Looking for kids’ activities to brighten up these foggy Sacramento days? Dinosaurs, rocks, and fossils are a sure-fire way to capture the imagination of youngsters of all ages. Grab your camera, put the kids in the car, and head over to the Discovery Museum Science & Space Center to enjoy “Gee Whiz Geology!”
Start the adventure by learning about two pioneers in the science of paleontology, and how they determined that the “devil’s toenails” and “snakestones” dug up in fields were really the remains of mysterious creatures from long, long ago.
Mary Anning was only 12 years old in 1811, when she discovered the fossil of a complete Icthyosaur, and embarked on her life-long paleontological career. A determined woman far ahead of her time, “the Princess of Paleontology” triumphed over the overwhelming odds of ignorance, poverty – and being a woman -- to become a respected and honored scientist in the fields of paleontology and geology. She supported her family by selling fossilized seashells to tourists, while she advanced the science of paleontology by discovering, collecting, and documenting new dinosaur species. These became the foundation of some of the most important dinosaur collections in Britain, Europe, and America. If you think you’ve never heard of Mary Anning, almost everyone is familiar with a poem that was written about her: “She sells seashells down by the seashore….”
You might find something familiar about Roy Chapman Andrews, too: many people believe he was the inspiration for “Indiana Jones,” and some of his real-life adventures certainly seem ready-made for movies. Traveling on fossil-collecting expeditions throughout Asia during World War I, he was actually a secret agent for U.S. Naval Intelligence, collecting information on troop movements, communications, and armaments. Armed to the teeth in the course of his workday, he fought bandits, enemy soldiers, wild animals, corrupt officials, and hostile natural environments. But throughout his ground-breaking expeditions, he was also a very serious scientist, carefully documenting his discoveries, which include the first dinosaur eggs and the first Velociraptor fossils. And yes, he really was afraid of snakes, stemming from a rather bad experience in a place he ultimately referred to as “Viper Camp.”
While learning all of this and more about these fascinating paleontologists, kids can dress up as Roy Chapman Andrews or Mary Anning, using the Museum’s new multi-size costume collection featuring long skirts and capes for Mary Anning and leather jackets and outback hats for Roy Chapman Andrews.
But wait, there’s more! Once visitors grasp the extreme hardships that early paleontologists and geologists experienced in founding these sciences, it’s time to enjoy the fruits of their labors. The hands-on exhibit features lots of rocks, fossils, crystals, dinosaur bones, models, and more to explore. (Even volcanoes!) Who knows – maybe there’s a young Mary Anning or Roy Chapman Andrews who will be inspired to become the next groundbreaking scientific explorer!