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Denver Museum of Nature and Science – field trip

Denver Museum of Nature and Science – field trip

One of the joys of living next to a large city, is the many places that you can go on field trips.  Denver has a multitude of museums that we can choose from.  One of our favorite museums is the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. We love it so much, we bought a membership for the family.

The Denver Museum of Nature and Science has wonderful programs and Imax movies that they play.  The one we saw yesterday was the Journey to the South Pacific. It is a beautiful story of a boy growing up in the islands of the South Pacific, discovering and learning all about the sea life that surrounds him.  We are looking forward to seeing the other Imax movies they have showing at this time.

Kids at the Shuttle docking game.

Kids at the Shuttle docking game.

Another favorite area of the museum, is the Space Odyssey section.  This area covers anything and everything that you want to learn about Space.  My kids love to sit at the Shuttle docking game and try to park the space shuttle.  I also love the many workers and volunteers that talk with the kids and let them ask any question.

Sarah and Claire checking out the seals.

Sarah and Claire checking out the seals.

I think my favorite area is the Wildlife section.  They have different animals from around the local area, to the whole United States and even animals from around the world.  The kids can read about these animals, look at what their habitat looks like and see what all they eat.

Sarah and Samuel talking about the Walrus'.

Sarah and Samuel talking about the Walrus’.

While we haven’t seen some of these animals alive, like the walrus and sea lion,

Claire reading about the Bison.

Claire reading about the Bison.

in the area we live in, we have seen live bison,

Samuel reading about the Elk.

Samuel reading about the Elk.

elk and deer.  In fact, we see these often when we ride through the Rocky Mountains.

Kids reading about animal scat.

Kids reading about animal scat.

We enjoyed this little impromptu field trip.  I love going places with the kids like this.  There is so much hands on learning and it really does bring education and learning to life.  If you ever do get out to Denver, CO, I highly recommend going to this museum.

Denver Aquarium ~ field trip

Denver Aquarium ~ field trip

Yesterday, they kids and I went to the Denver Aquarium with some others from our homeschool group. The Denver Aquarium held classes for 3 different age groups, for our kids.  My younger kids went to the “Sensational Sharks” class and my oldest went to the class that took them behind the scenes of the Aquarium. They learned all about how the aquarium operates and how they take care of all the fish and animals that live there.

One of the reasons why I enjoyed this aquarium so much, is the way they have everything split up.  They have several different exhibits split up into North America, In the Desert, Under the Sea, At the Wharf, The Rainforest, Coral Lagoon, Sunken Temple, Shipwrecked and At the Beach.

The kids and I had a wonderful time and can not wait to go back.  I took almost 700 pictures.  It was so hard to choose which ones to share with y’all.  I hope you enjoy the ones I chose.

The snapping turtle they have, is one of the largest I have ever seen.  He was HUGE.  I loved watching him, as he swam in the tank.

snapping tutle

snapping tutle

They also have soft shell turtles.  This one just looked so peaceful as he swam.  He just glided through the water.

soft shell turtle

soft shell turtle

Obviously, since it is an aquarium, they have an abundance of fish.  The colors of some of the fish are so vibrant. They are just beautiful.

fish

fish

I have always been fascinated with sea horses. They are very unique creatures.

sea horses

sea horses

the aquarium also had a lot of different stingrays.  They would swim up to the glass and it looked like they watched you as you walked by.  We saw one that looked like he was smiling at us.

stingray

stingray

The tank with the starfish and sea cucumbers was pretty cool.  I didn’t know that the starfish came in so many different colors.

starfish

starfish

It was fun to look around at all the different exhibits.  Some of the fish liked to hide and keep sheltered by the plants and coral.

fish

fish

My oldest daughter was fascinated with the ones that were hidden.  She had fun trying to locate them in the exhibits.

Sarah looking at fish

Sarah looking at fish

The younger kids couldn’t get over that the piranha tank didn’t have a lid on it.  They were certain that the piranha’s could jump put of the tank.  They also noticed how thick the glass was for the tank.  They were happy that the fish wouldn’t be jumping out.

Samuel and Claire looking at Piranhas

Samuel and Claire looking at Piranhas

I think we were all surprised to see the tiger at the aquarium.  They actually have several tigers on display, but we only saw one. He was just hanging out, watching everyone walk by.

tiger

tiger

Ever since the movie “Nemo”, my kids always enjoy looking for the Nemo and Dory fishes.

clown fish

clown fish

A highlight of the was the shark tank.  I was surprised by the amount of sharks they had AND the size of some of the sharks.  They have a few sharks that are up to 10 feet long.  The aquarium doesn’t look that big on the outside, but it is fairly large.  We were able to watch them feed the sharks.  You would think the sharks would have plenty to eat with all the other fish that are in the tanks, but they do feed the sharks with fish that they bring in.

shark

shark

We enjoyed watching the sharks and watching all the other fish.  It is really neat to see and learn about the different types of sharks and fish that live together and don’t bother each other.

shark

shark

The jelly fish had tanks of their own.  They were beautiful to watch, just floating around.

jelly fish

jelly fish

I am so glad that we were able to go to the Denver Aquarium. I am looking forward to going back again, soon.  We have talked about getting a membership, so that we can go as often as we want to.  My oldest daughter, also saw that she will be able to volunteer when she turns 17.  She is counting down the days, until her next birthday.  Yes, I do think this will be a place we will visit often, together, as a family.

Have you been to an aquarium before?  What sea creature do you like the best?

Colorado Symphony ~ field trip

Colorado Symphony ~ field trip

A couple of weeks ago, the kids and I were able to attend a program for kids, put on by the Colorado Symphony.  We went to a program last year and loved it, so the kids and I were really excited about the concert this year.  Music is a big part of our family and any time we have a chance to experience different types of music, we do our best to attend.

Colorado Symphony

Colorado Symphony

This year, the Colorado Symphony played a tribute to Latin Music, Musica Latina: A Symphonic Celebration of the Americas.  The conductor, Scott O’neil did an amazing job explaining the different types of beats and rhythm of the songs they played.  I was truly excited, because I had never heard any of the composers or songs that the did play.

In the hour long program, they played 7 songs; Alberto Ginastera -“Los trabajadores agricolas” from Estancia, Silvestre Revueltas – Sensemayá, Arturo Marquez – Danzon No. 2, Joaquin Rodrigo – Allegro con spirito from Concierto de Aranjuez for guitar, Traditional – El Mosquito, Jose Pablo MoncayoHuapango, Alberto Ginastera – “Malambo” from Estancia.

Samuel and Claire waiting for the concert to start.

Samuel and Claire waiting for the concert to start.

Once the music started, Scott O’Neil and the Symphony held our attention to the very last note.  From the beautiful solos of the guitar and the percussionist playing an all wooden Marimba, the sound was truly amazing.  We are truly blessed living in an area, where we can experience the sounds of other cultures.

I highly recommend checking in your area, to see if their is a program like this.  It is truly an experience that you soon won’t forget and will be counting down the time, until you can attend another program, like it.  I know our family is looking forward to being able to attend another concert soon.

 

Denver Zoo field trip

Denver Zoo field trip

We went to the Denver Zoo last year, about this time and we were finally able to go back to visit.  The Denver Zoo is becoming one of my favorite places to visit with the kids.  Yesterday, it was a free day to visit and this is when a lot people take advantage to enjoy seeing all the zoo has to offer.  They also tend to have more volunteers available for the kids to talk with and ask questions.

The kids and I met up with some friends and headed to the Feline section first.  We missed this area the last time we visited, so we wanted to be sure we made it this trip.  I always love seeing the big cats.  They always seem so quiet and graceful, yet I know they are predators and can be aggressive.

Leopard was waiting for a treat.

Leopard was waiting for a treat.

After we left the Feline area, we walked to the giraffes enclosure.  The last time we saw the giraffes, there had recently been a baby.  We saw the baby and several others.  They were all out in the little sunshine that we had and was eating away at their lunch.

Giraffe eating lunch.

Giraffe eating lunch.

The next place we visited was the tropical building.  Oh boy, that place was so humid, it brought back memories of Florida!  It is always neat to see habitats and animals from the place that I grew up.  There are also other many animals from all over the world.

Nemo playing peek-a-boo.

Nemo playing peek-a-boo.

The kids enjoyed seeing fish they recognized from Finding Nemo.  They saw the Clown Fish and Regal Blue Tang.

Dory just keeps swimming.

Dory just keeps swimming.

The polar bears were enjoying the cooler weather and taking a nap when we were walking by.

Polar bear taking a nap.

Polar bear taking a nap.

We learned a little about the Komodo Dragon that the zoo has.  His name is Castor and he is 19 years old.  He is having some joint issues and has to take inflammatory medicine to help him move.

Castor the Komodo Dragon taking a dip in his pool.

Castor the Komodo Dragon taking a dip in his pool.

This crocodile was showing off for us.  I loved how big he opened up his mouth.  It was like he was telling us that he was big and powerful.

Crocodile showing off his teeth.

Crocodile showing off his teeth.

One of the great things about the zoo, is they have volunteers that are in different areas, taking the time to teach the kids about the animals.  This lady was at the Camel exhibit and was telling the kids about the humps on the camels and why they have them.

Kids getting a lesson on camels.

Kids getting a lesson on camels.

I think one of the highlights of this zoo trip was the rhinoceros. He was playing with a bucket that was hanging from the tree.  He was so funny!  He would hit it with his head and it would swing and when it came falling back to him, he would it it again!  It got stuck at one time and he got so upset that he could hit the bucket.  He jumped up and down and turned around, then hit the tree and the bucket fell loose and he kept hitting it. We had a good laugh watching him.

Rhino playing with a bucket.

Rhino playing with a bucket.

I loved this picture of the kids.  They were all standing at the sign that talks about the animal.  I am not even for sure what animal we were looking at, but they were so interested in it.  I loved being with the kids.  They were so wonderful while we were at the zoo.  They asked questions and were attentive when the zoo workers asked them questions.

Kids looking at some animals.

Kids looking at some animals.

I am so thankful that the Denver Zoo has free days for people to attend.  We plan on going back in a couple of weeks with more friends.  We also plan on buying a membership to the zoo.  This is a place that I see us going to a lot more.

What is your favorite animal?  Do you have a zoo in your area?  What do you love about it the most?  I can’t wait for you to share with us!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Forney Transportation Museum ~ field trip

Forney Transportation Museum ~ field trip

Our family loves looking at old cars, trucks and basically anything on wheels.  We were so excited to go to the Forney Transportation Museum in Denver, Colorado. When we first arrived at the museum, they told us a little about the history and where some of the cars came from.  Then we were free to roam the huge warehouse that was loaded with some really unique, odd and old vehicles.

This field trip was several months ago and I am just now sharing it with you all.  I chose some of the vehicles that stood out to me the most.  They even had bicycles, motorcycles, carriages and stage coaches!  I hope you enjoy the pictures!

Forney Museum sign

Forney Museum sign

kids looking at a car

kids looking at a car

Steam Train

Steam Train

Amelia Earhart owned a car just like this one.

Amelia Earhart owned a car just like this one.

I think these were Ford cars.

I think these were Ford cars.

Truck

Truck

Motorcycle and sidecar

Motorcycle and sidecar

bicycles

bicycles

odd cars

a covered wagon like the one Buffalo Bill used in his WIld West Shows

a covered wagon like the one Buffalo Bill used in his WIld West Shows

As you can tell, they really had a variety of trains, cars, trucks, bicycles and motorcycles.  Basically, if it had wheels, they show it off in this amazing museum.  We enjoyed this place a lot.  The history that they have underneath one roof is truly amazing.  The kids and I are wanting to go back and take their dad with us.  We know he would enjoy it as much as we did.  The transportation museum is a great field trip to go with the family.  There is something there for the whole family.

Have you ever been to a Transportation Museum?  What is your favorite old vehicle?  Is it a truck?  Car?  I must say, I really enjoyed looking at the carriages and covered wagons!