Walk among dinosaurs

Walk among dinosaurs

Three malls are holding dinosaur-themed exhibitions during these school holidays. Going Jurassic this month are OneKM shopping mall in Tanjong Katong and United Square in Thomson, both owned by the UOL Group; and Plaza Singapura.

With the exception of Plaza Singapura, a minimum spending of $80 in the malls is needed for people to gain free entry to these exhibitions. Within, the children can walk among dinosaurs - well, models of them anyway.

The biggest is a life-sized skeleton of an Argentinosaurus at the free exhibition at Plaza Singapura atrium. The fibreglass-and-plaster model is 7.3m tall (nearly three-storeys high) and 37m long, and is part of the Dinosaurize Me! show, organised by the mall and the Science Centre.

The Argentinosaurus lived about 97 million years ago and holds the title of the heaviest and longest land animal. It could grow up to 40m long and weigh up to 100,000kg.

For $5, kids can create fossils from clay, film animation of dinosaurs or do a geological timeline by pasting dinosaur pictures in the respective periods when they were alive. On the weekends, there will be free science shows educating kids on facts such as what dinosaurs ate and how scientists age fossils.

At Jurassic Challenge exhibition in OneKM, some of the dinosaur models move and roar. There is also an obstacle course with a 7m rock wall and a flying fox. And at United Square mall, an exhibition called Dinosaur Trail features models of dinosaurs from the Triassic period between 251 million and 199 million years ago.

The dinosaur models, up to 6.9m tall, include the Irritator. This is a carnivore with an elongated snout and pointed teeth, whose name originated from paleontologists' frustration at its snout being artificially modified by illegal fossil dealers.

Children can also don an expert digger outfit and "dig" for fossils and take a photo in a 1.2m-tall dinosaur egg.

Mr Raymond Ban, a drink-seller in his mid-30s, took his six-year-old son Constantine to OneKM on Wednesday. The boy walked a plank bridge 6m from the ground and had a go on the flying fox. "My wife and I hope that going on the obstacle course would build our son's confidence. This exhibition is great as he likes dinosaurs," says Mr Ban.

View it

DINOSAUR TRAIL

Where: B1 Atrium, United Square

When: Till Monday, weekdays (noon to 8pm), weekends (11am to 8pm)

Admission: Spend $80 at United Square or OneKM shopping malls for entry

JURASSIC CHALLENGE

Where: Level 1 Atrium, OneKM mall

When: Till June 18, weekdays (noon to 8pm), weekends (11am to 8pm)

Admission: Spend $80 at United Square or OneKM shopping malls for entry

DINOSAURIZE ME!

Where: Level 1 Main Atrium, Plaza Singapura

When: Till June 14, 11am to 8pm daily

Admission: Free, but the Dino Fun Zone activities cost $5 each

stlife@sph.com.sg


This article was first published on June 6, 2015.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

This website is best viewed using the latest versions of web browsers.