July 6, 2006

Quicksilver Museum hosts fun-filled history lesson for kids of all ages

By Jeanne Carbone Lewis
Staff Writer

Playing like a miner has been a dream of New Almaden Quicksilver Museum park interpreter John Slenter for years. And this past Saturday the dream came true.

A happy miner finds a stone panning for gold. Photos by Jeanne Carbone Lewis

“The gig is up,” said New Almaden Quicksilver Museum park interpreter Terri Sanislo-Williams as she readied water and cookies for the kids playing games. “Now every kid can come and play like a miner.”

Park interpreter Slenter organized the games: a cart to be directed through a maze, dirt to be shoveled into buckets with a winner pronounced for a closest weigh in at 76 pounds [the traditional weight of a mercury flask] and of course, there was panning for gold. Well, not actually gold, but colored stones. And there were mining coloring contests with pictures of miners finding treasures and carrying ore. And for the winners? Nifty prizes included a stuffed raccoon or skunk, a hard hat or a pouch filled with cinnabar.

“Let the games begin,” said Slenter to a crowd of eager kids and parents.

Slenter organized Quicksilver Museum docents to lead the brigade of children in attendance.

Almaden resident and museum docent Dennis Moran assisted in the panning for gold game. Geology guru Robbie Lamons displayed an assortment of rocks and cinnabar for kids to learn about. John Atwood timed surefooted girls and boys through the miner’s maze pulling the pint sized cart. And New Almaden Quicksilver Park Association President Kitty Monahan, and docents Mary Moran and Sharon Sullivan filled in wherever they were needed.

“The kids are all excited about this day,” said past Almaden resident Steve Oster, who now lives in Auburn but brought his son Collin to be a miner for a day. “We just happened to come by. When I lived here I would come down to visit the museum. It’s a great place.”

Almaden resident Marla Smith read about the Play Like a Miner Day on the Library’s 10 things to do with your kids list.

“We came right out for this,” said Smith watching her daughter Hannah pan for gold. “This is amazing. She’s having a lot of fun. We’ll come back here.”

The true testament to the Play like a Miner Day was the smiling faces of the kids themselves.