The Family Discovery Room makes ecology approachable for young learners Pre-K to 2nd grade by linking it to an environment they recognize: the Home. Homes are good, familiar places to explore habitats. Books, toys, puppets and crafts reinforce the learning-fun connection. Staffed with educators to maximize the experience, the Home Zone includes a kitchen, living room, bedroom and backyard. Discovery rooms are adjacent to each permanent gallery (World of Life, Creative World) in the Science Center and are designed for parents and caregivers with young children. 

Exhibit Highlights:

• Explore how our human habitat provides us with food, water and shelter.
• Discover the ways pets and pests like cockroaches, mice and worms use our homes to develop habitats of their own.
• Find out what kinds of birds could be living in your backyard and see the nests they call home.

(*For a description of Discovery Room animals, see fact sheet for Animals.)