Summer Fun at the Museum!

Recently my family had the opportunity to visit and experience our local public
museum - the Grand Rapids Public Museum. My grandsons were especially excited to visit as one of the exhibits was the Robot Zoo - which they very much wanted to see! 
First of all I have to say, my grandsons LOVED the Robot Zoo! Not only did they get to see large robot animals, but they were able to move them as well. They loved moving the chameleon's tongue and the white rhino's legs. I love how the zoo "animals" were not just statues - they moved and children could interact with them to learn more about how these creatures move. Plus, each animal also had an informative plaque to provide interesting facts. I also appreciated how so many unique creatures were portrayed - giraffes, platypus', squid, bat, white rhino, grasshopper, chameleon were just some of the interesting creatures in the Robot Zoo! Did I mention my grandsons LOVED the Robot Zoo?!

The Museum says; "The Robot Zoo reveals the magic of nature as a master engineer. Eight robot animals and more than a dozen hands-on activities illustrate fascinating real-life characteristics, such as how a chameleon changes colors, a giant squid propels itself and a fly walks on the ceiling.

The larger-than-life-size animated robots include a chameleon, a rhinoceros, a giant squid with 18-foot tentacles and a platypus. Also featured are a house fly with a 10-foot wingspread, a grasshopper, a bat and a giraffe whose head and neck alone stretch 9 feet tall.

Machinery in the robot animals simulates the body parts of their real-life counterparts. In the robot animals, muscles become pistons, intestines become filtering pipes and brains become computers."

I say, if you have the opportunity to visit a local museum which is hosting the Robot Zoo exhibit, do not miss it! Go! Take your grandchildren! Not only will you have a wonderful time together, but you will learn so much about the amazing creatures God created!

In addition to the wonderful Robot Zoo the museum also had an exhibit from National Geographic called Earth Explorers, which takes people "around the world" to experience different habitats and the creatures who lived there. My grandsons loved "Soaring" across the Savanna by "riding" in the "hot-air balloon" and being able to "look down" at so many different places. 

The Museum says; "Organized around Earth’s spectacular eco-zones Earth Explorers brings the unparalleled adventures of National Geographic to life. Learn about the daring men and women who venture into dangerous and remote parts of the world to discover new places, help protect our planet’s biodiversity and unearth new scientific discoveries.

Explore an arctic cabin and test your ability to live in an ice-covered world. Descend into the deep ocean in a 3-D submersible and explore how life forms at varying depths, even coming face-to-face with a great white shark. Identify incredible insects from the Amazon while learning the benefits of biodiversity. Ascend into the thin air of the Himalayas. Soar in a hot air balloon over the Savanna while learning about the life of elephants and other mammals.

Earth Explorers allows visitors to let their imaginations run wild as they become explorers and embark on an adventure to discover new species, study animal behavior and learn about the important roles technology, innovation and ingenuity play in making and documenting these discoveries."

When you think about the museum, you may think of exhibits behind glass which are meant to be looked at, but not touched. Robot Zoo and Earth Explorers changes all of this by providing opportunities to touch and explore, hands-on, to learn in a truly engaging way children - and families will not forget!

So, if you live in West Michigan - or nearby, especially if you do not have an actual vacation planned this summer, go visit the Grand Rapids Public Museum and plan to spend the day "visiting" the Savanna, the depths of the ocean, the tops of the Himalayas, the Rain Forrest and polar zones. Then take a close-up view of animals in the Robot Zoo . . . you will love it all and so will your family! (Plus enjoy all the other exhibits in the museum, too!) 

And, if you do not live in, or have a visit planned to West Michigan, check out your own public museum - watch for these exhibits to be on display - you will not want to miss them! (The museum provided free tickets for my family, so I could write a review and share it with you.)