Saturday morning after the usual donuts for breakfast, we made an impromptu decision to head to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History for the new Smokey Bear and Woodsy Owl exhibit. We were gifted a family membership before moving to town and have yet to make a dent in all the the museum offers.
I knew that the exhibit was supposed to focus on good stewardship to the environment, recycling, fire safety, etc., but wasn’t aware of how interactive it was. Absolutely perfect for children, even with a wide range of ages.
All three members of the menagerie loved being in this boat, completely with life jackets, and fishing. After their big catch, they were able to match the fish to a key in the boat letting them know what species it was. Not surprisingly, the girls loved the Rainbow Trout fish the best because their scales looked like rainbows.
As a mama, I LOVED this part of the exhibit that detailed what happens to rain as it evaporates and the process of coming back as rain again, including a water barrel. I was just trying to explain this process to the girls a couple of weeks ago so having something so hands-on to illustrate the process was amazing.
Carson loved climbing through this mock hollowed out tree. Back and forth. Back and forth.
Camryn mastered the climbing wall thanks to practice from the one that they have at school.
My second favorite part of the exhibit was this mock campfire where you were able to roast marshmallows. Before heading to another part of the exhibit, you were encouraged to put out your fire by tipping the top red bucket in the direction of the fire. In doing so, you were reward by the sound of water and sizzling embers.
The Smokey Bear and Woodsy Owl: Home Sweet Home exhibit is at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History through January 19, 2014. We’ve already made plans to go back.
After the exhibit, we headed outside to see the live animals on display – an amazing feature of the museum. Camryn was thrilled that we got an up close look at the peregrine falcon, who was headed back to his enclosure. Thanks to many episodes of Wild Kratts on PBS, it’s one of her favorite animals.
We’ve been the museum twice now and still don’t feel that we’ve made a dent in everything it has to offer. So glad we have an entire yet to experience it at our leisure!
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Disclosure : I was not compensated in any way for this post. I simply want to share more about our experiences at local Cleveland events and attractions with others.
Mara says