Dinosaurs are taking over the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi this month
As part of its Dino Month programme, the museum is hosting a packed schedule of workshops, games, family activities and wellness experiences inspired by prehistoric life and the science that helps us understand it. Running throughout June, the programme is designed to engage visitors of all ages, from budding palaeontologists to families looking for a day out.
Here are some of the highlights to explore before the month comes to an end.
March of the Triceratops
With the exhibition closing on June 30, this is one of the final opportunities to experience March of the Triceratops, a major international exhibition developed by Naturalis Biodiversity Centre in the Netherlands.
The exhibition centres on the only known Triceratops herd ever discovered, bringing together more than 1,200 bones and fragments from five individual fossils excavated in Wyoming, US. Life-sized reconstructions, soundscapes and interactive displays place visitors in a prehistoric family scene, while highlights include an animatronic baby Triceratops and hands-on fossil discovery experiences.
Until June 30
Dinosaur Detectives: What Killed the Dinosaurs?
Held in the museum's Paleo Lab, this workshop invites visitors to investigate the extinction event that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago.
Participants examine evidence, explore competing theories and piece together clues surrounding one of science's greatest mysteries.
June 26 to 30 at 11am, 2pm and 5pm
Surviving the Darkness
What happened after the asteroid struck Earth?
This interactive experience explores the environmental collapse that followed the impact and the ways life adapted to survive. Through challenges and scientific exploration, participants discover how various species endured one of the most dramatic periods in the planet's history.
June 26 to 30 at noon, 2pm and 4pm
Survive Like a Dinosaur card game
Adaptation is at the heart of this educational card game, which challenges visitors to match dinosaur traits with environmental scenarios.
Designed for families and younger visitors, the activity introduces concepts of evolution and survival through gameplay and discussion.
Until June 30 at 11.30am, 1.30pm, 3.30pm and 5.30pm
Scales to Feathers
One of the most fascinating discoveries in palaeontology is that birds are living dinosaurs.
Using specimens from the museum's collection, participants explore the evolutionary link between prehistoric creatures and modern birds, examining the evidence that connects them across millions of years.
June 26 to 30 at 10.30am, 1.30pm, 3.30pm and 5.30pm
What's in a Name?
This workshop introduces visitors to the systems scientists use to classify and name everything from fossils to meteorites.
It offers an accessible look at taxonomy and explains how scientific naming helps researchers organise and understand the natural world.
June 26 to 30 at 10.30am, 1.30pm, 3.30pm and 5.30pm
Nature's Families: Bird Edition Game
Created as part of the UAE's Year of the Family celebrations, this collaborative experience encourages families to explore the museum together.
Participants receive cards featuring birds found in the Emirates and work together to identify family connections throughout the galleries while learning about local wildlife.
Weekends throughout June, at 11am, 1pm, 3pm, 5pm and 7pm
Constellation Light Lab
Dinosaurs may be the headline attraction, but younger visitors can also turn their attention to the stars.
This creative workshop allows children to build their own constellation viewers while learning about astronomy, storytelling and the science of the night sky.
Until June 30
Sun Printing and Build a Mini Exhibit
Two of the museum's hands-on creative activities encourage visitors to think like scientists and curators.
Sun Printing combines art and nature through photograms created using sunlight and natural materials, while Build a Mini Exhibit allows participants to create their own displays using specimen replicas and learn how museums tell stories through objects.
Until June 30
Wellness beneath the dinosaurs
Dino Month also includes a series of wellness experiences designed to help visitors reconnect with nature.
The programme features guided yoga sessions, including classes held beneath the museum's towering sauropod displays, as well as Morning of Wellness on International Yoga Day on June 21 and Under the Strawberry Moon, an evening of sound healing and reflection inspired by Earth's natural rhythms.
Until June 30
