We have a growing collection of sticks, rocks, feathers and other items collected on our various wanders. We could say it’s just the kids, but TRMom and TRDad are just as likely as anyone to spot a cool something and pick it up for inspection. We’ve started to dub our ever-growing collection “The Museum.” And like any other museum, it offers learning opportunities to those who pause to check it out.
Primarily located on a window sill on our back porch, the Museum houses many natural wonders, which our chief curator Bluey will gladly interpret. There’s a bird skull from the parking lot of his swim class, the honey comb we found on the bike path. We have many cool rocks from various parts of the country, and feathers from many birds- especially birds of prey and turkeys, both of which live in our neighborhood.
Recently, we found a part of a mammal’s lower mandible on our way to the library. This triggered a full-on investigation about what animal it may have come from. Bluey offered his own hypotheses, and disproved several contenders by examining animals we had on hand: the cats and the dog. An internet call-out to our friends who are animal experts and outdoorsy types offered a number of leads.
We finally decided to head to a nearby state park to compare our sample with their small display of various skeletons. It has been a great investigation. We have thoroughly enjoyed all the related conversations about what foods the animal might have eaten, and how it came to be in our neighborhood.
All from our Museum collection.
So we encourage you to let your kiddoes bring home their finds. And to keep them, study them and learn from them. Start your own museum.