STEM HIKING The best thing about nature is that STEM is built in, a science incubator if you will. Simple hikes can teach little ones about math, physics, engineering and more. If hiking at Lake Thunderbird in Norman in the winter months, try tossing different sized rocks into the water and talk about why bigger rocks make bigger splashes. Place some sticks across a creek to show how fallen logs make natural bridges for animals or bugs. Lake Thunderbird State Park’s Discovery Cove Nature Center is a perfect place to visit when the weather is chilly. Open five days a week, this center houses displays of native animals, local snakes and historic artifacts. Kids will also learn how to track animals, cook in a Dutch oven and fish through scheduled programming. Learn about the power of the sun by
collecting both dry and fresh leaves at the Great Salt Plains National State Park in northwest Oklahoma. Place a leaf in a safe area like a fire pit or sidewalk and use a magnifying glass to concentrate the light of the sun into a tiny point. Watch in amazement when smoke appears as the sun’s energy burns a hole in the leaf. Talk about why certain leaves burn more easily and how dangerous forest fires can be. Warn your kids that broken glass and water bottles can start forest fires through this experiment. The Great Salt Plains Wildlife Refuge is the only place in the world where selenite crystals form with an hourglass of sand inside. The salt plains were once a prehistoric ocean, and your family can dig for these crystals from April through October. Bring supplies like a bucket, shovels and plenty of sunscreen and water if you visit during the summer. Keep your eyes open for more than 300 species of birds that call the Great Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge home.
Moving Day – Western Luggage August 1 • 10:00 a.m. – Noon
The history of the West tells the stories of people’s movement. From nomadic Native American tribes, to explorers like Lewis and Clark, to settlers moving West in wagons, they all needed some- thing to carry their belongings. Pack a wagon like a settler, assemble a no-sew leather pouch of your own, experiment with Native American travois and enjoy storytime.
DIG FOR SELENITE CRYSTALS AT THE GREAT SALT PLAINS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE.
Take advantage of the milder temperatures of spring and fall with a journey to Roman Nose State Park in Watonga. Bring a journal on your hike to record the number and types of wildlife you see. Mornings and right before dusk are prime times to view deer, hunt for coyote tracks or spot rabbits. If you are hiking in the summer, beware of rattlesnakes and discuss why some snakes are poisonous while others are not.
Map out your hiking route using a run tracker on your smartphone to learn how trails are built and how GPS technology works. The Three Springs Trail at Roman Nose is a family- friendly hike leading past a waterfall fed by natural springs, into shady forest areas and over a small bridge. While you cross the bridge, inspect it to discover what makes the bridge stable and how the structure was built into the natural environment.
Free for members or with Museum admission. All activities available while supplies last.
ROMAN NOSE STATE PARK. PHOTO BY LORI DUCKWORTH.
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nationalcowboymuseum.org/kids 1700 Northeast 63rd Street Oklahoma City, OK 73111
14 METROFAMILYMAGAZINE.COM / EVERYTHING GUIDE 2020-2021
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