Celebrate Halloween with nature's night owls at Bats and Other Creatures of the Night on Saturday, Oct. 31 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Delaware Museum of Natural History. A full day of family-friendly activities will shed light on how nocturnal critters live, hunt, and interact.
"This is a great way children of all ages to get into the spirit of Halloween while exploring the natural world and having fun," Director of Education Paula Holloway said.
Hands-on activities, puzzles, and games will fill the museum's galleries. Children can enter the "Creatures of the Night Zone" to discover nocturnal animal habitats such as trees, caves, and burrows on magnetic activity boards. The Mommy and Baby Bat game lets players match pairs by touch with their eyes closed. Visitors can explore their crafty sides by making origami bats and feathery owl masks to take home. Live nocturnal animals like toads, lizards, snakes, and tarantulas will be handled by museum educators. Owls from the Philadelphia Zoo will roost in the Hall of Birds, where visitors can take an up-close look at these animals during two special presentations.
Hands-on activities, puzzles, and games will fill the museum's galleries. Children can enter the "Creatures of the Night Zone" to discover nocturnal animal habitats such as trees, caves, and burrows on magnetic activity boards. The Mommy and Baby Bat game lets players match pairs by touch with their eyes closed. Visitors can explore their crafty sides by making origami bats and feathery owl masks to take home. Live nocturnal animals like toads, lizards, snakes, and tarantulas will be handled by museum educators. Owls from the Philadelphia Zoo will roost in the Hall of Birds, where visitors can take an up-close look at these animals during two special presentations.
An original 15-minute puppet show will illustrate the dietary differences between a Blue Jay and a nocturnal owl when these two birds try to rendezvous for dinner. Visitors can bring their cameras and step inside a giant portrait board to pose as a bat or owl. Special movies about bats will play in the DuPont Auditorium throughout the day.
Discover the truth about bats with expert Tonyea Mead, who is a teacher in the Cape Henlopen School District and a volunteer with the Delaware Council of Rehabilitators and Educators. Mead will answer questions about bats, like "Do they really drink blood?" and "Will they get stuck in my hair?" Mead nurses sick or abandoned baby bats, called "pups," to good health and will bring them to the museum if she has any under her care at the time of the event.
WHAT: Bats and Other Creatures of the Night - Celebrate Halloween with special activities about bats and other nocturnal animals, including hands-on games, live animals, crafts, and more.
WHERE: Delaware Museum of Natural History, 4840 Kennett Pike, Wilmington, DE
DATE: Saturday, October 31, 2009
TIME: 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
ADMISSION: $10 for adults, $9 for seniors, $8 for children (3-17), free for children 2 and younger. Discount of $1 off for visitors in Halloween costumes. Discounts for museum members.
MORE INFO: For more information, visit http://www.delmnh.org/ or call 302-658-9111.
