My five-year-old and I made the decision to visit Denver's Museum of Nature and Science for an entertaining and instructive excursion. As a mother, I'm constantly searching for activities that will pique my child's interest, and I thought this museum was the ideal setting. As soon as we entered the museum, we were drawn to the enormous Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton that loomed over us. My child's expression brightened. They pointed up, gasping, "Whoa, it's HUGE!" Their eyes were so wide, obviously in amazement of the size of this ancient predator, that I couldn't help but giggle. With a tug on my hand, they quipped, "I bet it could eat a whole car!"
For the next half hour, we looked at the fossils and learned about the prehistoric animals that once inhabited the earth in the Prehistoric Journey exhibit. My child's level of engagement as we studied various eras, from the Triassic to the Cretaceous, was amazing. “Look, Mom! Clearly recalling our last visit, they exclaimed, "It's the Stegosaurus—with the plates on its back!" with excitement.
After that, we went to the Discovery Zone, an amazing interactive space created to help children learn about science via play. "Look, mom! "A rocket!" my child exclaimed as he ran toward an interactive display where children could launch a miniature rocket. It was a fantastic method for children to see how science and enjoyment are related.
At one point, my child was standing in front of a screen that showed how big Jupiter is in relation to Earth. Jupiter is so large! They cried in utter amazement at the enormity of it all, "We could fit like 1,000 Earths in it!" I must admit that even I was struck by how humbled I felt when I considered the size of the cosmos.
We went to the Animal Exhibits after finishing the space exhibits, which were also very popular. Because my child always prefers animals with large teeth or claws, we ended up spending a lot of time in front of the dioramas of African and North American mammals.
“Look, Mom! Pointing to the intricate display of the powerful animal, they said, "A large lion. Lions live in groups known as prides, which we discussed. My youngster inquired, bending their head carefully, "Do you think lions play with their babies, like we play tag?" The idea of a lion cub pursuing its siblings in the wild made me giggle. "I bet they do," I said.
We learned a lot and had a great time on our trip to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. It served as a lovely reminder of the surprise and delight that come from seeing the world through a child's eyes. And I'm incredibly thankful for the chance to spend these times with my child.