If you take a drive to Townsend, Tennessee, you will be able to visit Tuckaleechee caverns. Children really find caverns to be quite intriguing as it opens up a whole new world to them. Exploring these underground tunnels is not only exciting, it also offers a number of opportunities for learning.
Before visiting the Great Smoky Mountains, let your children know that you will be visiting caverns during your visit. Explain the differences between stalactites and stalagmites. An easy way to remember is that stalactites hang on “tight” to the ceiling and stalagmites “might” reach the ceiling. In other words, stalactites are the formations that hang down from the ceiling and stalagmites are those that grow toward the ceiling. When these two formations meet together, they form a column.
To have fun with this concept, you might want to consider making some rock candy with your child. The process of making rock candy is similar to the process of forming stalactites in that water and the minerals the water has gathered along the way drop from the ceiling. Very tiny amounts of the minerals are left behind when the water drips and, over time, this forms the stalactite that hangs from the ceiling.
You can also explore mold with your child before visiting Tuckaleechee Caverns. Mold does not naturally occur in caverns, but the light that is placed in the caverns in order to light the paths of visitors creates a great environment for mold to grow. Discuss the properties and the life cycle of mold before you go to the caverns. Then, when you encounter some during your visit, see if your child can explain to you all of the mold you see seems to be growing near to the lights.