Preschool Gathering: The Race to Space

Thank you to everyone who came out for our Preschool Gathering today we had a lot of space-tacular fun!

Today we read a Dr.Seuss book about space! We then wrote out own funny space story by filling in the blanks with random words! It turned out really silly! We then raced against the clock in our Astronaut Training course! The kids had to jump over hurdles, crawl through tunnels, and complete various tasks at each station! I think we may have some future astronauts on our hands! 😉

After completing their training, they wound down with a space themed craft! Comets on a stick was pretty popular! They were able to run around and let their comet tails fly!

Join us this Thursday at 10am for our next Preschool Gathering! We'll be learning about plants and how they grow! The kids will even be able to plant some seeds to take home!

Next week, our themes are Oh the Pets You Can Get on Tuesday (a lesson on different pets and their care; this includes hands on animal encounters), and Inside Your Outside on Thursday (a lesson on the human body with the help of Sally our Skeleton)!

Preschool Gathering: Fun and Exploration

 Sometimes parents need a moment to themself. A time to drink their morning coffee and relax or catch up with friends! That is why we started our Preschool Gathering program! Parents can bring their littles (older children are welcome as well) and relax in the Bistro while we do activities with the kids! This happens every Tuesday and Thursday from 10-11am or 11:30 depending on the activities planned!

This Thursday our theme was Super Sharks! We read "Hark a Shark!" After the book we saw and compared different types of Shark Teeth! The kids were able to touch and feel each one. Once we were finished with the hands on discovery we made a shark themed craft! This time we made a chomping shark out of a clothes pin and some paper! 

Next week, we'll be learning about Space on Tuesday and Plants on Thursday! Each day we'll read a book, do a hands on and interactive activity, and we'll make a craft! Join us for the fun!

Snake Fun!

Thank you to everyone who came out for our snake event yesterday! It was so much fun having everyone there! 

This Wednesday we learned about 5 different snake families and the native snakes of Nebraska! We looked at each type of snake through an interactive website and learned about what makes each family of snakes unique! 

After learning about the different snake families, we looked at some of Nebraska's native snakes! The kids were challenged to look at each one and determine what family it belonged to! The kids did very well and got almost all of them right including the 4 Venomous Snakes of Nebraska which include our native Pit Viper, the Massasauga! 

                           

The kids then got to handle some of our live snakes, including Hector the Dwarf Boa! We compared each snake and used their physical characteristics to sort them into family groups! The kids loved holding the snakes and experiencing how they felt and looked, up close! We then looked at sheds from different snakes including a Burmese Python shed, which is one of the longest species of snakes in the world and compared them! We attempted to do a shed rubbing but did not have a lot of success with that! We learned that our method did not work and that we'll have to try something a bit different the next time. Despite the rubbing not working, many of the kids turned their attempted rubbings into scribble snakes and classified them into one of the families we learned about! 

                                                 

Lastly, we did a snake craft! Each one colored and decorated their snake and were able to take them home! It was a lot of fun seeing the kids work together and create using everything that they learned!

Join us next Wednesday, March 1st, at 11am for our Duct Tape Warfare Event! We'll be learning about the French Short Sword, the Baselard, and will use Duct Tape, Pool Noodles, and more to create our own Baselard Short Sword and re-enact a battle using them! We hope to see you there for more fun and exploration!

- The Sticks Stones and Bonez Team 

God of Hope

 

Fitzsimons Thick-Toed Gecko

This Herp-Day Thursday's Special Feature is the Fitzsimons Thick-Toed Gecko, Chondrodactylus fitzsimonsi (Read through the whole post for a special surprise)! This species is one of 6 known species in the genus Chondrodactylus! Once thought to be a sub-species of Chondrodactylus laevigatus, it was determined to be its own species in 1995.

Towards the palm of the hand: Marsh, our male. On the fingers: Mallow, our female.

Fitzsimons Geckos are an African gecko endemic to 

a small portion of Angola and Nambia. 

They live in the savannah and semidesert areas, where there are rock outcroppings for them to climb and hide in. They are communal, generally found in groups consisting of a male and multiple females. 

Here at Sticks Stones and Bonez, we have a pair of Fitzsimons Geckos. Not much is known about their care in captivity, so we've based our care on their wild habitat as best as possible. Mimicking their natural environment is the best way to provide proper husbandry. We provide a daytime ambient temperature of 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit with a basking spot of about 90 degrees Fahrenheit. They are misted daily and seem to prefer drinking droplets of water from plant leaves over drinking from a bowl. They prefer to not be handled and can be shy. Their diet consists of a variety of insects including mealworms, waxworms, crickets, and roaches.

Now for the surprise! Our pair of Fitzsimon Geckos, Marsh & Mallow, just hatched out babies! Their names are S'more (February 4th) and Hersey (February 5th)! Both babies are doing well so far and have completed their first sheds! You can stop by and see them during regular museum hours!

Encourage One Another

 

The Mourning Gecko

Here at Sticks Stones and Bonez we have a variety of creatures, mainly reptiles, that reside here to help educate our patrons on a variety of topics!

Among these creatures are our Mourning Geckos. These small Geckos, averaging around 3.5" long, are especially interesting! Here are 8 interesting facts about Mourning Geckos!

1. Mourning Geckos are Omnivores! They eat insects, fruit, and nectar.

2. Despite their small size, Mourning Geckos can live to be 10 years old! 

3. Mourning Geckos can be found over a very wide range. They can be found in Southern Asia, Southern Regions of North America, Central America, Northern regions of South America, as well as many Islands including Hawaii!

4. Mourning Geckos are cathemeral! This means that they are active during both day and night at irregular times.

5. Almost all Mourning Geckos are female! Mourning Geckos reproduce by Parthenogenesis. This is a type of asexual reproduction which means they do not require a male to reproduce. Occasionally male offspring are born, but they are infertile!

6. Mourning Gecko eggs are saltwater tolerant which allows them to live in such a wide variety of areas.

7. Mourning Geckos lack eyelids. They clean and moisten their eyes with their tongues.

8. Mourning Geckos can regrow their tail if it becomes broken or is bitten off.

Check back next week for another Herp-day Thursday!