Reddit mentions: The best children earth sciences books

Outside of natural history museums you're mostly going to find paleontologists at work in universities and at fossil sites. There isn't much for someone to do watching a researcher work on a fossil at a university. As someone who does it every day...it's mostly working on computers. Some sites do public digs. However, he's very young to be able to gain access to sites, so it depends on their proximity to areas open to the public.

I don't know the area very well, but there are a few sites that are fairly well known. Have you heard of Sharktooth Hill? They have public digs. I think that would be something he'd have to do in a few years. When I did work at fossil digs that were open to the public there were minimum ages for liability and insurance purposes. It also looks like they allow volunteers in the prep lab, so that's something to keep in mind.

The Page Museum (at La Brea) has a fishbowl lab where people are preparing fossils. Outside in Hancock Park are the tar pits themselves. These are places you're probably familiar with.

You have a few age-appropriate options:

• You mention local museums (and you have a bunch, which is really cool). Have you just been visiting or have you looked into all of the events that go on? You could join a museum you guys love and participate in the special programs. A lot of these museums have great summer programs that go beyond just visiting the exhibits. They often have special events for National Fossil Day and Darwin day that are really fun, or movie nights where they'll discuss the science of the movie. I did events like that alongside curators and other researchers, so they can definitely be opportunities for interactions. He's getting to be the age where these programs are perfect, and I really think they're your best bet. There are often guest talks as well if he can sit through something like that. The Page Museum even says:
  
  > Mark your calendars for October 12 and come to the Page Museum! We will be celebrating fossils found right here at the La Brea Tar Pits as well as specimens collected by NHM scientists across the globe. This is your chance to get up close to real fossils, talk with our scientists, and become amazed by the variety of fossil discoveries to date. The event is Free and open to the public.
  
  
• Get him outside so he can see geology in action, even if they're not fossil digs. This site has recommendations for paleo stuff in Southern California. Anza Borrego looks like a great place to go. Look into some paleontology and geology books for kids (like this, this, and this) and tie them to the what you see outside. This is more about the process of observing and learning about the world. It's about seeking to explain things. He's probably extremely curious and inquisitive and would do well with things like this. Other state parks or public lands in the region may have trails and visitors centers. You're definitely in an area where there are fossils!

The best thing you can do to encourage your niece's interest in geology is to get outside and do geology! Identifying rocks, looking for fossils, and seeing cool geologic features are great ways to encourage learning. Check national and state parks in your area to find opportunities!

This may seem intimidating, but there are a number of resources that you and your niece can use to help. There are a few books on Amazon that would be pretty helpful. Here's a link to one!

Rocks: Hard, Soft, Smooth, and Rough (Amazing Science) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1404803343/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_ucikyb6Z2WCMV


Things like geodes and rock/mineral kits are great ways for your niece to explore Geology at home as well! The best part about Geology is seeing and touching it. That's true for children and adults!

> The current Curiosity mission is all about the geology of Mars, after all!

Yes! That mission is what really sparked her interest! I often show her the new pictures and we're both so in awe of the fact we're looking at the geology of a totally different planet!

Thanks for the book recommendation! Looks like it's on Amazon :)

It's a little hard to tell from the picture, but Victoria has a lot of basaltic/mid-ocean ridge type bedrock, as well as fairly extensive metamorphic units (think Mt Tolmie, or the banding in Cattle Point rocks). I would guess yours is something basaltic, maybe with low levels of alteration (a green colouring could be from chlorite).

If you're interested, I recommend this guide for any beach stones, particularly in the Victoria area. It's written by a University of Victoria earth science professor, and I believe it's available in the University's bookstore as well as the Royal British Columbia Museum.

Yes! We have a few different ones we've collected over the last couple of years. The one she uses most often is an animal track one we picked up at a state park's gift shop. We also have this and this.

I plan to keep up with my new year's resolution: 25,000 squats in a year. It may not be much compared to fit people, but my out-of-shape irish thinks it's a lot, and each day is a new fight against the lazy to keep going.

I got yer linky right here...

Also, congrats darlin', I heard RDJ caught a glimpse of you recently. I think he's impressed.

There is not much available in terms of atheistic picture books at all, and I can't think of anything for a 2-5 year old. I'd say some books on mythology (to get them started recognizing it), or astronomy, or dinosaurs, whatever's well reviewed in those areas, could be appropriate. Once you're into the 6 to 8 yo range, there are a few more picture books:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1578840163/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

http://www.amazon.com/Winter-Solstice-Ellen-Jackson/dp/0761302972/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323733377&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Stones-Bones-Char-Matejovsky/dp/1598150049/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323733624&sr=1-1

http://www.prometheusbooks.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=96&zenid=s4591gebo9q6ardl0ur6a57992

A Drop Around the World

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1883220726/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1883220726&linkCode=as2&tag=mamrex-20