Our cousins visited from Alaska for two days, so we went on a couple field trips. Our favorite destination is the Austin Nature and Science Center. The highlight of the location is a huge pit of sand full of replicated dinosaur fossils for the children to discover. We could happily spend all day there! The children all worked together really well to uncover huge sections of skeletons.
Sarah remembered to bring a natural treasure to trade at the exchange desk. She brought a rock and the teacher at the desk helped her explore what mineral it was based on several observations they made together. She was rewarded points for her work and was allowed to 'shop' for a prize. She was quite happy to find a polished amethyst in the prize choices. Matthew was eager to participate, so when we went outside, he filled his pockets with as many rocks as he could possibly fit. The pockets bulged full of rock so much the fabric stretched! His pants were so heavy that he had to hold them up with his hands as he walked back to the exchange desk!
He was so proud of his 'loot' and was so excited to trade them. The lady helped him find out what types of rocks he had. His favorite experiment with the rocks was to find out if they were harder than a pane of glass. He was told to try to scratch the glass with his rock and see if a mark was made. That was definitely cool!
He traded a leaf, ball moss, and rocks for a fossilized oyster and a polished shell. It's possible to accumulate points and save up for a bigger prize, such as a animal skull, antelope horns, insect collections, etc. They sure enjoyed bringing home their treasure!
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