Mystery of the Mayan Medallion

Though we didn’t leave Atlanta, my family had a fun time visiting Mexico in search of a priceless jade medallion buried in a temple. In the new exhibit at the Children’s Museum, kids follow clues to help archeologists solve the Mystery of the Mayan Medallion.

A clipboard with a list of questions coded with Mayan glyphs helps you navigate throughout the exhibit. Each tent offers educational information about the Mayan culture – including how to decode Mayan glyphs, the use of constellations and the sun to help track time and seasons, types of critters one might find in the Mayan jungles, and even a skeleton.

My girls, Natalie, 10, and Kate, 7, were able to create pictures rubbings on the activity page, as well as figure out how to write their birthdays using Mayan glyphs.

One of their favorite parts was mustering up the courage to stick their hand into a hole that contained a “venomous spider.” Watching their reaction was priceless!

Know Before You Go: Parents should plan to walk through the exhibit with their children – a few parts may need some explaining. Be sure to visit the entire Children’s Museum before or after the exhibit. The museum allows you to leave and return (with a stamp) if you want to have lunch or picnic across the street at Centennial Olympic Park.
– Jennifer Joyner