Dinosaurs, Cavemen, and Now: A Fun History Tour for Kids

Have you ever wondered how long dinosaurs lived on Earth compared to humans? Dinosaurs ruled the planet for such a long time that it’s hard to imagine! But don’t worry—we’ll explain it using something familiar: a calendar year.

Let’s travel back in time and find out just how long dinosaurs were around!

Dinosaurs on the Calendar

Dinosaurs first appeared about 165 million years ago, and they became extinct 65 million years ago. That’s a lot of millions! So here’s a fun way to understand it:

Imagine the entire history of life on Earth is squeezed into one calendar year. Dinosaurs would appear on January 1st… and sadly, they would disappear by September 30th. That means dinosaurs lived on Earth for about nine whole months!

Now, guess when humans arrive on this calendar?

Not until December 31st, just a few hours before midnight!

What Happened in Between?

After dinosaurs disappeared on September 30th, Earth was very quiet—at least for large animals. For almost three whole months, there were no dinosaurs and no humans. In real time, that “three months” actually equals 65 million years!

Eventually, humans appeared, but we’ve only been here for a tiny bit of time—around 300,000 years. When you compare that to the dinosaurs’ 165 million years, it’s like a blink of an eye!

Learn About Dinosaurs (and More!) with Dinolingo

Are your kids fascinated by dinosaurs? With Dinolingo, they can explore fun facts about prehistoric creatures while learning a new language! Dinolingo teaches over 50 languages to kids ages 2 to 14 using songs, videos, games, printables, and more. Children can learn online or offline, and one account supports up to six learners at once!

Dinosaurs may be gone, but with Dinolingo, learning about them—and speaking about them in another language—can come to life!

The Dino Timeline: Huge and Humbling

It’s amazing to think that dinosaurs were here long before us, and for such a long time. While humans are still pretty new on the Earth’s timeline, we can learn so much from the past.

Dinosaurs ruled for millions of years and now it’s our turn to explore, learn, and grow!