Flying Dinosaurs! A Prehistoric Sky Story for Kids

Yes, birds are dinosaurs, but pterosaurs weren't! Meet the amazing flyers of the prehistoric sky, from a giraffe-tall giant to one of the first birds. For kids 3–7+, free to preview.

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Get ready, dinosaur explorer — this time, don't look down. Look UP! Long, long ago, the prehistoric sky was full of amazing flying creatures. Some had wings wider than a whole classroom. Watch — a giant shadow sweeps across the ground!

People call these giants "flying dinosaurs." But here's a big surprise — some of them really were dinosaurs… and some weren't dinosaurs at all! How do we tell them apart? Come on — let's fly up and find out!

Every flyer up here has wings — but no two kinds made their wings the SAME way! Some stretched smooth skin, like a kite. Others grew soft, fluffy feathers, like a bird. Two totally different ways to fly. Let's go and meet them!

Up to the giant skin-winged flyers — or down into the feathery treetops? Where to first?

Are Birds Dinosaurs?

Yes. Birds are living dinosaurs: they evolved from small, feathered meat-eating dinosaurs, part of the same family tree as Velociraptor and T. rex. Archaeopteryx, which lived about 150 million years ago, is one of the earliest birds ever found, with feathers and wings like a bird but teeth and a long bony tail like a dinosaur. So the next time you see a pigeon, you're looking at a dinosaur.

Were Pterodactyls Dinosaurs?

No. "Pterodactyls," properly called pterosaurs, were flying reptiles that lived alongside the dinosaurs but belonged to a different group. Their wings were made of skin stretched from one very long finger, not feathers.

What Happens in the Story

In Flying Dinosaurs!, your child meets the most amazing flyers of the prehistoric sky, from Pteranodon to four-winged Microraptor, and chooses who to visit next. Four paths lead to four different endings:

Quetzalcoatlus, one of the biggest flying animals ever, as tall as a giraffe
Tupandactylus, with a crest bigger than the rest of its head
Yi qi, a tiny dinosaur with bat-like wings
Archaeopteryx, one of the very first birds

More Prehistoric Flyer Facts

Quetzalcoatlus probably took off by vaulting into the air on all four limbs.
Microraptor had feathered wings on its arms and its legs: four wings in all.
Pteranodon had no teeth at all. Its name means "toothless wing."
Yi qi's bat-like wings were an experiment that didn't last. Scientists think it glided rather than flapped.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the biggest flying animal ever?

Quetzalcoatlus was one of the biggest. Its wings stretched around 33 feet (10 meters) across, about as wide as a small plane, and standing on the ground it was as tall as a giraffe.