prehistoric – Mummy To Twins Plus One

This weekend we are going back in time.

42,000 years into the past to be precise. How are we time traveling? Well, we don’t have a Delorean or a Tardis. Personally, this is a tragedy but not the end of the world.

Due to not having any of these fancy time travel machines, we will be roughing it by walking to our destination after parking the car.

How are we time traveling? Well, we don’t have a Delorean or a Tardis. Personally, this is a tragedy but not the end of the world. Due to not having any of these fancy time travel machines, we will be roughing it by walking to our destination after parking the car.

Due to not having any of these fancy time travel machines, we will be roughing it by walking to our destination after parking the car.

Woolly Mammoths Mural. Illustration by Velizar Simeonovski, The Field Museum.

So where are we off to that requires us to flash back thousands of years?

We are having a sneak peek at the Australian Museum’s latest exhibition. Yes, we are visiting a museum and in a way that means we are being whisked away in time. The kids, hubby and I are going to learn about the Mammoths – Giants of the Ice Age

The Mammoths – Giants of the Ice Age is an exhibition that is in partnership with Destination NSW, the Australian Museum (AAM’s) major exhibition will feature Lyuba , (pronounced Lay – oo – baa ) – a 40,000 – year – old baby woolly mammoth, discovered in 2007 by a Siberian herder and his two sons. This will be the first time the near fully intact baby mammoth has been on display in the southern hemisphere.

Lyuba , (pronounced Lay - oo - baa ) – a 40,000 - year - old baby woolly mammoth. — Lyuba , (pronounced Lay – oo – baa ) – a 40,000 – year – old baby woolly mammoth.

Fancy having history come to life and getting closer to what these animals would have been like.

Australia didn’t have mammoths, so this might be your only chance to see them.

What will you see at the exhibition?

Developed by the internationally renowned Field Museum in Chicago, the exhibition includes a rich collection of fossils, casts and cave drawings showing evidence of how early humans hunted and honoured these massive creatures. Mammoths lived alongside humans for thousands of years and were a source of food for early people, as well as artistic inspiration. Artwork dating from between 35,000 and 10,000 years ago will also be on display in the form of miniature carvings made of bone, stone and mammoth ivory from mammoth tusks. How amazing is it that this artwork has survived.

Did you know? Mammoths are an extinct group of elephants of the genus Mammuthus, whose ancestors migrated out of Africa about 3.5 million years ago.

This image of a human next to mammoths gives you an idea of how big they were. I must say I wouldn't want to be next to one, it would be rather scary. — This image of a human next to mammoths gives you an idea of how big they were. I must say I wouldn’t want to be next to one, it would be rather scary.

I cannot wait to show the kids these amazing and enormous animals. I’m also keen to learn more at the exhibition about what life must have been like alongside this massive creatures. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to be close to a mammoth and to learn more about the time, the animals and much more. Make sure that you don’t miss this amazing exhibit from the Australian Museum.

What are the dates of The Mammoths Giant of the Ice Age Exhibit

The Mammoths Giants of the Ice Age is open from 19th November 2017 to 13th May 2018

Book your ticket today to see the Mammoths - Giants of the Ice Age at the Australian Museum. — Book your ticket today to see the Mammoths – Giants of the Ice Age at the Australian Museum.

Get tickets to see this amazing event

You can purchase tickets online at the Australian Museum website. Online prices: Adult $10 AM Member, $20 non-Member, Concession $8 AM Member, $16 non-Member, Child 5+ $6 AM Member, $12 non-Member. Kids under 5 go free. Having this on the list of things to do for the soon to be summer school holidays is a good idea. I always like to have some good places to take the kids that they don’t normally go to often. A museum is a good excuse to stay in the city, relax at a swish hotel and have dinner out. Follow the blog on Instagram to see all the updates at the exhibition and while we are in the city.

A big thank you to The Australian Museum for our invite to look at the exhibit before it officially opens. We are all very excited and cannot wait.

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Prehistoric History From the Croods

Today the kids and I watched “The Croods”. The film is about a caveman family. The family does not have much fun as the father (Grug) who is voiced by Nicholas Cage makes them stay away from fun, live in a dark cave, and stay away from possible trouble and threats. Basically, everything was a threat to them so no need to stress the importance to hide in a cave.

Pangea map, with names of the continents. Image of pangaea made by en:User:Kieff.

Eap (voiced by Emma Stone) the daughter of “The Crood Family”, cannot take being caged in darkness anymore and goes out on her own to investigate some light that she is curious about. It ends up being a boy called Guy (voiced by Ryan Reynolds), this character seems more advanced than the cave people of the Croods and has wonderful ideas and has figured out fire and how to make it.

Guy tells Eap that the earth is changing and soon they must leave the cave to go to higher ground. It sounds weird but I had all sorts of strange thoughts while watching this film:

What must it have been like for the first people to see fire? What would they have thought?
Dealing with huge prehistoric animals would have been hugely stressful and a worry. In the film, it stated that “The Croods” were the last family that they knew of alive. So, scary stuff.
For cavemen and other prehistoric man/women, how would it have been when the Continental drift took place? I think it would have been very scary.
There is a scene where Guy shows the Croods the stars. What would it have been like to see the stars then? How wonderful would it have looked all those millions of years ago, No humans, pollution, or other lights to get in your way. It would have been amazing! (I could live without the dangers and the fact that you would live in a cave, but seeing the stars then would have been amazing!)

Am I the only mad mummy that thinks like this while watching a kid’s film? I hope not! I must say that the film was enjoyable and got the twins asking questions about why the earth was moving and causing such problems. I responded that the earth is shifting and moving into other places. I did say it was a continental shift but that was lost on them.

I am going to show them some maps and things online to explain more about the film. This great site from thinkquest shows the Pangaea Theory with great images to help understand where the landmasses (countries and continents) went. Another great site to help explain is Kidcyber.com.au and they have some great illustrations to help kids understand more.

It is good to see a film making kids question things in history and allows parents to explain such complex ideas simply by a film that is fun for both child and adult alike. Have you enjoyed watching “The Croods?” I did and now kids are loving it so much they want to see it again and again.

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