Advertisement The La Crosse boys explored the downtown site’s top floor and discovered prehistoric creatures in the exhibits.
“I searched everywhere and found one with a head, long tail, feet and hands,” 6-year-old Jacob said. “It was a brontosaurus in the puppet area.”
The dinosaur hunt was part of I Dig Dinos, a three-day camp June 16-18 for children ages 4 to 6 at the museum, 207 Fifth Ave. S.
The kids were junior paleontologists as they dug dinosaur fossils, played tar-pit tag, created a cave out of clay, made and “hatched” their own dino eggs and more.
Austin found his favorite dinosaur, a Tyrannosaurus rex, on the hunt.
“He has big teeth because he’s big,” the 4-year-old said.
Nicholas Pallaske, 7, of Holmen, Wis., often makes stegosaurus, brontosaurus and triceratops out of Legos, so making a dinosaur fossil was something he found a lot of fun.
Nicholas pushed a “fast- running” velociraptor into a glob of clay and let it dry. He then painted his creation brown, green and blue. His plan was to take it home.
His brother, Joshua Pallaske, 4, said the class was fun. “I like the T Rex because he has teeth,” he said.
However, Joshua was quick to admit he wasn’t interested in having the same chompers as the large, ferocious dinosaur. “I don’t eat like that,” he said.
Lucy Gordon, 6, planned on giving the fossil she made to her mother. “I think she’ll like it,” she said.
Gordon said she didn’t know much about dinosaurs before coming to the camp but has learned a lot.
“Some have long teeth and some have short teeth,” she said. “They eat plants and they don’t get to be yelled at.”
Autumn Grooms can be reached at (608) 791-8424 or agrooms@lacrossetribune.com.
