Families ‘dig’ Museum of the Gulf Coast
Published 1:36 pm Saturday, October 17, 2015
- Salem Coleman, left, Jose Suarez and Brandon Suarez, dig for fossil teeth and bones during a free family fun day at the Museum of the Gulf Coast on Saturday. Mary Meaux/The News
There’s no bones about it, families dig the Museum of the Gulf Coast.
Parents and children descended upon the museum for History’s Mysteries, a free family fun day where, through hands-on experiences, learned about archeology and paleontology.
Helena Park Elementary School student Lucas Howard, 7, stopped by one sectioned off area to trace his handprint on a large piece of paper while learning about cave drawings. His favorite activities were making his own pair of binoculars and digging for fossils.
Lucas Howard, 7, of Nederland, traces his handprint onto paper while learning about cave drawings during a free family day at the Museum of the Gulf Coast on Saturday. Children and families learned about archeology and performed paleontology digs during the event.
Mary Meaux/The News
Dana Howard, Lucas’ mom, said they were having a great time.
“He told me a few months ago he wanted to be an archeologist,” Howard said as Lucas moved to another section to solve a puzzle, which recreated a piece of pottery.
Over near the birds of prey Melanie Franco, 6, a student at Lee Elementary School, sorted through an ‘owl pellet’ to find out what the bird ate. Not far away Salem Coleman, 8, Jose Suarez, 7, and Brandon Suarez, 3, used paintbrushes to dig for fossil teeth and bones. Museum Teen Troop Volunteer Tyler Williams had a handy chart ready to help children identify the types of teeth and bones they found and children were able to keep one item.
Melanie Franco, 6, sorts through ‘owl droppings’ to find what the bird ate during a free family fun day at the Museum of the Gulf Coast on Saturday.
Mary Meaux/The News
Stephanie Harren, museum education coordinator, said the family fun day allows families a chance to visit the museum for free and enjoy an event together.
Museum of the Gulf Coast Education Coordinator Stephanie Harren, left, tells Crystal Coleman, right, and Salem Coleman, about the Free Family Fun Day events where children learned about archeology and paleontology Saturday.
Mary Meaux/The News
She also hoped the archeology and paleontology displays will spark interest in the children who will go on to learn more about those disciplines and what they entail.
The Museum of the Gulf Coast is located at 700 Procter St., Port Arthur.
E-mail: mary.meaux@panews.com
Twitter: MaryMeauxPANews
