Museum urges kids to think green

Exhibit includes car shop, grocery store and other simulations

View file photoAidan Aguirre, 5, places plastic fruit on a scale in the Green Village grocery store exhibit at the Lied Discovery Children?s Museum, 833 N. Las Vegas Blvd., on Feb. 26 as his grandmother, Stephanie Bares, looks on. Advertisement

Although the Lied Discovery Children's Museum is only 19 years old, the young adult is giving some very responsible advice to its visitors. As the recipient of a recent environmental-related facelift, the museum is sharing its newfound knowledge with the public through its Green Village exhibit.

On a Tuesday morning, first-grade students from Green Valley Christian School came to learn from the elder museum, accompanied by their teacher, Jamie Bielich.

When the instructor first started talking to her 6- and 7-year-old students about green lifestyles, the children took her to literally mean the color green, as in everything has to be that shade.

"I found that the kids didn't really understand what was going on," Bielich said. "Seeing it here firsthand and me teaching it hopefully will inspire them to carry on."

Like this school, campuses around the valley are invited to supplement their environmental curriculum with a visit to the Lied Discovery Children's Museum, 833 Las Vegas Blvd. North.

Inside the Green Village, young people can enter kid-sized simulations of a Smith's grocery store, a government building, a car repair shop, a Bank of America and an airport. Green living tips are posted throughout the exhibit.

"We really want teachers to focus on the signage so they can get the most out of it," Tifferney White, director of education and programs for the Lied Discovery Children's Museum, said.

While at the grocery store, students can learn about the benefits of choosing fabric grocery bags before paper or plastic, and in the center of town, there is a patch of grass that was made from recycled car tires.

"Sometimes you don't need a bag because you can use your hands," first-grader Collin Killoran said.

The car care center provides an opportunity for groups to discuss car emissions and the use of reconditioned car parts. Next to the car exhibit is a solar power information booth, in which visitors can harness the power of the sun to turn on lights in a building.

"The more they interact, the more they're going to get out of it," Bielich said.

For any field trip group that comes through the children's museum, there is a required ratio of at least 12 students per one adult.

White recommends that groups search the museum's Web site at www.ldcm.org prior to their visit. The site is loaded with pre- and post-field trip activity information for teachers, which can help schools make the most of their time at Lied. The site also has a downloadable sheet for chaperones, which gives them tips on how to best keep kids on target while at the museum.

All field trip groups have freedom to roam throughout the exhibit space, but no child more than 5 years old is allowed in the pre-kindergarten area.

The Lied Discovery Children's Museum is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays. The museum is closed on Mondays except on school holidays. These hours are valid until June 1.

Admission to Lied costs $8 for adults and $7 for children ages 1 to 17, seniors and military personnel. Children under 1 are free. Field trip groups should inquire about special discounts.

For more information, call 382-5437.

Contact View education reporter Laura Carroll at lcarroll@viewnews.com or 380-4588.