Museum offers feel of Nevada desert

     By Tiffannie Bond
     View staff writer
      Infants and toddlers can take a journey into the Nevada desert to mine, work on a construction site and visit coyotes, snakes, bats and owls -- all while their parents look on.
      At the Lied Discovery Children's Museum's new Desert Discovery, parents and staff don't see the activities as just fun. They see the preschoolers learning how to communicate, solve problems, plan, cooperate and improve their coordination.
      Designed for children 5 and younger, Desert Discovery houses activities to help children improve their skills physically, cognitively and emotionally, said Lynne Downs, early childhood program director at the museum.
      "These are skills we will need in our adult lives," Downs said. "These are skills we will need all of our lives."
      The 2,000-square-foot pavilion houses four multi-sensory activities for children.
      Donning hard hats and mining vests, children can mine, construct cacti with snaps and Velcro and transport foam rocks using buckets, pulleys and cranks at Boulder Mountain and Cactus Construction.
      Desert in the Dark is a child's bedroom environment where children can switch roles with their parents by either putting them to bed by reading stories or producing their own puppet show with stuffed desert animals.
      The bedroom's clock hands wind and direct the light in the window to fade from darkness to light and back again, illustrating the difference between night and day, said Elizabeth Rocha, early childhood program specialist.
      A personal touch was added to the bedroom when staff members included some of their favorite bedtime items from their childhoods. Emily Newberry, director of visitor and support services, included her storybook.
      "The kids can come in and have fun," Newberry said. "(The parents) can learn a lot about their kids by watching their playing style."
      For 22-month-old Henderson twins Elizabeth and Curt Richter, their time at Desert Discovery is just beginning.
      "They've learned a lot just by coming here," said their mother Deanna.
      Socialization and coordination are the skills she sees her twins fine-tuning first.
      "We're going to be spending a lot of time here," she said. "I can tell."
      For infants and toddlers like Elizabeth and Curt, there is an oasis in the desert -- the Baby Oasis.
      The Baby Oasis is a padded, circular-shaped play area in the center of Desert Discovery with toys and cabinets that have surprises inside relating to the desert theme. For toddlers who are usually locked out of cabinets at home, they are surprised to see one open, let alone something inside. Also, all the toys in the Baby Oasis are sterilized three times a day.
      The Desert Oasis is not only a learning experience for the children but a learning experience for the parents.
      In the Parent Resource Room, parents can watch their children from a living-room setting while learning about things such as sibling rivalry and school readiness.
      "One of our big goals is to consider the parents," Downs said.
      Parents who are new to the valley can tap resources provided by other parents at the museum. Tablets and pencils are located throughout the room so parents can exchange information, such as pediatricians and parental organizations, Downs said.
      "Maybe some long-term friendships will form at the museum," Downs said.
      For a museum which has concentrated on children ages 6 through 12 for the last 10 years, focusing on younger children was a new discovery.
      "This is a beginning of a new era for us," Newberry said. "We're using this as an opportunity to rebuild the museum."
      Two $250,000 grants from the state and the Founders' Golf Foundation and two $75,000 grants from United Way of Southern Nevada and the Andrew Family Foundation of Orland Park, Ill., provided the museum with enough money to design and construct the pavilion as well as staff and maintain it for three years, Newberry said.
      The museum is located at 833 N. Las Vegas Blvd., across from Cashman Field, and is open Tuesday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, military and children ages 2 through 17. Members of the museum and children younger than 2 are free.
      Those interested can call 382-5437.