Museums: The Denver Museum of Nature and Science

The Denver Nature and Science Center is a great place for your little one to explore nature through out time… with exhibits displaying large dinosaurs of prehistoric times (I mean what little explorer doesn’t like dinosaurs? and you can even talk to a real paleontologist !)

To their modern day ancestors like the powerful birds of prey…

There is a fantastic geology section where you can learn about the rocks that make up our world.

My little explorer really enjoyed the interactive displays where you can see the world through the eyes of a snake… COOL!

Walking and reading the signs with your little explorer will open their minds to big thoughts :o)

This museum also participates in the Blue Star Museums Program that offers large discounts and often free admission for military families from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Museums :The Cosmosphere

"Museums, how I love thee, let me count the ways..."

What better way to have an adventure than in a climate controlled, information saturated, visually stimulating museum?!

  

We took a Froggy Hero field trip to the Cosmosphere: Space and Science Museum. The kids were able to see and stand in real space equipment!

 There was a rocket and launch pad outside that sparked the imagination of my little ones... who knows, there may be a budding astronaut in the house :oD

Astronauts:
There is more to being an astronaut than just walking on the moon. Some astronauts repair spacecrafts and equipment while others work on science experiments and study the stars. Math and Sciences like Chemistry (the study of matter), Meteorology (the study of weather)  and Geology (the study of rocks) are important for this job.

for more information check out NASA and look over their missions... they'er really cool!

Nature All Around

It is time for NATURE WALKS! 

The weather is nice and the animals are up, so put on your walking shoes and explore the great outdoors. We enjoy going to the local nature center when it is still cool in the morning and heavily populated with quiet elderly strollers.

We like the fact that there is safety in numbers and that everyone is quiet enough not to scare the animals away. The kids get to see nature in action... a value educational experience.
...plus our nature center is free :oD

*Great Froggy Heroes Activity*

Dino Dig in the Kitchen

Who knows what it feels like to have "Dino Crazy Kids" and live nowhere near an excavation site...?

Never fear, the Kitchen is here?

We made a mini excavation site right in the kitchen with a large plastic container that we filled with rice (but I think grits would have worked better... they look more like sand)  then I buried toy dinosaurs in the rice and gave the kids paint brushes and told them to discover the dinosaurs in the "dirt" ...

... they had a blast, I had to clean up a mess... but the looks on their faces was so worth it :oD

Discovery + Exploration  + Education = FUN

Tip:
This activity is also fun if you replace the toy dinosaurs with different sized uncooked pasta and after the kids dig up the "pasta dinosaur bones" they can create a "pasta dinosaur" on a piece of construction paper.

Making Dino Poop!

I was in the toy store and saw "Dinosaur Train Poop Kit" and thought, "Are they really selling poop to kids?" No! They are selling an awesome exploration and scientific experience. So you know we went home and made it.

Using this homemade Play Dough recipe:

• 2 cups of flour
• 1 cup of salt
• 2 cups of water
• 1/2 cup of oil
• 4 teaspoons of cream of tartar
• Green, Blue Yellow, and Red food coloring

Mix all the ingredients in a large saucepan mixing until almost smooth, and add the food coloring until you get the color you want, I favored the green... and keep in mind that it will get darker when it is cooked.

Then cook it on the stove over medium heat, and stirring it the whole time, it will start to thicken, and you just keep stirring. Remove when it looks like play dough and allow to cool. Store in an air tight container.

We found some dinosaur skeleton toys at the Dollar Store, two in a pack! Then we wrapped them in the  play dough... plastic leaves would also work well if your dinosaur is a herbivore. 

He has been hands deep in dinosaur poop all afternoon! :oD