you ever want any help with diagrams or art I'm always available

I like the idea of a flip-over cutaway-esq egg comparison.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

If you ever want any help with diagrams or art I'm always available

I like the idea of a flip-over cutaway-esq egg comparison.

I'd take/appreciate any help we can get! 

Not sure we could afford to pay you though..our coffers are pretty low , we're currently sitting on a king's ransom of 27.00 for the Park. I can credit you for the work. 

I really hope some school groups next month boost that. We're trying to raise 900.00 for electrical wire to get power to our new exhibit building for the Terrors of the Deep.  That could go right now if only we had power.."sigh". 

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Shop pic:

[stargatedalek]

I'd take/appreciate any help we can get! 

Not sure we could afford to pay you though..our coffers are pretty low , we're currently sitting on a king's ransom of 27.00 for the Park. I can credit you for the work. 

I really hope some school groups next month boost that. We're trying to raise 900.00 for electrical wire to get power to our new exhibit building for the Terrors of the Deep.  That could go right now if only we had power.."sigh".

I wouldn't accept payment anyway! Take it as a favor 

Looking nice, sorry if I already missed its name but from the beak I'm guessing Anzu?

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

I'd take/appreciate any help we can get! 

Not sure we could afford to pay you though..our coffers are pretty low , we're currently sitting on a king's ransom of 27.00 for the Park. I can credit you for the work. 

I really hope some school groups next month boost that. We're trying to raise 900.00 for electrical wire to get power to our new exhibit building for the Terrors of the Deep.  That could go right now if only we had power.."sigh".

I wouldn't accept payment anyway! Take it as a favor 

Looking nice, sorry if I already missed its name but from the beak I'm guessing Anzu?

Thank you! We would certainly appreciate it! Just let me know if you need anything!

It's supposed to be a pair of Oviraptors, I based them mostly on the Carnegie/Safari figure. I may have made the head a bit too wide..again.  I swear I keep it in my mind to go slimmer for theropod dinosaurs but they almost always end up a bit more beefy.   BTW Anzu will be next when I do another Oviraptor..I had to decide between a pair of these or one Anzu and I went with the pair.

[stargatedalek]

I wouldn't worry about the skull width or upper beak shape since their isn't a complete skull found.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ac/Oviraptor_philoceratops_skeleton.jpg

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

I wouldn't worry about the skull width or upper beak shape since their isn't a complete skull found.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ac/Oviraptor_philoceratops_skeleton.jpg

Thanks for that. Normally I'm afraid to do species that I don't have really good info/references on..but to get more interesting species I have to give it a go.

Nothronychus :

[triceratops83]

Love the pose and look of the Oviraptors. Are you gonna give that new bat dino Yi a go?

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Love the pose and look of the Oviraptors. Are you gonna give that new bat dino Yi a go?

Thanks..yeah it could be cool..a bit small though for me..I might be able to commission it from Brandon for next year..he's already pretty full with stuff from me right now though..

I am working on some ideas for our Dino Park in the Dark event right now , I'm considering adding a 10x40 temporary " Maintenance Area" near the Velociraptor Enclosure. This area will have bags of dino chow, equipment, hoses, pallets, ect..and a couple of dinosaurs recently freed from their pens. One shipped in especially from Isla Nublar as an..experiment. 

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Edmontosaurus getting more skin added!



Got a group of 61 first graders coming today at 12:30..wish us luck!

[DinoToyForum]

You never rest do you! It is always fascinating following this thread.

Will you create an 'Indominus rex' if visitors demand it? Or, do you think "They're dinosaurs, wow enough".