I love that every time I go to the Cincinnati Museum Center I discover something new. Our family has been to the Museum of Natural History & Science at the Cincinnati Museum Center more times than I can count, and yet we have never explored the Nature’s Trading Post. I had this misconception in mind that it was just for trading stuff. And in the midst of getting all four kids out the door and to the museum we never do seem to remember to bring our treasures from nature to trade for other cool treasures. A few days back we were visiting the museum and I realized that Nature’s Trading Post is so much more just a place to trade your treasures. Although they do have some pretty awesome things you can trade for! I noticed while I was walking around and exploring that there were many Science project posters hung around the room. I asked about them and the gentleman told me that they had been turned in to earn points to trade for items. Now that I’ve seen how very cool the Nature’s Trading Post is, I’m going to have to make sure the kids bring something along with them next time they go!
Here’s some information about what you can trade from the Cincinnati Museum Center’s website:
Some of the items we accept for trade:
- Living natural objects: from plants (leaves, seeds, pressed plants, wood) and from animals (shells, cocoons, spider webs, teeth, antlers, snake-skin, turtle shells, clean bones, exoskeletons of insects).
- Non-living natural objects: rocks, fossils and sand.
What we can’t accept for trade:
- Any item regulated by U.S, Endangered Species Act, Migratory Bird Act, CITIES* or other local, state, national or international laws and agreements (no eggs, feathers or bird nests).
- No taxidermy or “stuffed” animals.
- No living or dead (killed, hunted or found) animals.
- No items found at archaeological sites.
- Nothing that is icky, smelly or meaty.
How do I earn points?
The key to earning points through trading is the quality of information you can tell us about your object. Some key questions that we will ask you about your object include:
- What is your object?
- Where did you find your object?
- If you have remnants of an animal, what kind of animal? What did it eat? Where was its habitat?
- What else can you tell us about your object?
And here are some pictures from our visit to the Nature’s Trading Post to show you some of the cool things you can explore in the Trading Post:
Do you want to learn more about the Museum of Natural History & Science? Check out Kristin’s post on the Museum Center’s site about a Family Science Expedition! And Shannan wrote about the Children’s Museum in her post If Kids Ruled the World?
