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[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"39160","attributes":{"class":"media-image","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","title":"Explorer","alt":"Explorer"}}]]What’s that? Check this out. The Amos’s have been exploring together for a while. I am a fossil hunter and have taken my daughter on lots of real fossil digs in Kansas and Michigan. When the eyes go wide and the questions fly. That is when you know that this is an experience. That is what the Children's Museum of Indianapolis is all about.
When we moved back to Indianapolis, one of the first things we did was go to The Children’s Museum. We had not been there for almost eight years. Remember Cine dome? I have a picture of her playing on the water table when she was only about 10 months old. We loved the info zone. We would get books weekly and loved the atmosphere.
Now fast forward several years. We were blown away by the dinosaur exhibits. She liked the little fossil dig but it brought back memories of our digs. I have shown her fossils from my friends but it is different when it is in a museum. You have access to fossils I can only dream about. The size and scope of the collections are really impressive. One of the best things we saw was the Dino Lab. Sadly, on our fossil digs we used chain saws to move the earth. We were dirty and covered in mud. It was a stark contrast to the lab. We noticed that on that day, all the workers in there were woman. She was trying to figure out why they were using such fine instruments since we were so rough on our digs. That made a big impression on my daughter.
Science is not about just facts and numbers. Science is about wonder. Science is about asking the questions and finding out why. If schools cannot foster the correct atmosphere, it is up to parents to bring that to their kids. It is really hard to bring so many different experiences to kids. Museums are the key to getting kids excited about the world around them and getting them to explore for more.
Name: Kimberly Amos
When we moved back to Indianapolis, one of the first things we did was go to The Children’s Museum. We had not been there for almost eight years. Remember Cine dome? I have a picture of her playing on the water table when she was only about 10 months old. We loved the info zone. We would get books weekly and loved the atmosphere.
Now fast forward several years. We were blown away by the dinosaur exhibits. She liked the little fossil dig but it brought back memories of our digs. I have shown her fossils from my friends but it is different when it is in a museum. You have access to fossils I can only dream about. The size and scope of the collections are really impressive. One of the best things we saw was the Dino Lab. Sadly, on our fossil digs we used chain saws to move the earth. We were dirty and covered in mud. It was a stark contrast to the lab. We noticed that on that day, all the workers in there were woman. She was trying to figure out why they were using such fine instruments since we were so rough on our digs. That made a big impression on my daughter.
Science is not about just facts and numbers. Science is about wonder. Science is about asking the questions and finding out why. If schools cannot foster the correct atmosphere, it is up to parents to bring that to their kids. It is really hard to bring so many different experiences to kids. Museums are the key to getting kids excited about the world around them and getting them to explore for more.
Name: Kimberly Amos
