Dinosaur Big City Part I - Buddy and the Pteranodon family begin their journey on the Dinosaur Train, gathering all their Theropod friends together to travel to a really big Theropod Club Convention which is being held in Laramidia, the "Dinosaur Big City"! Dinosaur Big City Part II - The Pteranodon family continues their journey to the Theropod Convention in Laramidia, the Dinosaur Big City! Among the Theropod dinosaurs that ride the Train with them is King Cryolophosaurus, who sings his songs "Big Ol' Whistle-Stop Rock-n-Roll Dinosaur Tour" and "Whole Lotta Theropods"!
Shiny gets over her fear of snakes when Tiny challenges the Nature Trackers to meet the ultimate snake: the Sanajeh, a huge Cretaceous snake from what is now India. Dad takes the kids on the Dinosaur Train to find Sana Sanajeh, who may be huge, but turns out to be quite friendly. Once Shiny and Sana become friends, Shiny returns home with the knowledge that snakes aren't scary - they're just another part of nature! Tiny is horrified when her favorite buttercups all wilt, so Mom takes her and the family to the Big Pond, where she remembers seeing a whole lot of buttercups in bloom. On the way there, the Conductor gives the kids a visual lesson in "Nature's Life Cycle," explaining how a flower grows, blossoms, then wilts, and returns its seeds to the ground, to start the cycle all over again. Tiny finds her flowers at the Big Pond, both blooming and wilting, and can see nature's life cycle in action.
Dinosaur Camouflage - Buddy and Tiny meet a shy dinosaur, Leslie Lesothosaurus, who is very good at hiding. The kids end up persuading Leslie to stop hiding, and come out to play with them. Scavenger Hunt - The Pteranodon family travels to the Big Pond for a Scavenger Hunt. Using clues and rhymes, the kids solve word puzzles and finally glimpse a bug-eating plant they thought was mere make-believe.
The kids happen upon the legendary giant bullfrog, Benny Beelzebufo, who they once visited on his home river. Benny got off the Train at the wrong stop and is in new territory - the Pteranodon Family neighborhood. The kids take him around and show him fun places and play games with him. Then, he gets worried - he has to be home for dinner! A problem with the Dinosaur Train means our Pteranodon kids and Dad - with the help of good friend, Pauline Paleobatrachus, a tiny frog - take Benny on a trek over land and on water, and get him home to his family. Benny is thankful and loved his unexpected adventure with the Pteranodons. / When the kids all went to Junior Conductor's Academy, they met Dennis Deinocheirus, a brilliant and autistic theropod who was the first dinosaur kid who knew more dino facts than Buddy! Now, Dennis fulfills a promise and has come to visit Buddy and the kids at Pteranodon Terrace. Buddy, Tiny, Shiny, and Don play host to Dennis and are very sensitive to his needs, manner, and being out of his comfort zone. Dennis ends up having fun playing new games with the kids, digging holes, and playing on the pretend "Dinosaur Train" rocks.
When the Pteranodon family takes the Dinosaur Train under the sea to visit their friend Elmer Elasmosaurus, they learn that the Elasmosaurus family is going away from the station to follow their food, the fish. Buddy wants to follow, but the train tunnel doesn't go that way - so the Conductor decides to take the family in a brand-new invention, the Dinosaur Train Submarine! On their journey, they meet a marine reptile called Otto Opthalmosaurus, who guides the submarine deeper than it's ever been, and even helps them find their way out of a sea cave. During a day at Troodon Town Music Festival, the Pteranodon family and King Cryolophosaurus hear a wonderful singer named Crystal Cryolophosaurus. King is very interested in becoming friends with Crystal, another dinosaur of his species, but he gets very nervous when trying to talk to her. Tiny and Buddy help King overcome his nervousness, and he and Crystal end up friends who happily sing together.
"Junior Conductors Academy: Part One" - The kids are all excited! Why? Because they're off to Junior Conductor's Academy in Laramidia, to try to become Junior Conductors First Class. Buddy has a feeling he's going to be a star in class, until he meets Dennis Deinocheirus - a kid who knows even more dinosaur facts than he does! Can Buddy get over his disappointment that he's not the smartest kid in class, and make friends with Dennis (who seems like he's having trouble making friends on his own)? "Junior Conductors Academy: Part Two" - Now that Buddy and Dennis are friends, they have to work together (with the other kids) in order to pass a series of tests. If they succeed, they'll receive their Junior Conductors First Class pins! But standing in the way of their success is the most challenging instructor of all... Thurston Troodon! Educational Objectives -- Deinocheirus, from the Ornithomimosaur family of theropods in the late cretaceous, had some of the longest arms of any bipedal dinosaur. Also, it's not always easy to make friends with someone you don't understand, but if you take the time and make the effort, it might not be as hard as you think.
Triassic Turtle - Don mistakes a shell for a rock and meets Adam Adocus, a turtle with a head he can pull into his shell. The Pteranodon family travels to the Triassic and meets Pauline Proganochelys, another kind of turtle who shares her own methods of defending herself. Tank's Baby Brother - Tank Triceratops has a new baby brother that everyone dotes on, making Tank feel left out. Buddy, Tiny, and Tank play with some big kids and Tank learns the perks of being a big brother.
The kids happen upon the legendary giant bullfrog, Benny Beelzebufo, who they once visited on his home river. Benny got off the Train at the wrong stop and is in new territory - the Pteranodon Family neighborhood. The kids take him around and show him fun places and play games with him. Then, he gets worried - he has to be home for dinner! A problem with the Dinosaur Train means our Pteranodon kids and Dad - with the help of good friend, Pauline Paleobatrachus, a tiny frog - take Benny on a trek over land and on water, and get him home to his family. Benny is thankful and loved his unexpected adventure with the Pteranodons. / When the kids all went to Junior Conductor's Academy, they met Dennis Deinocheirus, a brilliant and autistic theropod who was the first dinosaur kid who knew more dino facts than Buddy! Now, Dennis fulfills a promise and has come to visit Buddy and the kids at Pteranodon Terrace. Buddy, Tiny, Shiny, and Don play host to Dennis and are very sensitive to his needs, manner, and being out of his comfort zone. Dennis ends up having fun playing new games with the kids, digging holes, and playing on the pretend "Dinosaur Train" rocks.
"Junior Conductors Academy: Part One" - The kids are all excited! Why? Because they're off to Junior Conductor's Academy in Laramidia, to try to become Junior Conductors First Class. Buddy has a feeling he's going to be a star in class, until he meets Dennis Deinocheirus - a kid who knows even more dinosaur facts than he does! Can Buddy get over his disappointment that he's not the smartest kid in class, and make friends with Dennis (who seems like he's having trouble making friends on his own)? "Junior Conductors Academy: Part Two" - Now that Buddy and Dennis are friends, they have to work together (with the other kids) in order to pass a series of tests. If they succeed, they'll receive their Junior Conductors First Class pins! But standing in the way of their success is the most challenging instructor of all... Thurston Troodon! Educational Objectives -- Deinocheirus, from the Ornithomimosaur family of theropods in the late cretaceous, had some of the longest arms of any bipedal dinosaur. Also, it's not always easy to make friends with someone you don't understand, but if you take the time and make the effort, it might not be as hard as you think.
The Pteranodon family rides a special 'Night Train" to another part of the Cretaceous Time Period, where they meet a Troodontid "cousin" of the Conductor's, Sidney Sinovenator, who knows more about the stars than anyone. Sidney takes the family up to his favorite stargazing spot, "Starry Hill," and teaches the kids why the stars seem to move across the night sky. When the kids build their own version of a nest on the beach, below their actual family nest up on the cliff, they get the idea to turn their beach nest into a clubhouse. Shiny thinks that a clubhouse needs a club, and "the Nature Trackers" club is born! The kids decide to make their club about getting outside, getting into nature, and making new discoveries. The only problem is: which kid is in charge of the club?
The Burrowers - The Pteranodon family rides the Dinosaur Train to meet a family of amazing, burrowing dinosaurs that live in holes and put on a "Cirque de Soleil" kind of acrobatic show every evening! Shiny's Sea Shells - Shiny, with help from Buddy, Tiny and Don, looks for the shiniest sea shells she can find, but ends up making a new friend named Henry, a hermit crab who lives in his own shell on the beach at the Big Pond.
The kids visit the Big Pond to attend the Biome Block Party. While attempting to win the leaf-necklace contest, Keenan Chirostemotes claims the Pteranodon sibs can't compete for the prize for "dinosaur" with the most leaves because they are not dinosaurs. This launches the kids into a song called "That's Not a Dinosaur", as all the non-dinosaurs sing their piece. In the end, the game rules are changed to include all creatures, even non-dinosaurs, in all the contests! The Nature Trackers go on a visit to the Big Pond, where Tiny hopes to see her favorite flowers. The Conductor tells her that if the kids gather seeds at the pond, they can bring them home and plant a garden full of those same flowers at the family nest! The kids all get into it, gathering seeds and bringing them home, where they plant a garden, and meet its new inhabitants, including Sammy, a friendly slug, who explains that slugs, spiders, and butterflies all help to make a garden complete.
The Pteranodon family goes under the sea again, to ride the Dinosaur Train Submarine - this time they go to meet Shoshana Shonisaurus, an enormous marine reptile that's something between a dolphin and a whale. Since Shoshana loves to dive down very deep, Shiny has a problem with following her down to the bottom of the sea. Shoshana kindly helps Shiny get over her fear of diving deep. When Buddy expresses his feelings about being adopted to Tiny and Mrs. Pteranodon, they tell him that he will always be a part of the Pteranodon family. Mom takes Buddy and Tiny to meet another adopted dinosaur kid named Sonny Sauroposeidon, a huge tall creature, now a part of tiny Mikey Microraptor's family. Buddy and Sonny bond over being adopted and knowing that they are both in adoptive families that are different species but still love and appreciate them.
Buck-Tooth Bucky - When Don finds a mystery tooth in Dad's old tooth collection, Dad decides to take the kids on an investigation. They discover that the tooth belongs to a dinosaur called Masiakasaurus, a creature with a mouthful of protruding buck teeth! Tiny's Tiny Friend - Tiny gets upset when she finds a miniature mammal named Cindy Cimolestes has moved into her "Tiny Place," a hole in a tree near the family nest. Buddy ends up using his sharp eyes to help Cindy find a new home that more perfectly fits her small size.
The Old Spinosaurus & the Sea - Dad takes the kids on the Dinosaur Train to fish in a new place, where they meet a huge, grumpy old dinosaur, called a Spinosaurus, that doesn't want the kids in his Sea. Eventually the kids befriend him, and they teach each other their own unique way to catch fish. A Spiky Tail Tale - Buddy and Tiny help settle an argument between Morris Stegosaurus and Alvin Allosaurus, two very big dinosaurs - one with a very spiky tail, the other with a mouthful of sharp teeth.
The Good Mom - "Mom's" the word when Mrs. Pteranodon meets fellow mom Millie Maiasaura, who is a little too over-protective of her kids. The two moms compare mothering methods in a play date at the Big Pond. Hornucopia! - At the Big Pond, Tank introduces the Pteranodon family to his friend, Stacie Styracosaurus, a fellow Ceratopsian with a crown of elaborate horns on her head. Everyone attends Stacie's "Hornucopia" celebration, where she reveals her new big horns and then performs a moonlit shadow show with her Styracosaurus family.
The Old Bird - Buddy, Tiny and Mom make a play date with Petey Peteinosaurus to ride the Dinosaur Train to meet Arlene Archeopteryx, a bird from the family of the oldest birds ever! The kids are excited to learn that Arlene is a bird and a dinosaur. Home With Shiny & Don - Shiny and Don stay at home and we get to see that just because they don't always ride with Buddy and Tiny on the Dinosaur Train doesn't mean that they are not having fun. An adventure into a local caves leads to a marvelous and brilliant discovery.
Shiny gets over her fear of snakes when Tiny challenges the Nature Trackers to meet the ultimate snake: the Sanajeh, a huge Cretaceous snake from what is now India. Dad takes the kids on the Dinosaur Train to find Sana Sanajeh, who may be huge, but turns out to be quite friendly. Once Shiny and Sana become friends, Shiny returns home with the knowledge that snakes aren't scary - they're just another part of nature! Tiny is horrified when her favorite buttercups all wilt, so Mom takes her and the family to the Big Pond, where she remembers seeing a whole lot of buttercups in bloom. On the way there, the Conductor gives the kids a visual lesson in "Nature's Life Cycle," explaining how a flower grows, blossoms, then wilts, and returns its seeds to the ground, to start the cycle all over again. Tiny finds her flowers at the Big Pond, both blooming and wilting, and can see nature's life cycle in action.
Have You Heard About the Herd? - Tiny and Buddy are psyched to go to the Cretaceous Picnic Grounds where they meet Ernie Einiosaurus, who shows them how he lives in a large herd! Ernie introduces the Pteranodons to a herding game that makes even Mrs. Pteranodon put on her game face! Jess Hesperornis - The Pteranodons venture to the Big Pond to find out if dinosaurs can live in the water. Their quandaries are quenched when they meet Jess Hesperornis, who turns out to be not only a water dwelling dino, but a bird as well!
The kids visit the Big Pond to attend the Biome Block Party. While attempting to win the leaf-necklace contest, Keenan Chirostemotes claims the Pteranodon sibs can't compete for the prize for "dinosaur" with the most leaves because they are not dinosaurs. This launches the kids into a song called "That's Not a Dinosaur", as all the non-dinosaurs sing their piece. In the end, the game rules are changed to include all creatures, even non-dinosaurs, in all the contests! The Nature Trackers go on a visit to the Big Pond, where Tiny hopes to see her favorite flowers. The Conductor tells her that if the kids gather seeds at the pond, they can bring them home and plant a garden full of those same flowers at the family nest! The kids all get into it, gathering seeds and bringing them home, where they plant a garden, and meet its new inhabitants, including Sammy, a friendly slug, who explains that slugs, spiders, and butterflies all help to make a garden complete.
The Good Mom - "Mom's" the word when Mrs. Pteranodon meets fellow mom Millie Maiasaura, who is a little too over-protective of her kids. The two moms compare mothering methods in a play date at the Big Pond. Hornucopia! - At the Big Pond, Tank introduces the Pteranodon family to his friend, Stacie Styracosaurus, a fellow Ceratopsian with a crown of elaborate horns on her head. Everyone attends Stacie's "Hornucopia" celebration, where she reveals her new big horns and then performs a moonlit shadow show with her Styracosaurus family.
Great Big Stomping Dinosaur Feet! - Tiny is very worried after she loses Shiny's favorite shiny shell, and enlists Dad and Buddy to help find a new one. As Tiny becomes more frantic, she begins stomping with frustration. Then the kids meet Daphne, a Daspletosaurus kid who shows them how to make stomping a fun dance instead of a temper tantrum. Hornucopia - Mr. and Mrs. Pteranodon decide to surprise each other with gifts on their anniversary. Despite some close calls, the kids help each of them to keep their gifts a secret until the perfect moment when the whole family can celebrate.
Buddy, Tiny, Shiny and Don are excited that Keira Chirostenotes gets to babysit them for the night while Mr. and Mrs. Pteranodon go out for a dinner on the Dinosaur Night Train. Keira shows the kids how a dead log's decomposition provides food and shelter for many living creatures. Meanwhile, Mr. and Mrs. Pteranodon are gleeful as they enjoy their date, exploring the Dinosaur Train's other compartments. Mom and Dad return home to find their kids filled with more happiness than when they left them and their pillows filled with several little bugs from the decomposing log. The Pteranodon kids are spending the day with Grandma and Grandpa Pteranodon! On the Dinosaur Train trip to their grandparents' place, Buddy, Tiny, Shiny and Don learn about sycamore trees. Grandma and Grandpa are excited to have a whole day with their grandkids and doubly-excited to do a special project with them. They bring the kids to a field lined with sycamore trees and show them a particularly tall one that was - Can you believe it!? - planted by their Dad when he was a kid! Buddy, Tiny, Shiny and Don get to plant their own sycamore saplings and vow to visit their trees frequently to track their growth over the years!
Mom takes the kids on a playdate with Tank Triceratops to the desert, where they meet a distant relative of Tank's, an early Ceratopsian named Penelope Protoceratops. The Conductor points out that Penelope lives in a part of the world that gets a lot of earthquakes, and sure enough, the kids experience their first quake with Penelope. Mom and the Conductor have prepared the kids with excellent advice about what to do in an earthquake, so everyone does fine. When the family rides the Dinosaur Train, they learn that a new car has been added - a Nursery Car, with dozens of eggs in little, padded nests, attended by their expectant moms and dads. The kids watch the eggs hatch, and try to guess which hatchling goes with which dinosaur parent.
Erma Eoraptor - Buddy, Tiny, and Mrs. Pteranodon go on an expedition to find Erma Eoraptor, a member of the first species of dinosaur that ever lived. They venture off the beaten paths in the Triassic to find Erma, and then bring her back for a ride on the Dinosaur Train! Under the Volcano - Tiny, Buddy, and Mr. Pteranodon take the Dinosaur Train to Volcano Valley to see the local volcano. The sight is so spectacular, they go back for the rest of the family only to discover they've already gone to see the volcano! The merry mix-up concludes as the whole family meets up to marvel at the sight of Mt. Smoky erupting.
An Armored Tail Tale - The Pteranodons tag along as Hank Ankylosaurus visits the Big Pond to scout a Dinoball talent named Eugene Euoplocephalus. Eugene is a smaller version of Hank, an armored dinosaur with a giant tail-club. Hank and Eugene really hit it off, and after they all play Dinoball, Hank recruits Eugene to play on his team! Pterosaur Flying Club - Tiny and Shiny practice their swoop-de-loops and other flying moves in anticipation of their play-date with fellow Pterosaurs Petey Peteinosaurus and Quincy Quetzalcoatlus. With Buddy helping with the choreography, the Pterosaur Flying Club puts on a flying show!
The Theropod Club - Buddy's Theropod Club meets with other dinosaurs that walk on two legs, eat meat, and have three toed feet. But Tiny feels left out until the Club invites her to join too! Surprise Party - Shiny, Tiny and Don throw a surprise party for Buddy on the Dinosaur Train and invite a whole caboose full of his friends!
Buddy, an adopted T. rex, wishes he knew more about his T. rex ancestors. So, Dad takes him and Tiny on the Dinosaur Train back to the early Cretaceous, to visit an ancestor: an earlier version of Tyrannosaurus rex called Raptorex. Rodney Raptorex is a kid who won't grow up to be as big as Buddy will, but the two boys find that they not only have a lot of differences, they have a lot in common, too. The kids are stuck cooped up in the nest for a long, rainy spell which leads to them fighting. Mom tells them that the rain has stopped enough that they can leave the nest but she gives them an assignment: to go find their own "calm space," where they can calm down enough to get along with each other again. It works - each kid finds something in nature that helps him or her to calm down and be friends again.
Pteranodon Family World Tour - The entire Pteranodon family embarks on a roaring, exploring, World Tour adventure! They meet the Conductor's nephew, Gilbert, who takes them on a tour to meet Martin Amargasaurus, a spine spangled quadruped with an intimidating sail. Gilbert the Junior Conductor - The Pteranodon family is on a World Tour and get to sleep in a special Sleeping Car on the Dinosaur Train. During their first full day on the Train, the kids are super excited to play with Gilbert, the Conductor's nephew. Don gets jealous and finally admit his feelings, leading to a reaffirmation of his friendship with Buddy.
Buddy, Tiny, Shiny and Don are excited that Keira Chirostenotes gets to babysit them for the night while Mr. and Mrs. Pteranodon go out for a dinner on the Dinosaur Night Train. Keira shows the kids how a dead log's decomposition provides food and shelter for many living creatures. Meanwhile, Mr. and Mrs. Pteranodon are gleeful as they enjoy their date, exploring the Dinosaur Train's other compartments. Mom and Dad return home to find their kids filled with more happiness than when they left them and their pillows filled with several little bugs from the decomposing log. The Pteranodon kids are spending the day with Grandma and Grandpa Pteranodon! On the Dinosaur Train trip to their grandparents' place, Buddy, Tiny, Shiny and Don learn about sycamore trees. Grandma and Grandpa are excited to have a whole day with their grandkids and doubly-excited to do a special project with them. They bring the kids to a field lined with sycamore trees and show them a particularly tall one that was - Can you believe it!? - planted by their Dad when he was a kid! Buddy, Tiny, Shiny and Don get to plant their own sycamore saplings and vow to visit their trees frequently to track their growth over the years!
King Cryolophosaurus - Buddy, Tiny, Don and Mom meet a reclusive, singing dinosaur named King who has a big swooping crest on his head and a voice that sounds an awful lot like Elvis Presley. Buddy the Tracker - Buddy and Don are "footprint detectives" as they track and find creatures they know at the Big Pond. The plot thickens when they discover fossilized tracks that are millions of years old!
An Armored Tail Tale - The Pteranodons tag along as Hank Ankylosaurus visits the Big Pond to scout a Dinoball talent named Eugene Euoplocephalus. Eugene is a smaller version of Hank, an armored dinosaur with a giant tail-club. Hank and Eugene really hit it off, and after they all play Dinoball, Hank recruits Eugene to play on his team! Pterosaur Flying Club - Tiny and Shiny practice their swoop-de-loops and other flying moves in anticipation of their play-date with fellow Pterosaurs Petey Peteinosaurus and Quincy Quetzalcoatlus. With Buddy helping with the choreography, the Pterosaur Flying Club puts on a flying show!
Buddy, Tiny, Shiny and Don are excited that Keira Chirostenotes gets to babysit them for the night while Mr. and Mrs. Pteranodon go out for a dinner on the Dinosaur Night Train. Keira shows the kids how a dead log's decomposition provides food and shelter for many living creatures. Meanwhile, Mr. and Mrs. Pteranodon are gleeful as they enjoy their date, exploring the Dinosaur Train's other compartments. Mom and Dad return home to find their kids filled with more happiness than when they left them and their pillows filled with several little bugs from the decomposing log. The Pteranodon kids are spending the day with Grandma and Grandpa Pteranodon! On the Dinosaur Train trip to their grandparents' place, Buddy, Tiny, Shiny and Don learn about sycamore trees. Grandma and Grandpa are excited to have a whole day with their grandkids and doubly-excited to do a special project with them. They bring the kids to a field lined with sycamore trees and show them a particularly tall one that was - Can you believe it!? - planted by their Dad when he was a kid! Buddy, Tiny, Shiny and Don get to plant their own sycamore saplings and vow to visit their trees frequently to track their growth over the years!
Carla Cretoxyrhina - On this underwater excursion, the Pteranodon family meets up with Carla Cretoxyrhina, a young shark who turns out to be much nicer than her reputation suggests. She introduces the family to her dad, bringing them face to face with the "Big Fish in the Sea." Train Trouble - The speedy dinosaur brothers Oren and Ollie join our kids on a train trip to Troodon Town, but unplanned engine trouble sends Oren and Ollie sprinting the Roundhouse to bring back another engine to save the day!
When Mr. Pteranodon and Larry go out to the Big Pond to find some red platanoids for the Winter Solstice Celebration, they accidentally miss the last train home. Will Larry and Mr. Pteranodon stop bickering long enough to figure out a way home, or will they get stranded in the middle of nowhere and miss the family Winter Solstice Celebration? Educational Objective: The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year.
Junior Conductor Jamboree - Our kids ride the Dinosaur Train from one end of the line to the other, through all three Time Periods -- from the Cretaceous, through the Jurassic, to the Triassic. All along the way, they pick up friends who join them for a Junior Conductor Jamboree! Troodon Train Day - The Pteranodon family rides to Troodon Town to celebrate Troodon Train Day, where the main event is a concert by King Cryolophosaurus, giving his first performance in years! When King comes down with some last-minute jitters, Buddy and Tiny help him overcome his stage fright and he sings a medley of his hits, including the Dinosaur Train theme song!
"Nest Swap" - The Pteranodon Family decides to take a little vacation and swap nests with Larry's friends: a family of pterosaurs (Nemicolopterus, to be exact). But when the Pteranodon Family arrives at the Nemicolopterus nest, they realize that the Nemicolopterus Family is MUCH smaller than them, so everything is smaller: the Pteranodon Family doesn't even fit in their nest! Can the family make do, try something new, and still have a good time? Educational Objectives: The Nemicolopterous was a small, toothless pterosaur that lived in the forests of the early cretaceous. Pterosaur diversity included a range in body size, head and body shape, presence and absence of teeth, long tails, preferred habitat, and preferred diet. "The Herd is the Word" - Tank Triceratops is really excited to show Buddy, Tiny, Shiny, and Don his favorite picnic spot, but when they arrive, the spot is overrun with a whole herd of Triceratops. Tank and the kids try to find another place with a little more privacy (and a lot less Triceratopses), but no matter where they go, the herd follows them. Will Tank be able to find a quiet spot without the herd, or does the herd have a good reason for following Tank around? Educational Objectives: Big-bodied herbivores often form large groups, or "herds," and do so as a strategy to detect and deter predators.
Elmer Elasmosaurus - The Pteranodon family travels on the Dinosaur Train with the Aquacar to an underwater train station to transport Elmer Elasmosaurus back to his home in the ocean. At first Buddy is not enthusiastic about travelling underwater, but quickly becomes a convert when he sees the spectacular sights under the sea. Dinosaur Block Party - The Pteranodon family hosts a block party to introduce their new neighbors, the Lambeosaurus family, to all the other neighborhood creatures. The different species all join together to fly, dive, fish, race and especially, to rock the block!
"What's at the Center of the Earth? Troglobites!" - The Drill Engine Train burrows into an underground limestone cave, where the Pteranodon Family meets some strange creatures without eyes called "troglobites." In a contest to see who would make the best troglobite, Buddy, Tiny, Shiny, and Don participate in a treasure hunt - with their eyes closed! The kids have to rely on their other senses (with some guidance from the actual troglobites) to navigate the cave and find the prize. Story A Educational Objectives: A speleologist is someone who studies caves. Also, there are creatures called troglobites whose bodies are specially adapted for living in deep caves without any light. "What's at the Center of the Earth? Minerals!" - While digging even further underground, the drill bit on the Drill Engine Train breaks. The Pteranodon Family find themselves in the Cave of Giant Crystals, where they learn all about rocks and crystals (what they are, how they're different, how they form). In order to get back home, the Pteranodon Family has to fix the drill bit by finding a mineral harder than the mineral that broke the bit in the first place. Story B Educational Objectives: Minerals form naturally in the Earth and are made of the same thing all the way through, while rocks are made up of a bunch of different kinds of minerals. Minerals come in thousands of different types (more than 4000 to be more exact), many of which form large and beautiful crystals, some of which are harder than others.
Tiny wakes up feeling a little sad. When asked why, she can't really explain it: "Sometimes I just feel sad." To cheer her up, Shiny decides to show her how much she loves her. It goes over so well it starts a love-sharing chain reaction, as one by the one the Pteranodon Family gets in the on the action! / After Tiny, Shiny, Buddy, and Don are feeling "over-burdened" by chores and requests for help with small things from Mom and Dad - basically the kids just want to play - a plan is hatched. Mom and Dad come up with a fun scavenger hunt in the nest area that cleverly has the kids doing their chores even as they play. The hunt includes simple riddles the kids have to solve. Mom and Dad have certain items to be hunted for that involve cleaning up an area first, etc. (Note: it's the beginning of Autumn, so some leaves are changing colors, others are falling.) A surprise last scavenger clue brings the family to the Dinosaur Train to consult with the Conductor and have a Dining Car dinner.
"Spooky Tree" - Shiny invites Annie Tyrannosaurus to Pteranodon Terrace for a sleepover, but all Annie wants to do is investigate the "spooky tree" that Don says "comes alive at night." All Shiny wants to do is stay as far away from the tree as possible. Can the kids get to the bottom of the mysterious tree, and figure out if it really comes alive at night? Educational Objectives: A wide variety of organisms produce light inside their bodies, and this light can be used for a variety of purposes. Some creatures have a chemical reaction in their bodies called "bio-luminescence," which causes them to glow. This bioluminescence can serve different functions, including camouflage, luring of prey, mimicry of other animals, and warnings for potential predators that the glowing critter is unpalatable. "Spinosaurus Super Model" - When Don stumbles across a stick that looks EXACTLY like Old Spinosaurus, he's determined to have the grumpy old dinosaur pose for his sculpture (so he can get the Spinosaurus's features exactly right). But when they arrive at Old Spinosaurus's home, he makes it clear that there's no way he's posing for anything. Can Don convince Old Spinosaurus to pose for his sculpture, or will Don have to come up with another plan? Educational Objectives: Spinosaurus, a gigantic theropod from the Cretaceous period, was the world's largest land carnivore, and the only Mesozoic dinosaur truly built for living in the water versus on land (as opposed to going into the water to cool off, for example).
Beating the Heat - Buddy and Tiny travel to the Jurassic to make a new friend, Morris Stegosaurus, and discover how this huge dinosaur keeps cool in the heat. Flowers for Mom - The kids go to the Big Pond to look for flowers to give to Mom on her special Mothers Day. They find many different flowers while following a very busy bee.
Beating the Heat - Buddy and Tiny travel to the Jurassic to make a new friend, Morris Stegosaurus, and discover how this huge dinosaur keeps cool in the heat. Flowers for Mom - The kids go to the Big Pond to look for flowers to give to Mom on her special Mothers Day. They find many different flowers while following a very busy bee.
Elmer Elasmosaurus - The Pteranodon family travels on the Dinosaur Train with the Aquacar to an underwater train station to transport Elmer Elasmosaurus back to his home in the ocean. At first Buddy is not enthusiastic about travelling underwater, but quickly becomes a convert when he sees the spectacular sights under the sea. Dinosaur Block Party - The Pteranodon family hosts a block party to introduce their new neighbors, the Lambeosaurus family, to all the other neighborhood creatures. The different species all join together to fly, dive, fish, race and especially, to rock the block!
Beating the Heat - Buddy and Tiny travel to the Jurassic to make a new friend, Morris Stegosaurus, and discover how this huge dinosaur keeps cool in the heat. Flowers for Mom - The kids go to the Big Pond to look for flowers to give to Mom on her special Mothers Day. They find many different flowers while following a very busy bee.
The Amazing Michelinoceras Brothers - The Pteranodon family travels deep underwater on the Dinosaur Train to view two backwards-bounding brothers named Max and Mitch Michelinoceras. The kids are delighted to see that Max and Mitch put on a synchronized swimming show. Dads' Day Out - Buddy, Tiny, and Mr. Pteranodon join Annie Tyrannosaurus and Leroy Lambeosaurus and their dads for a Dads' Day at the Big Pond. It's all fun and games until it starts to rain, and they all have to take cover in a cave they've never noticed before.
Beating the Heat - Buddy and Tiny travel to the Jurassic to make a new friend, Morris Stegosaurus, and discover how this huge dinosaur keeps cool in the heat. Flowers for Mom - The kids go to the Big Pond to look for flowers to give to Mom on her special Mothers Day. They find many different flowers while following a very busy bee.
King and Crystal Cryolophosaurus are back together in their on-again, off-again rock'n'roll relationship. The Conductor shows up to extend an offer to play the Red Rock Ampitheater in Laramidia (the Cretaceous mini-continent that is now the Rocky Mountains). Our Pteranodon Family is visiting King and Crystal in Jurassic Antarctica when they get the big news. Crystal is all for it - this concert is the big time! But King is hesitant, worried about performing because of stage fright. It takes emotional support from the Pteranodon kids to get King to perform, plus they help him get Crystal an anniversary gift. In the end, King and Crystal rock the Red Rocks and the festival crowd with their new hit song, "Red Rockin' the Cretaceous." / When Dad's good friend from their teenage years -- a pterosaur called Nyctosaurus -- comes for a long overdue visit, he's fun at first. Being a professional flyer, Nick thinks about flying 24/7, and teaches the kids exciting new flying and diving techniques for a couple of days. The kids need a break and end up showing Nick what they like to play - other activities besides flying. Nick appreciates that and invites the family to his upcoming big flying race!
"Rollin' on the Riverboat: Part One" - The whole Pteranodon Family takes a rollicking adventure on the Dinosaur Train Riverboat! Buddy and Don vow to spend every minute together, but while Buddy wants to spend all his time investigating the creatures on the river, Don wants to spend all his time playing games and investigating the buffet. Can they come to some kind of agreement? "Rollin' on the Riverboat: Part Two" - While still rolling down the river on the Dinosaur Train Riverboat, Grandpa Pteranodon tells Buddy about the Legend of Admiral Globidens - a HUGE Mososaur that supposedly lives on the river, but no one has ever seen. Buddy enlists Dad and Tiny's help to look for Admiral Globidens, but they can't seem to find him. Does Admiral Globidens really exist, or is he just a figment of someone's imagination? Educational Objectives: River ecosystems tend to be lushly vegetated and full of diverse life forms because of the constant presence of water and the diversity of habitats (i.e., aquatic and land-based). Also, a Globidens was a large mososaur from the late cretaceous that lived in the water and used its large, globe-shaped teeth to eat turtles and other large shellfish.
Paulie Pliosaurus - The Pteranodon family takes the Dinosaur Train underwater to visit a marine reptile called Paulie Pliosaurus, a creature known as the "T. rex of the Ocean." Buddy and Paulie compare features and find that they actually have a lot in common. Elmer Visits the Desert - Our Pteranodon family takes their ocean friend Elmer Elasmosaurus on the Dinosaur Train to a place he's never been before: the desert! Once there, the kids compare the sandy terrain to Elmer's ocean, and they meet a local lizard named Percy who tells the tale of his desert home.
"What's at the Center of the Earth? Layers!" -- The Conductor takes the Pteranodon family on a very special journey on a new invention - the Drill Engine Train - in search of the perfect spot for a new Underground Dinosaur Train Station! Don is THRILLED to be venturing into the BIGGEST HOLE THE EARTH HAS EVER KNOWN! Shiny is nervous to be underground, until they meet a new friend (a Mesozoic Mole named NATASHA NECROLESTES), who teaches them all about the different layers of the Earth. Story A Educational Objectives: The Earth has several layers - the crust (a thin, solid outermost layer), the mantle (the deeper, denser layer), and the core (the super dense center that's as hot as the sun). Also, a Necrolestes is a type of Mesozoic mole. "What's at the Center of the Earth? Fossils!" -- As the Pteranodon Family continues their journey underground, Don accidentally breaks Buddy's trilobite fossil (the oldest fossil in his collection!) When the search for another trilobite fossil turns up empty, their new friend Natasha Necrolestes takes them to Fossil Alley, where the kids learn that the older the fossil, the deeper underground it is. Story B Educational Objectives: You don't usually find fossils from different time periods mixed together in the Earth. The Law of Superposition means that when we see a stack of rock layers, the deeper you go into the Earth, the older the rocks and fossils you find
When the weather has been extremely dry for several weeks, all the water holes at Pteranodon Terrace dry up. The Lambeosaurus family decides to move away in search of water, which upsets the kids. Dad and Mom decide to take the kids to the Big Pond on a camping trip, where they will wait out the drought and return home when it rains again. Don doesn't want to leave his home, even temporarily, and decides to perfect a "rain dance" that will make the rain return. Dad learns that he's been chosen to compete in the big annual Fishing Contest at the Big Misty Sea, and is one of three contestants. The whole family rides there on the Dinosaur Train to cheer Dad on. They learn that the contestants are Dad, the Old Spinosaurus, and Dad's childhood friend and rival, a huge raptor named Marco Megaraptor. The three all end up fighting over Chester, the legendary biggest fish in the Big Misty Sea.
Dinosaur Big City Part I - Buddy and the Pteranodon family begin their journey on the Dinosaur Train, gathering all their Theropod friends together to travel to a really big Theropod Club Convention which is being held in Laramidia, the "Dinosaur Big City"! Dinosaur Big City Part II - The Pteranodon family continues their journey to the Theropod Convention in Laramidia, the Dinosaur Big City! Among the Theropod dinosaurs that ride the Train with them is King Cryolophosaurus, who sings his songs "Big Ol' Whistle-Stop Rock-n-Roll Dinosaur Tour" and "Whole Lotta Theropods"!
When a forest fire comes to woods not far from the family nest at Pteranodon Terrace, the family takes the Dinosaur Train to visit a nearby area where a fire has already been, and the Conductor leads the kids on a Nature Tracker hike through the woods to see how new life is growing back - even after the forest fire's devastation. Buddy and Tiny ride the Dinosaur Train for a playdate with their old friend Petey Peteinosaurus, and learn that the train has added a new Aviary Car, for their various flying passengers. Suddenly, they are joined by a lost bird named Judy Jehelornis, who was displaced by the recent forest fires, and can't remember where her home is. Buddy, Tiny, and Petey act as detectives to figure out from clues where Judy's home is, and the Conductor makes sure she's brought safely home on the train.
"Junior Conductors Academy: Part One" - The kids are all excited! Why? Because they're off to Junior Conductor's Academy in Laramidia, to try to become Junior Conductors First Class. Buddy has a feeling he's going to be a star in class, until he meets Dennis Deinocheirus - a kid who knows even more dinosaur facts than he does! Can Buddy get over his disappointment that he's not the smartest kid in class, and make friends with Dennis (who seems like he's having trouble making friends on his own)? "Junior Conductors Academy: Part Two" - Now that Buddy and Dennis are friends, they have to work together (with the other kids) in order to pass a series of tests. If they succeed, they'll receive their Junior Conductors First Class pins! But standing in the way of their success is the most challenging instructor of all... Thurston Troodon! Educational Objectives -- Deinocheirus, from the Ornithomimosaur family of theropods in the late cretaceous, had some of the longest arms of any bipedal dinosaur. Also, it's not always easy to make friends with someone you don't understand, but if you take the time and make the effort, it might not be as hard as you think.
The Amazing Michelinoceras Brothers - The Pteranodon family travels deep underwater on the Dinosaur Train to view two backwards-bounding brothers named Max and Mitch Michelinoceras. The kids are delighted to see that Max and Mitch put on a synchronized swimming show. Dads' Day Out - Buddy, Tiny, and Mr. Pteranodon join Annie Tyrannosaurus and Leroy Lambeosaurus and their dads for a Dads' Day at the Big Pond. It's all fun and games until it starts to rain, and they all have to take cover in a cave they've never noticed before.
Paulie Pliosaurus - The Pteranodon family takes the Dinosaur Train underwater to visit a marine reptile called Paulie Pliosaurus, a creature known as the "T. rex of the Ocean." Buddy and Paulie compare features and find that they actually have a lot in common. Elmer Visits the Desert - Our Pteranodon family takes their ocean friend Elmer Elasmosaurus on the Dinosaur Train to a place he's never been before: the desert! Once there, the kids compare the sandy terrain to Elmer's ocean, and they meet a local lizard named Percy who tells the tale of his desert home.
The Pteranodon family sends Buddy on the Dinosaur Train so he can join Annie, Deloris, and Boris Tyrannosaurus for a week on their migration, traveling with the T. rex pack as they follow a herd of giant sauropods across the plains of Laramidia. As Buddy travels with Annie's family, he gets to experience being a T. rex more than he's ever done. During the migration, Buddy deals with several `firsts': being away from home alone for the first time, being with another family, being on the move every day, and being homesick. Buddy and Annie bond more as they make it through the week. By the end of the week, Buddy is more adapted and glad that he experienced T. rex life a little more than he's ever done before. But he's really happy to come back to his adopted family, and has a new appreciation for them. / When Mrs. Pteranodon overhears Buddy telling his siblings what a great time he had on migration, she gets the idea to create a Pretend Migration for the kids. Tiny, Shiny, Don, and Buddy must use their senses and follow the clues to their surprise dinner at the Big Pond!
The Pteranodon family rides a special 'Night Train" to another part of the Cretaceous Time Period, where they meet a Troodontid "cousin" of the Conductor's, Sidney Sinovenator, who knows more about the stars than anyone. Sidney takes the family up to his favorite stargazing spot, "Starry Hill," and teaches the kids why the stars seem to move across the night sky. When the kids build their own version of a nest on the beach, below their actual family nest up on the cliff, they get the idea to turn their beach nest into a clubhouse. Shiny thinks that a clubhouse needs a club, and "the Nature Trackers" club is born! The kids decide to make their club about getting outside, getting into nature, and making new discoveries. The only problem is: which kid is in charge of the club?
Dad takes the kids on a special Night Train to Troodon Town, where the Troodons have decorated their Roundhouse into a "haunted house" for a spooky party. The kids end up meeting a strange new nocturnal creature - a mammal named Vlad Volaticotherium, who was hiding in the roundhouse trying to get some sleep. The Pteranodon family learns more about the customs of their neighbors, the Lambeosaurus family, when they are invited for the first time to accompany them to the Big Pond to celebrate "Gourd Day" - a kind of Mesozoic Halloween. The kids see their first pumpkins, and Larry Lambeosaurus even shows our family how to hollow them out and carve faces into them.
"Stop and Smell the Flowers" - Mom takes Tiny, Buddy, and Don on a super secret daytrip to Qianzhousaurus Pond, where they meet Quentin Qianzhousaurus - a Tyrannosaur with similar features to Buddy, except for one major thing - Quentin has a long, thin snout covered in tiny horns! The kids think that Quentin's long snout gives him a super smelling sense, but after a series of tests, they realize that he and Buddy have the same sniffing power. Can Quentin and Buddy's super sniffers solve the mystery of Mom's secret daytrip? Educational Objectives: Qianzhousaurus was a Tyrannosaur from the late cretaceous with a long, narrow snout (covered in tiny horns). Tyrannosaurs came in a variety of shapes and sizes. Qianzhousaurus probably hunted much smaller prey than its super strong- jawed cousin. T. Rex. "Moms' Campout" - Mrs. Pteranodon organizes a "Moms' Campout" with other moms and kids in the neighborhood. While on the way to the campout, Mr. Conductor challenges the kids to make a real "nature connection" by creating games that push them to look at nature from a different point of view. Educational Objectives: You can't appreciate nature just by looking at it. You need to dig in and be a part of it: splashing, climbing, getting dirty, and looking at things in a whole new way. Forming a "Nature Connection" (that is, fostering a bond with the natural world) is a hands-on, full body, multisensory activity that is essential for a healthy childhood.
The kids happen upon the legendary giant bullfrog, Benny Beelzebufo, who they once visited on his home river. Benny got off the Train at the wrong stop and is in new territory - the Pteranodon Family neighborhood. The kids take him around and show him fun places and play games with him. Then, he gets worried - he has to be home for dinner! A problem with the Dinosaur Train means our Pteranodon kids and Dad - with the help of good friend, Pauline Paleobatrachus, a tiny frog - take Benny on a trek over land and on water, and get him home to his family. Benny is thankful and loved his unexpected adventure with the Pteranodons. / When the kids all went to Junior Conductor's Academy, they met Dennis Deinocheirus, a brilliant and autistic theropod who was the first dinosaur kid who knew more dino facts than Buddy! Now, Dennis fulfills a promise and has come to visit Buddy and the kids at Pteranodon Terrace. Buddy, Tiny, Shiny, and Don play host to Dennis and are very sensitive to his needs, manner, and being out of his comfort zone. Dennis ends up having fun playing new games with the kids, digging holes, and playing on the pretend "Dinosaur Train" rocks.
Buddy, an adopted T. rex, wishes he knew more about his T. rex ancestors. So, Dad takes him and Tiny on the Dinosaur Train back to the early Cretaceous, to visit an ancestor: an earlier version of Tyrannosaurus rex called Raptorex. Rodney Raptorex is a kid who won't grow up to be as big as Buddy will, but the two boys find that they not only have a lot of differences, they have a lot in common, too. The kids are stuck cooped up in the nest for a long, rainy spell which leads to them fighting. Mom tells them that the rain has stopped enough that they can leave the nest but she gives them an assignment: to go find their own "calm space," where they can calm down enough to get along with each other again. It works - each kid finds something in nature that helps him or her to calm down and be friends again.
For their second outing at Nature Trackers Adventure Camp, Buddy, Tiny, Shiny, Don and other friends learn about the tree line as they set out to hike up a mountain. Shiny is determined to get to the top of the mountain forest. Buddy wonders if they'll be able to see anything from the mountaintop through the tall trees. The kids are amazed that the higher they hike, the shorter the trees and bushes get! Then they reach the tree line--a certain point on the mountain where trees are really small because they don't have enough air to breathe and the temperature is too cold. In the end, Shiny and all the kids use teamwork to reach the mountaintop together!
"Where Have All the Lizards Gone?" - The Conductor takes the Pteranodon Family for a special trip to Lizard Island, where they discover that it's been overrun by plants and bugs, and there are few precious lizards left. The Conductor concludes that the Changyuraptor Family (that he dropped off there awhile ago, and has since multiplied) has been eating all the lizards and throwing the entire ecosystem out of balance. Can the Pteranodon Family and Mr. Conductor convince the Changyuraptor Family to leave their home in order to get the island ecosystem back in balance? Educational Objectives: Ecosystems thrive only when all the plants and animals are in balance with one another. But too much of one thing, and not enough of another, can have disastrous consequences. "Conductor's Sleepover" - With a hurricane looming, the Pteranodon Family convinces the Conductor to leave his train for the night and come with them to the safety of their hurricane shelter (a large, underground cave). But the Conductor has a hard time getting comfortable away from his train. Can the family and the Conductor pull together and help a family of beached Ichthyosaurs back into the ocean after the hurricane leaves them beached on the shore? Educational Objectives: Hurricanes (and other storms) often have major effects on both ocean and land animals, causing animals to change their behaviors, and sometimes resulting in devastation of coastal ecosystems.
The long-awaited rains finally return to Pteranodon Terrace, but grow into a huge rainstorm that grows even bigger - into a hurricane! Dad hasn't seen it blow like this since he was a kid. They seek shelter, and Don discovers an entrance to a cave below their nest, where not only the Pteranodons, but also their other neighbors, the Lambeorsaurus family and Cindy Cimolestes, all take shelter for the night. In the morning, the storm has passed, but everyone must pitch in to rebuild their various nests. The family is cleaning up the mess left over from the hurricane, and discover that a raft of logs has washed up two refugees from across the Western Interior Sea - a turtle named Aidan Adocus, and a small mammal named Tommy Ptilodus. Our family learns of their adventure, crossing the sea in the storm, and washing up at Pteranodon Terrace. They decide to take their new friends to the Dinosaur Train, and ride back with them to their home in Appalachia.
Mom takes the kids on a playdate with Tank Triceratops to the desert, where they meet a distant relative of Tank's, an early Ceratopsian named Penelope Protoceratops. The Conductor points out that Penelope lives in a part of the world that gets a lot of earthquakes, and sure enough, the kids experience their first quake with Penelope. Mom and the Conductor have prepared the kids with excellent advice about what to do in an earthquake, so everyone does fine. When the family rides the Dinosaur Train, they learn that a new car has been added - a Nursery Car, with dozens of eggs in little, padded nests, attended by their expectant moms and dads. The kids watch the eggs hatch, and try to guess which hatchling goes with which dinosaur parent.
The kids happen upon the legendary giant bullfrog, Benny Beelzebufo, who they once visited on his home river. Benny got off the Train at the wrong stop and is in new territory - the Pteranodon Family neighborhood. The kids take him around and show him fun places and play games with him. Then, he gets worried - he has to be home for dinner! A problem with the Dinosaur Train means our Pteranodon kids and Dad - with the help of good friend, Pauline Paleobatrachus, a tiny frog - take Benny on a trek over land and on water, and get him home to his family. Benny is thankful and loved his unexpected adventure with the Pteranodons. / When the kids all went to Junior Conductor's Academy, they met Dennis Deinocheirus, a brilliant and autistic theropod who was the first dinosaur kid who knew more dino facts than Buddy! Now, Dennis fulfills a promise and has come to visit Buddy and the kids at Pteranodon Terrace. Buddy, Tiny, Shiny, and Don play host to Dennis and are very sensitive to his needs, manner, and being out of his comfort zone. Dennis ends up having fun playing new games with the kids, digging holes, and playing on the pretend "Dinosaur Train" rocks.
For their second outing at Nature Trackers Adventure Camp, Buddy, Tiny, Shiny, Don and other friends learn about the tree line as they set out to hike up a mountain. Shiny is determined to get to the top of the mountain forest. Buddy wonders if they'll be able to see anything from the mountaintop through the tall trees. The kids are amazed that the higher they hike, the shorter the trees and bushes get! Then they reach the tree line--a certain point on the mountain where trees are really small because they don't have enough air to breathe and the temperature is too cold. In the end, Shiny and all the kids use teamwork to reach the mountaintop together!
The Pteranodon Family, with the Conductor, have raced on land a few times and in the air against Thurston Troodon, but have never raced in the water! So, after Thurston shows up in his own souped-up, "state-of-the-art" submarine, the challenge is on! Buddy, Tiny, and Mrs. Pteranodon are with Mr. Conductor in the Dinosaur Train Submarine, racing across the great Western Interior Sea against Thurston, Shiny, Don, and Mr. Pteranodon! On the way, they meet a new species of marine reptile, Leo the Liopleuridon, who helps Thurston a little too much in the race. / but he doesn't have wings like his siblings do! For 4 seasons, Buddy has run along while his siblings fly, although sometimes they carry him. When Shiny complains that Buddy is getting too big to carry around Pteranodon Terrace, Buddy feels sad for a little while, then decides to do something about it - build himself his own set of wings! Our Pteranodon kids love this, and they get to work designing and engineering, starting with funny homemade versions, a try-and-fail sequence with some hilarious crashes and some success, leading up to a cool, Leonardo-esque set of mechanical wings. The wings work! Buddy can fly with his siblings, and they have a triumphant flying session. But in the end, Buddy misses being carried. "Who am I kidding? I'm not a Pteranodon! I'm a T. rex who really loves to fly!" Buddy goes happily back to the status quo. And even better, he knows what to do with his mechanical wings - he gives them to the Pteranodon kid with a stunted wing. We end with them all flying together, the neighbor kid joyfully flying Buddy's mechanical wings.
"Crystal and King Benefit Concert: Part One" - When Crystal and the King go for a trip to the Big Pond, they learn that it's being recklessly overfished! They enlist the help of the Pteranodon Family to try to spread the word that if the dinosaurs and pterosaurs aren't more careful, the Big Pond will run out of fish to eat. But when Crystal realizes that nothing they're doing is actually raising awareness of the issue, she decides to organize a HUGE benefit concert, and everyone agrees to pitch in and help (as long as the King doesn't have to perform)! "Crystal and King Benefit Concert: Part Two" - The "Don't Overfish the Big Pond" Benefit Concert is underway, and it's a HUGE success! But because there's so much to organize, Crystal never finds the time to rehearse her big finale - so when it's time for her to go onstage, she experiences something she's never experienced before - stage fright! Can the kids help Crystal get over her stage fright and get her back onstage, or will the King have to come out of "performance retirement" to help her out? Educational Objectives: Overfishing generally results in a dramatic depletion in the total amount of fish (i.e., biomass). Also, overfishing often causes smaller fish (the prey species of larger fish) to increase in number as the larger predators are removed. If aquatic ecosystems are given a chance to rebound, they often will, as long as the numbers of fish have not been depleted too far.
When the Pteranodon family travels back to the North Pole, Don declares that it's his "winter wish" to see snow fall again. When a big blizzard comes, and even the Dinosaur Train gets snowed in, Don worries that his wish brought the blizzard. He's especially worried for his new friend, Soren Sauronitholestes, who is sitting on a nest of her eggs, out in the blizzard. But everything turns out all right: Dad explains that wishing for something doesn't make it happen, and the well-adapted, warm-blooded, feather-covered Soren successfully hatches her babies. While visiting the North Pole, the Conductor suggests that the family stop off at Aurora Borealis Station on an enormous frozen lake to see the Aurora Borealis, where the Northern Troodons celebrate a "Festival of Lights." While the kids wait for night to fall and view the Aurora Borealis, they work up an ice-skating show to entertain Mom and Dad. Everyone joins in to sing "Solstice Time is Here" and skate under the lights!
When the weather has been extremely dry for several weeks, all the water holes at Pteranodon Terrace dry up. The Lambeosaurus family decides to move away in search of water, which upsets the kids. Dad and Mom decide to take the kids to the Big Pond on a camping trip, where they will wait out the drought and return home when it rains again. Don doesn't want to leave his home, even temporarily, and decides to perfect a "rain dance" that will make the rain return. Dad learns that he's been chosen to compete in the big annual Fishing Contest at the Big Misty Sea, and is one of three contestants. The whole family rides there on the Dinosaur Train to cheer Dad on. They learn that the contestants are Dad, the Old Spinosaurus, and Dad's childhood friend and rival, a huge raptor named Marco Megaraptor. The three all end up fighting over Chester, the legendary biggest fish in the Big Misty Sea.
The Pteranodon kids and their dome-headed friend Spikey Stygimoloch meet a brother and sister, Patrick and Pamela Pachycephalosaurus, two dinosaurs with enormous dome heads. Spikey bonds with the Pachycephalosaurus. Patrick and Pamela are athletes who invite our kids, Mom, and Spikey along to watch them use their impressive dome heads to play a volleyball type sport called, Dome Ball. Don has a large collection of things he's found in nature, but he's missing one hard-to-locate item - amber. On the Dinosaur Train, Don and the other Pteranodon kids find out that Gilbert is also looking for amber. At Amber Arroyo caves, Don and Gilbert separately search for and find amber, eventually bonding over their discoveries.
Dinosaur Big City Part III - The Dinosaur Train arrives in Laramidia, the Dinosaur Big City, and Buddy and the Pteranodon family explore the crowded "dinosaur metropolis." At the Theropod Convention, our kids reunite with Annie Tyrannosaurus and her parents Dolores and Boris, and they all meet the multi-horned mayor, Mayor Kosmoceratops! Dinosaur Big City Part IV - Buddy and Tiny help King Cryolophosaurus overcome his fear of performing in front of his biggest audience ever, and he wows a large dinosaur audience when he sings his new song, "Whole Lotta Theropods" at the Theropod Convention in Laramidia, the Dinosaur Big City.
The Nature Trackers Adventure Campers are back for another adventure and this time they'll be travelling to a rainforest! Once they arrive in the dense, overgrown rainforest, the campers explore different levels of the ecosystem, including the forest floor and the canopy of leaves at the top of the forest. After a hike through the rainforest, the campers' fun adventure culminates as each kid takes a ride on a zip line, where they all get a bird's eye view of the entire rainforest! The Nature Trackers Adventure Campers are led by Mr. Conductor and Gilbert on a hike down a canyon where they can see the different layers of the Mesozoic Era! At first Lily Lambeosaurus is reluctant to go, thinking that a new adventure sounds hard, but Don convinces her that a new adventure can be worth the effort. At the bottom of the canyon, the kids play Dinoball and then dig for fossils. Each Nature Tracker goes home with an Ammonite fossil, and Lily is so glad she tried something new!
When a forest fire comes to woods not far from the family nest at Pteranodon Terrace, the family takes the Dinosaur Train to visit a nearby area where a fire has already been, and the Conductor leads the kids on a Nature Tracker hike through the woods to see how new life is growing back - even after the forest fire's devastation. Buddy and Tiny ride the Dinosaur Train for a playdate with their old friend Petey Peteinosaurus, and learn that the train has added a new Aviary Car, for their various flying passengers. Suddenly, they are joined by a lost bird named Judy Jehelornis, who was displaced by the recent forest fires, and can't remember where her home is. Buddy, Tiny, and Petey act as detectives to figure out from clues where Judy's home is, and the Conductor makes sure she's brought safely home on the train.
After Buddy, Tiny, Shiny and Don learn that it's Mr. Conductor's birthday, they decide to throw him a surprise party in his favorite place - the Dinosaur Train! The whole family plans the party, secretly riding the Rocket Train to pick up friends from all around the Mesozoic and gather ginkgo leaves for a special birthday cake. The party is a huge success - the Conductor is surprised and moved, and loves his tasty ginkgo leaf birthday cake. As the Pteranodon kids play in their family nest, Buddy stares at a sky full of clouds and asks the group, "What are clouds?" Mr. Pteranodon and his neighbor, Mr. Lambeosaurus, have different opinions. As they all get on the Dinosaur Train, they consider whether clouds are made of water or whether they're just made of fluff. Tiny knows who would have the facts--Mr. Conductor! He explains that clouds are made of billions of tiny drops of water that are so light they float in the air. He also takes the group to Cloudy Point Station where the kids play a cloud-spotting game, identifying the three types of clouds they learned about: cirrus, stratus, and cumulus. In the end, a rainstorm certainly proves that clouds are made of water!
Shiny gets over her fear of snakes when Tiny challenges the Nature Trackers to meet the ultimate snake: the Sanajeh, a huge Cretaceous snake from what is now India. Dad takes the kids on the Dinosaur Train to find Sana Sanajeh, who may be huge, but turns out to be quite friendly. Once Shiny and Sana become friends, Shiny returns home with the knowledge that snakes aren't scary - they're just another part of nature! Tiny is horrified when her favorite buttercups all wilt, so Mom takes her and the family to the Big Pond, where she remembers seeing a whole lot of buttercups in bloom. On the way there, the Conductor gives the kids a visual lesson in "Nature's Life Cycle," explaining how a flower grows, blossoms, then wilts, and returns its seeds to the ground, to start the cycle all over again. Tiny finds her flowers at the Big Pond, both blooming and wilting, and can see nature's life cycle in action.
When the Pteranodon family travels back to the North Pole, Don declares that it's his "winter wish" to see snow fall again. When a big blizzard comes, and even the Dinosaur Train gets snowed in, Don worries that his wish brought the blizzard. He's especially worried for his new friend, Soren Sauronitholestes, who is sitting on a nest of her eggs, out in the blizzard. But everything turns out all right: Dad explains that wishing for something doesn't make it happen, and the well-adapted, warm-blooded, feather-covered Soren successfully hatches her babies. While visiting the North Pole, the Conductor suggests that the family stop off at Aurora Borealis Station on an enormous frozen lake to see the Aurora Borealis, where the Northern Troodons celebrate a "Festival of Lights." While the kids wait for night to fall and view the Aurora Borealis, they work up an ice-skating show to entertain Mom and Dad. Everyone joins in to sing "Solstice Time is Here" and skate under the lights!
The Nature Trackers Adventure Campers are back for another adventure and this time they'll be travelling to a rainforest! Once they arrive in the dense, overgrown rainforest, the campers explore different levels of the ecosystem, including the forest floor and the canopy of leaves at the top of the forest. After a hike through the rainforest, the campers' fun adventure culminates as each kid takes a ride on a zip line, where they all get a bird's eye view of the entire rainforest! The Nature Trackers Adventure Campers are led by Mr. Conductor and Gilbert on a hike down a canyon where they can see the different layers of the Mesozoic Era! At first Lily Lambeosaurus is reluctant to go, thinking that a new adventure sounds hard, but Don convinces her that a new adventure can be worth the effort. At the bottom of the canyon, the kids play Dinoball and then dig for fossils. Each Nature Tracker goes home with an Ammonite fossil, and Lily is so glad she tried something new!
Our Pteranodon family accompanies Mr. Conductor to the Troodon Town Roundhouse to meet up with Thurston Troodon, the Rocket Train's conductor. They all soon learn that Tricia Troodon, a young hotshot conductor, actually invited everyone there to see her new train - the Solar Train! The kids learn that it's powered by the sun! To test the train's performance, the three Conductors, along with the help of Buddy, Tiny, Shiny and Don, race the Dinosaur Train, Thurston's Rocket Train and Tricia's new Solar Train to the Triassic! Buddy and Tiny give Elliot Enantiornithine, a first timer on the Dinosaur Train, a tour of the Train. When they go through Laura Giganotosaurus' car, she explains to them that today is her bird watching/drawing day, but she hasn't found a single bird to watch. But, there's Elliot. He hams it up for Laura, who watches and draws him. This is so fun that Buddy and Tiny bring Laura to meet another bird friend-- Arlene Archeopteryx. Then Arlene and Elliot introduce the kids and Laura to a new bird named Peng Protopteryx! It's a successful birdwatching/drawing day as all three birds are delighted to show off their unique feathers.
The kids visit the Big Pond to attend the Biome Block Party. While attempting to win the leaf-necklace contest, Keenan Chirostemotes claims the Pteranodon sibs can't compete for the prize for "dinosaur" with the most leaves because they are not dinosaurs. This launches the kids into a song called "That's Not a Dinosaur", as all the non-dinosaurs sing their piece. In the end, the game rules are changed to include all creatures, even non-dinosaurs, in all the contests! The Nature Trackers go on a visit to the Big Pond, where Tiny hopes to see her favorite flowers. The Conductor tells her that if the kids gather seeds at the pond, they can bring them home and plant a garden full of those same flowers at the family nest! The kids all get into it, gathering seeds and bringing them home, where they plant a garden, and meet its new inhabitants, including Sammy, a friendly slug, who explains that slugs, spiders, and butterflies all help to make a garden complete.
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