Stegosaurus' Spiky Parade: A Dinosaur Story for Kids
Nobody knows for sure what Stegosaurus' plates were for! Follow one through the Jurassic and explore the clues. For kids 3–7+, free to preview.
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Back in time we go — WAY back to the Jurassic! This is long, long before T-Rex. He won't stomp around for another eighty MILLION years! Now look — what are those strange diamond shapes poking up above the bushes?
Let's get closer... it's a STEGOSAURUS! Say it with me — STEG-oh-SOR-us! See those diamond shapes? They're PLATES — big slabs of bone, zigzagging all the way down his back — SEVENTEEN of them!
Look at the rest of him! His back legs are tall but his front legs are short — so his head hangs LOW to the ground. And are those... FOUR sharp spikes on his tail?! He's the spikiest dinosaur we've EVER seen!
He's chomping on some ferns. Where is he headed?
Why Did Stegosaurus Have Plates?
Nobody knows for sure, and that's what makes them so interesting. Stegosaurus had 17 bony plates in two alternating rows down its back. They were too thin to work well as armor, so most scientists think they were for display: for showing off, or for helping Stegosaurus recognize each other. The plates were also full of blood vessels, which has led some scientists to wonder whether they helped with warming up and cooling down, or even flushed with color.
What Happens in the Story
In Stegosaurus' Spiky Parade, your child follows a Stegosaurus through the Late Jurassic, about 150 million years ago, and chooses where he goes next. Four paths lead to four different endings:
Take a close look at his plates in the sunshine, and the ideas about what they were for
Watch the plates wobble as he walks, and find out why
Meet a second Stegosaurus, and spot how no two sets of plates are the same
Find a shady tree and watch a very heavy dinosaur settle down to rest
More Stegosaurus Facts
Its plates weren't attached to its skeleton: they grew in its skin.
Its back legs were longer than its front legs, so its head hung low, perfect for munching low plants.
Its brain was only about the size of a walnut.
Frequently Asked Questions
What were the Stegosaurus tail spikes for?
Defense. Stegosaurus could swing its four tail spikes to keep hungry predators away, and one Allosaurus bone has even been found with a hole that matches the shape of a Stegosaurus spike.
Did Stegosaurus live at the same time as T. rex?
No, and not even close. Stegosaurus lived about 80 million years before T. rex. That means T. rex actually lived closer in time to us than to Stegosaurus!
More Dinosaur Stories
Meet its Jurassic neighbor in Brachiosaurus' Treetop View, or browse all our dinosaur stories for kids.
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