The BIGGEST Museum Sleepover Party #90
There are only 9 more American Museum of Natural History Sleepovers before we hit the 100 mark- and let the countdown commence…
About 20 years ago the museum ceased having sleepovers (right around grandmas retirement, hmmm…)- and five years ago Leslie Martinez brought them back. As a child I grew up in Florida- never truly experiencing the AMNH. Yes, I’m well aware of the fact that my grandma worked there-as we have all said “a woman before her time”. YES, I went there at least 20 times between my birth and today…I can find pictures in front of dinosaurs and figure out how old I am by the sneakers I am wearing/glasses I have on/what exhibits are behind me. For me, it makes the most sense to give back to the museum that has given me my love for the arts, learning and educating.
My perception of the AMNH completely changed tonight- never will I see it as an institution that houses the past- its not JUST an enclave with bones and stuffed bison- it is a facility uplifting and enriching the future with each tour, IMAX showing, and falcon presentation!
Earlier this week Leslie told me that over 480 children and parents had confirmed to sleepover this evening- and nearly the same reservations are set for next Saturday night. Birthday parties, middle and high school groups, Girl Scout troupes, celebrities and their children…there is an endless number of classifications to define who attends the AMNH Night at the Museum = 1 type of person- a perpetual student.
One of the newest exhibits at the AMNH touches on the evolutionary patterns of frogs- a topic many scientists have been vocalizing on blogs and websites; like the bees, and the fish in the Chesapeake Bay- frogs are showing both gender traits, a sign that pollution and human waste have changed the life-cycle of a species that nearly every high school junior dissects. Make sure you stop by soon- this exhibit is so cool, all of these exotic species of ribbiting amphibians- and each of them lives in their natural habitat- climate controlled cases and paneling. After walking through the hall of frogs I felt like I’d turned the clocks back to 1997, and envisioned my high school Biology teacher getting passionate about osmosis. Oh, to be in 9th grade…
Mr. Wu at Louis Armstrong Middle School gave me an awesome t-shirt, will wear it proud knowing that he and his students chose to spend their weekend together- learning!
GO MR. WU (he also designed this t-shirt for his students, and Leslie and I both got one…they have a bag full- reach out to Louis Armstrong Middle School for Mr. Wu and make a donation for their next extracurricular classroom setting). He told me that they are drilling for the Regents…instead of going through the booklet before bedtime, they are talking the entire night about being prepared and going over the curriculum potentially on the exam (this is the best form of learning- when you enjoy at the same time).
