This week was Shark Week at the museum, and following Dynamo’s shark-themed birthday party last Saturday, we had many “fishy” activities for our guests to enjoy. In our art room, we added three crafts: a fortune teller with shark facts, a shark-decorated clothespin, and a Book-Shark (bookmark). Then, there were new exclusive Studio Surprises. The first was an experiment where I had guests drop two water bottles, one filled with water and one with vegetable oil, into a tank of water. Since it is less dense, the oil floats, and then I explained that sharks have oil in their liver, which is why they float. The next Studio Surprise was DIY Sailboats in which kids tested their foam, Popsicle stick, and straw creations in a water tank.
While I did enjoy completing shark experiments with the kids, my favorite part of Shark Week was that one of our studio video screens constantly played the livestream of the shark tank at the Monterrey Bay Aquarium. I have always loved aquariums and marine animals. My favorite animal of all time is a seahorse, but I could spend hours in front of any aquarium tank watching creatures swim by. Needless to say, I made many excuses to work in that studio so I could admire the sharks, stingrays, and other fish. The video was so relaxing, and I enjoyed talking with guests about it enough that I went on their website to research the different species in the exhibit in order to be more knowledgeable. Here is a link to the livestream if you would like to add a little happiness to your day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hkF9b-OC1w&feature=youtu.be
(The Monterrey Bay Aquarium website also features livestreams of other exhibits, including sea otters, jellyfish, penguins, and coral reefs, just in case you’re interested!)
Unfortunately, not everything was smooth sailing this week. I had an encounter with an angry guest over a museum policy. Since it is difficult to stock enough supplies in our arts and crafts room to accommodate large numbers of people, we do not allow field trip groups to use the room. This woman, who had a group of fifteen children in matching t-shirts with her, was furious about the policy, and yelled at myself and another employee when we explained to her that she could not use the room. Luckily, our boss diffused the situation. However, we later found out the woman was not leading an official “field trip group” and had not paid the large group discount fee that compensates for less access to the museum. Technically, she should have been allowed in the arts and crafts room, which is why she was upset,. Fortunately, my boss understood it was a tough situation, and was not upset about the actions I took.
On a happier note, I started writing my own Studio Surprises this week! I currently have four ideas, all of which are crafts dealing with history and culture. I only have a couple of weeks left on the job, so I’m going to work hard during the next few days to develop them so I can conduct at least one of them before I leave!
Educated and Innovative 