Dinosaur Christmas

The H. Earl Clack Museum's annual Dinosaur Christmas was set to begin at 1 p.m. Saturday, but at the starting time there were already large crowds gathering around the tables set up in front of the museum in Holiday Village Mall.

Elementary school-age children have an attraction to dinosaurs, and so the program is aimed toward them, said Judi Dritshulas, the museum board's chair.

Children had an opportunity to take part in four activities.

They could help make dinosaur eggs they could take home with them; get dinosaur balloons; decorate cookies with a dinosaur look; or see the dinosaur exhibits in the museum.

The idea of having a dinosaur egg excited a lot of the young folks.

Dritshulas said she got the idea from Pinterest, a social media network.

With a mixture of potting soil, salt and sand, a kind of putty is formed, she said.

The mixture is put in a plastic baggy with some water, and the kids help the adults shake it up.

Three-year-old Tgan Ketchum watched intently as Dritshulas stirred up the mixture and put it into the baggies. Even at 3, he's a dinosaur fanatic, his mother said, explaining that triceratops was his favorite kind of dinosaur.

Dritshulas picked out a tiny plastic dinosaur from a large pile and placed it in the mixture. She let Tgan put the plastic dino in the mixture. Tgan picked a blue plastic egg from a large container and helped put the doughy-like mixture into the egg. They closed up the egg and Dritshulas gave it to Tgan to take home.

In four days, she told him, the mixture would harden. He could open the egg, smash the hardened mixture with a rock or a hammer, and he would have a baby dinosaur. He walked away happy.

Five-year-old Elijah Sterner was next in line. He was more of an active participant in the process. He wanted to make sure Dritshulas did everything the way he wanted.

"I want a blue egg," he said. "That's my favorite."

He was anxious to see the birthing process.

"Will my dinosaur grow up after he is hatched?" he asked Dritshulas.

"I want him to grow up like this," he said, as he picked up a larger blue plastic dinosaur used as decoration on the table.

Dritshulas told him the dinosaur wouldn't grow up. Elijah didn't seem too disappointed.

Next to Elijah was Cory Pierson who makes balloon animals.

He was there to make balloon dinosaurs, but said he was flexible.

Aaron Storcz, 3, wanted a monkey, and Pierson was glad to comply.

Another young girl wanted a white poodle.

Pierson let the children blow up the balloons. He tied them together and drew funny faces on the animals.

Inside the museum, the manager, Jim Spangelo, showed the youngsters some of the bones of dinosaurs that roamed what is today the Hi-Line.

The museum has collected them over the years, Elijah said.

Kids also got a chance to guess the number of dinosaur eggs in the nest in the front of the museum.

Spangelo carefully counted them, Dritshulas said.

Several youngsters guessed 17, the correct number, she said. Estimates ranged from 2 to 94.

Kye Bender's name was chosen from the correct guessers as the winner.

He can pick up his prize at the museum or call the museum, 265-4000 during museum hours, 1-5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.