Literally.
"In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). Before we can teach our children about these fascinating beasts, we need to have a firm grasp on what we believe. So many Christians today have been deceived by the Evolutionary theories that are being taught as fact and they have forgotten the foundation of our faith... CREATION. Do you believe the Bible is the Word of God? Do you believe it is infallible and inerrant? If you can't trust the first few pages of our sacred Scriptures, can you really trust any of it? God has given us a complete guide to the questions of life. All we have to do is study it, understand it, and TRUST it. So for those of you that think Creation is just a nice story to teach the kids in Jr Church, think again! Creation is a vital part of the Gospel. If we don't believe the Creation account, how can we believe the crucifixion? The Words in Genesis about our Creator are just as true and holy as the Words in Matthew about our Savior. "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17). So with that, let's take a quick refresher course on Creation:
Day 1- God said let there be light (This is not the sun; many scholars believe this refers to the light of His glory)
Day 2- God separated the waters from the heavens (basically he made the atmosphere and the sky)
Day 3- God separated the water and created land, then filled the land with plants and vegetation
Day 4- God created the sun, moon, stars, and space
Day 5- God created the winged things and sea creatures
Day 6- God created land animals and humans
Day 7- God rested
Ok so what does this all have to do with dinosaurs??
Well, among other falsities, Evolutionists teach us that dinosaurs lived millions and millions of years ago and that they never coexisted with humans. They teach us that dinos all evolved over millions of years from one "prehistoric" (FYI there's not such thing as prehistoric. You can't have pre-history!) dinosaur called the Plateosaurus that supposedly lived 230 million years ago. They theorize that from this one dinosaur, it evolved and changed over time and became the over 500 DIFFERENT species of dinosaurs we know of today. That this one dinosaur evolved itself into carnivores, omnivores, herbivores, grew to 100ft long and shrunk to 50cm tall and every size in between, became both male and female, had large brains and highly intelligent, as well as tiny brains and dumb as rocks, and the list goes on. It's really quite ridiculous if you really sit and think about it.
The point I'm trying to make is this: doesn't it make much more sense that DINOSAURS WERE CREATED? That a great and powerful God thoughtfully created each species of dinosaur, giving each species specific traits and characteristics to help that dinosaur survive. That He did EXACTLY WHAT HE SAID... He created the sea creatures and winged things (including dinosaurs that lived in the water like Plesiosaurus and Nothosaurus, and dinosaurs that flew like the Pteranodon and Quetzalcoatlus) on the 5th day and He created the land animals (including all dinosaurs that lived on land like Tyrannosaurus Rex and Stegosaurus) on the 6th day... the same day He created man and woman. Each species of dinosaur, from egg to death, shout to the Creator and give us amazing opportunity to teach our children about our Awesome God!
So now that we've covered the basics, let's talk about HOW to teach about dinosaurs to your kids. First off, we love movies. We watch a lot of movies. And let's be honest, it's difficult to find any good documentaries or movies about dinosaurs (that have good graphics) that teach a Creationists view of dinos. Disappointing. However, there are many secular documentaries that are very exciting and informative about the mechanics of a dinosaur that you can watch with your child and discuss the differences between what the Evolutionist said (ie. this dinosaur lived 65 million years ago) and what the Bible teaches. My husband and I are big proponents for using movies as a teaching method. Kids in our culture today see movies the way people in Jesus' day heard parables. They are a great resource and we shouldn't be afraid to use them. If there's something that is not biblically sound, discuss it! You'll be surprised how much more your child will understand with a visual representation like a movie. The kids and I recently started watching Clash of the Dinosaurs by Discovery Channel (you can find this series on Netflix as well). Wow, really cool graphics and explanations of how dinosaurs worked from the inside out. Even taking a look inside the reptiles' eggs and how a baby dinosaur would have developed. Of course, it is Evolution based so the scientists say a lot of things that are not true. But my children have been studying Creation for a long time and will even call out "that's not true!" when they hear something that isn't based on Scripture. We talk about everything and it's an excellent teaching tool. (NOTE: this video is PG because it does show dinosaurs laying eggs, and it does show some blood when dinosaurs fight.)
You can also check out The Bible Explains Dinosaurs by Ken Ham, a world-renowned Creation Scientist. Ken Ham "explains the real history of dinosaurs, which is found in the Bible, not in evolutionary Theories. In The Bible Explains Dinosaurs you'll find answers to questions like: When did dinosaurs first appear on Earth and why did they vanish? Are dinosaurs in the Bible? Did they live with man? What are the "dragons" mentioned in the Bible? Can we actually use dinosaurs to present the gospel? This DVD also features music by Buddy Davis. Approx. 50 minutes."
Another great resource is Dinosaurs and the Bible by Ken Hovind. This is part three of a seven part seminar series on Creation. In this seminar, Dr. Hovind "traces the Biblical and historical references to dinosaurs and interviews people who claim they have seen living dinosaurs. Approx. 145 minutes." I have personally seen all of this series and it has some excellent information about Creation science that will be very useful to your teachings over the years. Dr. Hovind's seminars are more advanced, may not be best for little ones with short attention spans. But definitely worth YOU watching to get a good foundation and also great for middle school and highschoolers.
More video resources:
Answers in Genesis
I Dig Dinosaurs
Dinosaurs: Genesis & the Gospel(this one has some neat sing-a-longs and quizzes the kids really liked)
Here is a great FREE DINOSAUR LAPBOOK unit study with printables that we are going to start next week! There is 13 report forms for 13 different (popular) dinosaurs in which the kids study the dinosaurs' anatomy, dietary habits, and other interesting facts. There's also some great coloring pages, handwriting practice, graphing, and more. They've also included a list of books (some I've listed here) that can supplement your study.
Books:
The Answers for Kids
What Really Happened to the Dinosaurs (We have the children's version (here) which is still pretty wordy for kids that aren't reading chapters yet. If your kiddo is still pretty young, I recommend reading it ahead of time so you can give a basic explanation on each page instead of trying to make a squirmy preschooler sit for that long.)
Dinosaurs for Kids
The Great Dinosaur Mystery
25 Questions from Kids on Dinosaurs and the Flood of Noah
D is for Dinosaur: Noah's Ark and the Genesis Flood
The Great Dinosaur Mystery Solved Workbook & Study Guide
Neat Places to Visit on Field Trips:
(NOTE: Some of these places are secular and based on Evolutionary theory. Be sure to discuss the differences between Creation and Evolution as you go.)
Dinosaur World in Plant City, FL
The Shell Factory & Nature Park in N. Ft. Myers, FL
Dinosaur Adventure Land in Pensacola, FL
Creation Store in Pensacola, FL
MOSI in Tampa, FL
The Imaginarium in N. Ft. Myers, FL
Discovery Museum in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainsville, FL
South Florida Science Museum in West Palm Beach
Also, here are some fun Dinosaur Craft Ideas and Activities!! Don't forget you can find all kinds of fun ideas on Pinterest as well.
In the end, have fun with it. Dinosaurs are such an amazing study and they are fun for kids of all ages (even grown-ups!). My kids have a love for dinosaurs and God's wonderful creation! I hope yours do too :) If you have any dinosaur related studies or ideas, feel free to comment and let me know. I'd love to hear how you teach your kids about some of God's coolest creatures!
Bye for now,
Kristina
"The point I'm trying to make is this: doesn't it make much more sense that DINOSAURS WERE CREATED?"
ReplyDeleteNo it does not. To make the claim that some magical being poofed everything into being makes no sense at all, and in reality represents a childish thought process.
I suggest that you check the actual credentials of inmate Hovind before you use him as a reference.
Because everything just magically being poofed into existence by.... itself... makes much more sense? Even my 4yr old thinks it is ridiculous to think nothing decided one day to be something and so something came from nothing. And he is four. But regardless, your accusation that God being the Creator is a "childish thought process" has no validity and in fact some of the greatest minds in history were men who held true to a Divine Creator. So your opinion, Brian with no picture or details about yourself, I am not really concerned with your opinion on the matter. This is a blog for Christian mothers who homeschool. And judging by your name and comment, I'd say you're none of those.
DeleteAnd FYI I am fully aware that Dr. Hovind was arrested for not paying taxes. Bad choice. It does not, however, discredit his teachings or theories on Creation.
Thanks for your opinion.
Could you let me know what book that last picture is from with Adam and Eve in the garden with the dinosaurs? Thank you! Very helpful post!
ReplyDelete