The Dinosaur Question Every Parent Faces
Your child comes home from school or a museum visit, eyes wide with excitement about dinosaurs—and confusion. "Mom, did dinosaurs live with people? When did they die? Were they on Noah's ark? Does the Bible talk about dinosaurs?" These aren't just curiosity questions. They're faith questions. In your child's mind, if the Bible doesn't address dinosaurs, maybe it's incomplete or wrong about creation.
Here's what you need to communicate clearly: Dinosaurs are real, fascinating, and completely compatible with biblical faith. The Bible and dinosaurs don't contradict. How exactly they fit together—that's where faithful Christians have different views. And that's okay. This topic offers a wonderful opportunity to teach your children that Christians can disagree on secondary issues while maintaining unity on essentials.
"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."
— Genesis 1:1 (ESV)
Foundational Truths All Christians Agree On
Before exploring different perspectives, establish these non-negotiables:
- •God created everything: All life, including dinosaurs, came from God's creative act
- •Dinosaurs were real: Fossils prove dinosaurs existed; they're part of God's creation
- •The Bible is trustworthy: Scripture speaks truth, even if interpretation details differ
- •Christians can disagree: Godly, Bible-believing Christians hold different views on creation timeline
- •The essential message: God created; we didn't evolve by accident without divine purpose
Age-Appropriate Approaches
Preschool Age (Ages 3-5)
#### Simple, Wonder-Filled Explanations
Keep it simple and focus on God's creativity:
"God made dinosaurs! Isn't that amazing? He made huge ones like Brachiosaurus and fast ones like Velociraptor. God made all the animals—dinosaurs, puppies, elephants, birds, and you! The Bible tells us God created everything. Dinosaurs lived a long time ago, but we can learn about them through their bones (fossils). God made such a creative, wonderful world!"
#### Addressing Basic Questions
"When did dinosaurs live?"
"A very, very long time ago. Before your grandma and grandpa, before their grandparents, before anyone's great-great-great-great grandparents! God made them long ago."
"Why don't we see dinosaurs now?"
"They're not living anymore. Just like some animals today are endangered, dinosaurs aren't on Earth anymore. But God made the world so interesting that we can still learn about them from their bones!"
"Were dinosaurs on Noah's ark?"
"That's a great question! Some people think yes, some think no. Either way, God was in control and took care of Noah and the animals."
#### Preschool Activities
- •Read dinosaur books while thanking God for His creativity
- •Visit dinosaur exhibits, marveling at God's designs
- •Play with dinosaur toys, talking about how God made all creatures
- •Draw pictures of dinosaurs with captions: "God made dinosaurs!"
"Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them."
— Psalm 111:2 (ESV)
Elementary Age (Ages 6-11)
#### Introducing Different Christian Views
Elementary children can understand that Christians disagree on details while agreeing on essentials:
"Christians who love God and believe the Bible have different ideas about when dinosaurs lived. All agree God created them. Here are the main views:"
Young Earth Creationism (YEC):
"Some Christians believe God created everything about 6,000-10,000 years ago in six 24-hour days. In this view, dinosaurs and humans lived at the same time. Dinosaurs were on Noah's ark (probably young, small ones). Most dinosaurs died in the global flood, which is why we find their fossils buried in rock layers."
Old Earth Creationism (OEC):
"Other Christians believe God created the earth billions of years ago, and the 'days' in Genesis might be long time periods. In this view, dinosaurs lived millions of years ago, before humans. They went extinct before God created Adam and Eve. Fossils show they lived long ago."
Gap Theory:
"Some Christians believe there's a gap between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2—maybe millions of years. During that time, dinosaurs could have lived and died. Then God re-created the earth in six days."
#### Behemoth and Leviathan: Possible Dinosaur References?
The Bible mentions mysterious creatures that some think might be dinosaurs:
Behemoth (Job 40:15-24):
God describes a creature with these features:
- •Eats grass like an ox
- •Enormous strength in its body
- •Tail "sways like a cedar" (huge!)
- •Bones like iron, limbs like bronze
- •Lives near water
- •Powerful and fierce
- •Covered with scales like armor
- •Breathes fire (or appears to—maybe a poetic description)
- •Cannot be tamed by humans
- •Research different dinosaur species and create "God's Amazing Dinosaurs" presentations
- •Compare young earth and old earth views using charts
- •Read Job 40-41 together, discussing behemoth and leviathan
- •Visit natural history museums, discussing what you see
- •Make fossil imprints with clay to understand fossilization
"Behold, Behemoth, which I made as I made you; he eats grass like an ox. Behold, his strength in his loins, and his power in the muscles of his belly. He makes his tail stiff like a cedar."
— Job 40:15-17 (ESV)
Preteen Age (Ages 11-13)
#### Deeper Exploration of Creation Perspectives
Young Earth Creationism in Detail
Key Arguments:
- •Biblical interpretation: Genesis 1 days are literal 24-hour periods (Exodus 20:11 supports this)
- •Genealogies: Biblical genealogies suggest earth is thousands, not billions, of years old
- •Flood geology: Global flood explains rapid fossil formation and geological features
- •Death before sin: Old earth requires animal death before Adam's sin, which contradicts Romans 5:12
- •Soft tissue: Dinosaur soft tissue findings suggest they're not millions of years old
- •Dinosaurs created on Day 6 with other land animals
- •Lived alongside humans initially
- •Some on Noah's ark (young ones)
- •Most died in the flood; survivors faced post-flood climate changes
- •Gradually went extinct over centuries after the flood
- •Dragon legends worldwide might preserve memories of dinosaurs
- •Hebrew "yom": The word "day" can mean indefinite time periods (Psalm 90:4, 2 Peter 3:8)
- •Scientific evidence: Starlight, radiometric dating, geology suggest ancient earth
- •Progressive creation: God created over long periods, matching general fossil record sequence
- •Appearance of age: God didn't create with false appearance of age; earth genuinely is old
- •Literary interpretation: Genesis 1 may be literary framework, not strict chronology
- •Dinosaurs lived millions of years ago, before humans
- •Part of God's earlier creative work
- •Went extinct before Adam and Eve
- •Fossils accurately represent their time period
- •Not on Noah's ark (already extinct)
- •No conflict between Genesis and paleontology when properly interpreted
- •Soft tissue in dinosaur bones (shouldn't survive millions of years)
- •Rapid fossilization examples (shows it can happen quickly)
- •Carbon-14 in dinosaur bones (shouldn't exist if millions of years old)
- •Polystrate fossils (trees through multiple rock layers)
- •Missing erosion between rock layers (suggests rapid deposition)
- •Starlight from distant galaxies (billions of light-years away)
- •Radiometric dating consistency across methods
- •Ice core layers (hundreds of thousands of annual layers)
- •Geological column consistency worldwide
- •Continental drift rates (slow, measurable processes)
- •Hermeneutics: Different principles for interpreting Genesis (literal vs. literary)
- •Science interpretation: Different assumptions about past conditions and rates
- •Authority balance: How to balance Scripture and scientific observation
- •Theological implications: What creation timing means for other doctrines
- •Chinese dragons with long necks and tails
- •European dragons with reptilian features
- •Native American thunderbird legends
- •Ancient Mesopotamian dragon imagery
- •Read arguments from both young earth and old earth sources
- •Visit creation museums presenting different views
- •Create presentations comparing perspectives
- •Research specific dinosaurs and what they reveal about God's creativity
- •Interview Christians from both camps, learning their reasoning
- •Study ancient dragon artwork from various cultures
"For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him."
— Colossians 1:16 (ESV)
Addressing Common Questions
"Did humans and dinosaurs live together?"
Young Earth Answer: "Yes, they lived at the same time. Dinosaurs were created on Day 6 with other land animals and humans. They coexisted until dinosaurs went extinct after the flood."
Old Earth Answer: "No, dinosaurs lived and went extinct millions of years before God created humans. The fossil record shows they didn't overlap."
What to tell your child: "Christians disagree on this. Both views agree God created dinosaurs and humans—they just disagree on timing. What matters most is that God created everything with purpose."
"How did dinosaurs fit on Noah's ark?"
Young Earth Answer: "Noah likely took young dinosaurs—not fully grown ones. The ark was huge (450 feet long, 75 feet wide, 45 feet tall). Young dinosaurs would fit, and they'd repopulate after the flood. Most dinosaur kinds could be represented by smaller species."
Old Earth Answer: "Dinosaurs weren't on the ark because they were already extinct. The flood was regional, not global, or dinosaurs had already died out millions of years before Noah."
"What killed the dinosaurs?"
Young Earth Answer: "Most died in the global flood. Survivors faced harsh post-flood conditions—climate change, food scarcity, hunting by humans. They gradually went extinct over centuries."
Old Earth Answer: "Multiple theories exist: asteroid impact, volcanic activity, climate change. The Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event occurred about 66 million years ago, ending the dinosaur era."
"Does believing in old earth mean you don't believe the Bible?"
"No! Many Bible-believing Christians hold old earth views. They love God's Word and see Genesis as true while interpreting 'days' differently. Both young earth and old earth Christians believe God created; they disagree on timing. This is an in-house debate among believers, not a question of biblical authority."
Practical Teaching Approaches
Museum Visits
Whether visiting secular natural history museums or creation museums:
- •Prepare children beforehand: "We'll see dinosaurs presented with millions of years. Remember, Christians disagree on that timing."
- •Ask questions: "What does this exhibit assume? How might a young earth scientist interpret this differently?"
- •Focus on agreement: "Look how amazing God's creatures were!"
- •Avoid defensiveness: "We can learn from multiple perspectives."
Reading Both Perspectives
Expose children to both views:
- •Young Earth Resources: Answers in Genesis, Institute for Creation Research, Creation Ministries International
- •Old Earth Resources: Reasons to Believe, BioLogos (evolutionary creation), ASA (American Scientific Affiliation)
Focusing on Essentials
Always return to what matters most:
- •God created everything intentionally
- •Humans are made in God's image, not evolutionary accidents
- •Sin entered through Adam, requiring redemption through Christ
- •The Bible is God's trustworthy Word
Resources for Further Study
Books for Preschool/Elementary
- •"Dinosaurs for Kids" by Ken Ham (young earth perspective)
- •"Dinosaur Devotions" by Michelle Medlock Adams (neutral, God-focused)
- •"God Made Dinosaurs" by David and Helen Haidle
Books for Preteens
- •"Dinosaurs: God's Mysterious Creatures" (Master Books)
- •"Exploring Creation with Zoology 3: Land Animals" by Jeannie Fulbright
- •"The Great Dinosaur Mystery and the Bible" by Paul S. Taylor
Different Perspective Organizations
- •Young Earth: Answers in Genesis (answersingenesis.org), Institute for Creation Research (icr.org)
- •Old Earth: Reasons to Believe (reasons.org)
- •Multiple Views: BioLogos (biologos.org—evolutionary creation), Creation Conversations (multiple perspectives)
Teaching Unity in Secondary Issues
Use the dinosaur question to teach a crucial life lesson: Christians can disagree on secondary matters while maintaining unity on essentials. Show your children:
- •How to research multiple viewpoints
- •How to think critically about evidence
- •How to disagree respectfully
- •How to hold convictions humbly
- •How to focus on what matters most
"Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!"
— Romans 11:33 (ESV)
Moving Forward
Dinosaurs don't threaten biblical faith—they enhance wonder at God's creativity. Whether they lived thousands or millions of years ago, they point to an imaginative, powerful Creator who filled the earth with amazing creatures. Your children can love dinosaurs while loving God's Word. These aren't competing loyalties—they're complementary.
As you navigate this topic, remember your ultimate goal isn't winning a young earth vs. old earth debate. It's raising children who trust God's Word, think critically, hold convictions with humility, and maintain unity with other believers even when disagreeing on secondary issues. That's a far more valuable lesson than any timeline could provide.