In full disclosure, we were provided this toy in exchange for our honest review.
Kids love putting things together, taking them apart and then putting them back together again. It’s how kids learn, by engaging all their senses in an interactive learning experience. That is exactly what The Amazing Squishy T. Rex from SmartLab offers. Not only do kids get to create and play with their own T. Rex, they are also learning all about it’s body through hands-on play!
The Amazing Squishy T. Rex is the perfect learning toy for any child that loves dinosaurs. It’s also the perfect toy for kids who love learning about the body and have a desire to be a doctor, veterinarian or paleontologist when they grow up. With Squishy T. Rex, kids learn all about the skeleton, muscles and organs of this amazing prehistoric creature. The varied textures of the pieces add another level of sensory learning that helps children grasp the concept of the body.
When my son first saw the box for The Squishy T. Rex, he was so excited that he started jumping up and down. He loves dinosaurs so this was the perfect gift for him. We immediately opened the box and began reviewing its contents. This set came with body shell pieces to house the pieces of skeleton, muscles and squishy organs. The squishy pieces included:
- Tongue
- Intestines
- Stomach
- Lungs
- Heart
My son and I worked together to put each piece of T. Rex together. The directions sheet was very helpful and easy to understand. As we worked, we labeled each piece of the dinosaur and compared it to our own bodies. My son loved the squishy texture of the organs which made him even more curious about what each part was and its function. He was learning so much by putting together this toy.
My son had so much fun putting together T. Rex’s body!
The Amazing Squishy T. Rex offers so many educational and developmental benefits for kids. I love when a toy offers opportunities for learning through play, and that is exactly what this product offers. My son and I engaged in an interactive and fun learning experience.
4 Benefits of Playing with Squishy T. Rex
Increases Vocabulary
As we played with T. Rex, I named each body part for my son. He repeated what I said which helped his articulation as well as improved retention of the information. I also later asked him to tell me the names of the parts again to ensure his understanding and grasping of the concepts. My son was having so much fun playing, that he did not even realize how much his vocabulary was improving and expanding. To develop his language skills even more, we discussed what each body part was used for and how it was the same or different from our bodies.
Enhances Body Awareness
Although the T. Rex is different from our own bodies, the concepts are very similar. While playing, my son learned about bones, muscles and organs. He learned that bones and muscles are needed to move and our intestines are needed to digest food. He also learned about the brain especially that T. Rex had a very small brain compared to his body. This lead into a conversation about the size of the human brain compared to our body size.
Improves Fine Motor Skills
Putting T. Rex together took a great deal of fine motor manipulation and control. The tiny pieces had to click into very specific places which at times can be difficult for little hands. This also involved hand-eye coordination and visual scanning as well as motor planning. These are all tasks needed to be successful with reading and writing in school.
Introduction to Science
The Squishy T. Rex is a wonderful way to introduce kids to paleontology, anatomy and physiology. By reading the included book kids will learn all about T. Rex from what he ate to how he hunted to what dinosaurs he was related to. While playing with Squishy T. Rex kids are also learning basic principles of what a body is made up of and how each part works.
My son loved learning more details about T. Rex by reading the included book!
As you can see, The Amazing Squishy T. Rex is a fun AND educational toy that your kids can enjoy for hours. The included book also offers an exciting look into the world of dinosaurs which makes learning fun and easy. You can purchase your own SmartLab The Amazing Squishy T. Rex for under $30 on amazon.com (affiliate link).