The birds and the bees do it. Humans do it too. Pollinate, that is. Hey, what did you think I was talking about? These and many other cool facts are waiting to be discovered right now at Science Central’s touring exhibit, ‘The Nature of Things.’
The exhibits, which were designed by Purdue University, are geared towards school-aged kids, and teach kids about the natural world around them. They are all bright, engaging, and interactive. For example, kids can check out what it’s like to be a bug by looking through compound eyes. Or they can be ‘tooth sleuths’ by checking out real mammal skulls and examining the teeth – just like real scientists. They’ll learn the teeth of a mammal and discover whether it’s a herbivore, carnivore, or omnivore.
There’s also a ‘story walk’ where kids can stroll along and read about the life stages of a butterfly. A different exhibit shows the salamander and how they help the environment, and yet another explains how amphibians differ from reptiles.
A large part of the exhibit is devoted to bees and teaches which types of bees are social and which ones are solitary, why pollination is so important, and what kinds of things are threats to bees.
While there, make sure you also check out the permanent exhibits like the high rail bike, the tidal pool, and of course, my kids’ got-to-do-it-every-time attraction, the giant slide.
If you go, ‘The Nature of Things’ runs through September 11. Science Central is open Monday through Saturday, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm and Sundays, 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm.
