The Center for Science Teaching & Learning, a nonprofit organization in Rockville Centre, invited kids and families to spend their winter break learning about animals during Animal Encounters Week.
“Every time there’s a week off,” Ray Ann Havasy, director, said, “for families, we do something special.”
The theme, she said, was centered around getting to know the animals the center has. Kids made crafts, including making turtles out of green paper plates, and got their faces painted for a “little pizzazz.” The highlight was the animal shows throughout the week.
Each day, employees at the center would show off some of the different animals they have to whoever was visiting. They have a wide variety of animals, including reptiles and rabbits. On Thursday, Feb. 20, Chris Lake’s animal show attracted a big group of excited kids — and parents.
He brought out Chex Mex the Mexican king snake, Coloné the Greek tortoise, Drago the blue-tongued skink and Xavier the ball python. He shared facts about each animal and let the kids gently touch each one.
The goal of the center, Havasy said, is to encourage science learning. “We find that with the emphasis on math and reading, science has kind of fallen by the wayside,” she said, “but understanding science as it relates to the world around you is really important.”
The nonprofit organization has been around for 25 years, she said, and is open to people of all ages to learn about dinosaurs and animals. They have the largest permanent exhibit of animatronic dinosaurs in the state.
