Izabella Rengers, 5, of Sheboygan, Wis., makes animal prints during the Upper Peninsula Children MuseumÕs Second Thursday Creativity Series. The event, which takes place monthly, had a zoo theme this time. (Journal photo by Christie Bleck)

MARQUETTE — The Upper Peninsula Children’s Museum already had animals like reptiles as permanent residents. However, it took on more of a zoological feel during the latest session of the Second Thursday Creativity Series.

The event, which had a zoo theme, featured animal-centered activities, like making animal prints with paint.

What was particularly interesting to young visitors was the presence of Curby, a pet therapy horse that’s part of the SuperiorLand Pet Partners program.

Volunteers from that group bring therapy animals to various events to allow people to mingle with the well-trained pets.

JoAnn Kirchhoff, of Negaunee, a volunteer with the Pet Partners group, took Curby to the museum, after which she was to take the horse to the local Salvation Army.

Curby is a 14-year-old miniature horse.

“You would think he was a youngster,” Kirchhoff said of the horse, which she acquired as a rescue horse near Ashland, Wisconsin.

Obviously, the horse was fairly easy to maintain in one corner of the museum, it being a miniature horse instead of a draft horse. In fact, Kirchhoff estimated his weight at only between 250 and 300 pounds, with him standing at only 32 inches at the shoulder.

Curby didn’t fidget much in the museum, which was full of noisy but well-behaved kids.

“This doesn’t bother him at all,” Kirchhoff said. “He’s a sweetheart.”

Being touched also wasn’t a problem.

“He loves scratches,” Kirchhoff said.

Another Pet Partners volunteer, Makenzie Rajala, agreed.

“He’s very good,” Rajala said. “He’s being super quiet.”

That was the whole point of Curby being at the event, with him standing there calmly while visitors petted him — with the horse standing on a mat, of course, to handle any accidents.

Curby also was well groomed, and in fact, had a pleasant equine aroma.

“Isn’t that a wonderful smell?” Kirchhoff told a visitor.

In the “kitchen” area of the museum, containers of things like M&M’s, miniature marshmallows, Pepperidge Farm Goldfish crackers and gummy bears lined the counter where kids could make “pet food.”

The special blends, though, were for them, not hungry goats in a pen.

Leading the activity was Marnie Foucault, director of 8-18 Media, a journalism and leadership program based at the museum.

“Have you ever been to a petting zoo where you get little bags for the animals?” Foucault asked one group of youths. “You’re the animals.”

The next Second Thursday event is set for 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Aug. 10, with “Dragons!” the theme.

The museum is located at 123 W. Baraga Ave. For more information, visit www.upchildrensmuseum.org or call 906-226-3911.

Christie Bleck can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 250. Her email address is cbleck@miningjournal.net.