Dinos rule on Nick Jr. summer

Nick Jr. is unleashing its dinos for preschoolers with Nick Jr.’s Stomping Summer programming, featuring dino-themed faves Dino Dan, Dinosaur Train and Harry and His Bucketful of Dinosaurs, plus special dinosaur episodes from shows Go Diego Go!, Dora the Explorer, The Wonder Pets! and Ni Hao, Kai-lan.

Dino Dan and Dinosaur Train are two of Nick Jr.’s newest programs which have proven to be stand-out viewing for preschoolers since their launch in the second half of 2010.

Dino Dan is an epic live action/CGI series from Canada which takes kids on a Jurassic journey every episode. Dan is nicknamed “Dino Dan” by his friends and is an ordinary 10-year-old boy with an extraordinary obsession: he eats, sleeps and breathes dinosaurs. A typical day for Dan in not complete unless he’s racing a T-Rex on his school track, finding a Pterodactylus in his attic or getting a baby Brachiosaurus back to its mother. Up and coming Canadian actor Jason Spevack (Fever Pitch; Sunshine Cleaning) stars as Dan, alongside a varied cast of some big – and we mean REALLY BIG – stars: the richly CGI-animated, photo-real dinosaurs! Produced by Canadian production house Sinking Ship, all the scientific facts in the show were vetted by the The Royal Tyrell Museum in Alberta – North America’s premier dinosaur museum.

Dinosaur Train continues The Jim Henson Company’s legacy of quality children’s entertainment, and is the perfect combo of two things 3-6 year olds love the most – trains and dinosaurs. The series celebrates the fascination that preschoolers have with both dinosaurs and trains while encouraging basic scientific thinking and skills. Each episode takes kids aboard the Dinosaur Train to new terrains, and includes animated segments with live action sequences featuring well-known palaeontologist, Scott Sampson, Ph.D. Dr. Scott brings to life the show’s natural science and natural history curriculum for preschoolers as he gives specific facts about dinosaurs and compares their features to animals of today.

After watching Dino Dan and Dinosaur Train to learn all about how these awe-inspiring creatures lived, kids will be keen to start stomping this summer, so parents are invited to head to www.nickjr.com.au to find interactive dinosaur games and dinosaur themed craft activities. Kids can also enter their dinosaur creations online, with five of the best to win a deluxe dinosaur prize pack – the perfect stomping kit!

Nick Jr.’s “Stomping Summer” airs Weekdays from January 3 at 9am – 10am & 4pm – 5pm with a Marathon on Saturday January 29, 10am – 5pm.