The 22 roaring residents of The O2′s Dinosaurs Unleashed exhibition are getting a make-over in time for the summer holidays. The animatronic dinosaurs are more lifelike than ever thanks to a lick of paint on their claws, a thorough polish of their teeth and a bit of voice box tweaking!

The dinosaurs are joined by some real-life reptiles, a falconry show and an origami expert who will show you how to make a paper dinosaur. Plus, there’s a chance to win your own dinosaur by entering the Dinosaurs Unleashed competition which is raising money for Richard House Children’s Hospice.

Dinosaurs Unleashed, The O2, until 31 Dec 2011. Book tickets

As Visit London’s official dinosaur correspondent, I can announce that from today, there are Dinosaurs Unleashed on Oxford Street (just across the road from Selfridges!)

Last night, I was lucky enough to get a preview of what’s been brought from the Mesozoic to the 21st century.

There are 24 life-size dinosaurs, ranging from the small Velociraptors to the huge Diplodocus, taking in all the favourites such as Stegosaurus, Triceratops and, of course, T. rex.

They are arranged into three zones, one each for the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous as well as a virtual aquarium which uses CGI to bring the ancient seas to life.

The Jurassic area, the largest, is outside and has transformed part of central London into a primeval jungle. It isn’t hard to imagine the dinosaurs breaking down the walls and going shopping in Primark… Don’t forget to keep you eyes open for the Deinosuchus — that’s a giant crocodile — just before you leave the jungle and head into the aquarium.

It’s fascinating for dinosaur fans of any age. There’s more photos in the Visit London Flickr pool.

Dinosaurs Unleashed is open until 30 April 2010 at Parklife Oxford Street. You can book Dinosaurs Unleashed tickets here.