Families packed their sunscreen and bug spray Saturday and headed down to the Devil’s Icebox area of Rock Bridge Memorial State Park for the annual Water Festival, where booths awaited with different activities. At each booth, kids learned about different aspects of Missouri’s waterways such as conservation, aquatic animals and ecosystems. Down by the creek, with fishing nets in hand, kids searched for crayfish and other creek critters in the murky water. The event occurs every year and is an opportunity for kids to learn about the natural world around them in a hands-on way. By the time the event got rolling, temperatures were pushing into the upper 80s, causing many to head over to explore the Devil’s Icebox cave in search of cooler temperatures. Heat aside, families enjoyed getting outdoors and learning a little something at the same time.
A turtle pokes its head out of a fence on Saturday at Rock Bridge Memorial State Park in Columbia. The annual festival is a chance for kids to learn about conservation and the environment in a hands-on way.
Blake Curtis, 4, examines the inside of a turtle shell Saturday at Rock Bridge State Park in Columbia. Blake was shown the similarities between the turtle’s spine and his own.
Chen Hui Li paints with her kids, Ellie Bian, 4, left, and Derek Bian, 2, Saturday at Rock Bridge Memorial State Park in Columbia. The water used for painting was from the nearby creek.
Andrew Hazlett lifts up a rock so his son, Vincent Hazlett, 7, can check for crayfish Saturday during the Water Festival at Rock Bridge Memorial State Park in Columbia. Aside from crayfish, kids also found frogs, water spiders and small minnows in the creek.
Belongings sit among tree roots along a creek bank Saturday at Rock Bridge State Park. With temperatures in the upper 80s, festival participants were able to escape the heat in the shade of the forest.