The day is getting hotter now, and it’s approaching lunchtime. The kids load up again to head to the Hot Springs State Park for a hard-earned sack lunch. The sandwich, chips, cookie, and soda rejuvenate the group and they play for 15-20 minutes in the parks playground area.

As the summersaults and cartwheels subside we head the six blocks back to the Wyoming Dinosaur Center for an afternoon of hands on projects in the prep lab and the molding and casting lab.

Back at the Wyoming Dinosaur Center the kids are split again into two groups. One of the groups heads to the prep lab to learn the techniques for cleaning the rock off of the bone discovered in the dinosaur qarries.  With a background noise of airscribes sounding like a heard of angry mosquitoes flying through the lab, the kids rotate between stations and learn how to use the tools of the trade. These tools and methods include: dental-picks, water and toothbrush, airscribes, and air-abrasion. Although there is not enough time to finish the project, they get a good idea of how much work goes into cleaning bone to get them ready for display and research.

The other group heads to the molding and casting lab. To start this portion off they are given a small silicone mold of either a trilobite, tooth, claw, or ammonite. They are also provided with a cup of hydrocal cement (similar to plaster of paris) and their choice of coloured powder. They then mix up the concoction and pour it into the mold and set in the sun to cure. A discussion of molding and casting techniques and processes get them to think about the how’s and why’s of making replicas.

At 2:45 the groups switch until 3:45 when it is time to clean up for both groups and the end of day one.