We offer programs for younger children (1-5 years) in the morning, at 10:30am, and older children (5-10 years) in the afternoon, at 3:00pm.  Our programs are organized around daily themes and spotlight one domain of child development.

Daily Theme – Developmental Domain

FAMILY CONNECTIONS SERIES

The Family Connections Series is designed to facilitate social-emotional, cognitive, and physical development.  These programs also give families a chance to bond over the joys of learning and discovery!  Please join us with admission to the museum.

Mess-Fest – Exploring with senses, motor-coordination, experience acting on the world. Every Monday Morning at 10:30am, (1-5 years).

• Explore your senses and get messy with clay, oobleck, finger-painting, and much more. A wonderful place for children to touch and experience different materials where mess is not an issue!

Find & Seek – Exploring with senses, curiosity, learning about object properties, interpreting symbols. Every Tuesday Morning at 10:30am, (1-5 years).

• Introduce your child to mini-environments designed to represent natural environments, like the desert (e.g., sand), and man-made environments, like a giant sized sewing kit (e.g., giant buttons and yarn).  Allow these environments to stimulate your child’s senses while also prompting them to think about the differences between man-made and natural environments.

Dance to the Music! – Creative expression, communication skills, control of movement, development of movement styles. Every Wednesday Morning at 10:30am, (1-5 years).

• Join us as we parade around the museum, play an instrument, or sign a song.

Curious Categories – Turn-taking skills, understanding the meaning of language, imagination, critical thinking, knowledge about objects. Every Thursday Morning at 10:30am, (1-5 years).

• Families explore age-appropriate objects and imagine different ways to sort them.  Children reflect upon their own world and enjoy the ability to sort it on their own terms.

Singing with Signs: Hands, Voices, & Minds – Communication skills, language development, early relationship skills. Every Friday Morning at 10:30am, (6 months – 5 years).

• Join us as we develop our communication, fine motor, and language skills by playing turn-taking games and use signs to sing songs and communicate about the world!

EXPRESSIVE ARTS SERIES

The expressive Arts Series is designed to facilitate creative expression by introducing children to different art forms. Please join us with admission to the museum.

Story Time – Early literacy skills, understanding symbols and the meaning of language, enjoyment of reading. Mondays and Wednesdays at 12pm , (All Ages).

• Join us in our Storytelling circle where we will enter a new world through books!  Our talented storytellers will read books with characters that children can identify with using song, fingerplays, puppets, and much more.  Guest storytellers visit the museum on an on-going basis to read their favorite stories.  Look for upcoming children’s authors to join us in the storytelling circle.

Mess & Express – Creativity, art-appreciation, understanding and interpreting symbols, control of movement, self-awareness. Every Monday at 3:00pm, (Especially for children 5-10 years).

• Get messy with different art materials (e.g., paint & clay) as we experiment with different ways to represent reality.

Arts in the Afternoon - Creativity, art-appreciation, understanding and interpreting symbols, self-expression. Every Thursday at 3:00pm, (All Ages).

• Designed to give children an introduction and practice in a variety of art forms. Click here for more information about this program.

Folklore & Fables – Diversity & multi-cultural awareness, the joy of reading, understanding of time and history. Every Friday at 3:00pm, (All Ages).

• Learn about different world cultures by hearing stories, folklore, and fables from different cultures. 

DISCOVERY SERIES

The Discovery Series is designed to facilitate the development of problem-solving, critical thinking, and children's sense of independence. These programs give children a chance to act as young explorers in hands-on investigations. Please join us with admission to the museum..

Scavenger Hunt – Problem-solving skills, critical thinking skills. Every Tuesday at 3:00pm, (Especially for children 5-10 years).

• Solve riddles, search through the museum, and find hidden artifacts on our child-lead scavenger hunt.

Stack, Block, & Roll – Problem-solving skills, critical thinking skills, motor skills, understanding of cause-and-effect. Every Wednesday at 3:00pm, (Children 5-10 years).

• Join us as we build social and critical thinking skills as we experiment with cause-and-effect by creating large kid-friendly block structures and then knocking them down.

Young Inventors Club – Creativity, cause-and-effect, cooperation skills, problem-solving skills, critical thinking. Every Saturday at 11:00am, (Especially for children 5-10 years).

• Choose from an assortment of interesting materials to invent what you want in this hands-on program. Think like an inventor and consider what you would use your invention for. Use your imagination to create anything! What would you like to invent today?  Using safety glasses and simple items such as old toys and wind-up alarm clocks children use real tools to explore the inner workings of everyday items. Questions that help this process include, “What do you think is inside?”, “How do you think this works?”, or “What happens if we try to?”.

WEEKEND PROGRAMMING

Young Inventors Club – Creativity, cause-and-effect, cooperation skills, problem-solving skills, critical thinking.

Saturdays at 11:00am, (Especially for children 5-10 years).

• Choose from an assortment of interesting materials to invent what you want in this hands-on program. Think like an inventor and consider what you would use your invention for. Use your imagination to create anything! What would you like to invent today? 
• Using safety glasses and simple items such as old toys and wind-up alarm clocks children use real tools to explore the inner workings of everyday items. Questions that help this process include, “What do you think is inside?”, “How do you think this works?”, or “What happens if we try to?”.

Cultural Sundays – Cultural awareness and appreciation.

Sundays at 1:00pm, (All Ages).

• Expose children to other cultures and open their minds about the world around them through interactive experiences.
• Our cultural program celebrates diversity and world culture every week.  It is important to our mission for early learning, that children learn about world culture on a continual basis.  Visit Cultural Sundays and experience musical performances, dancing, art, storytelling, guided descriptions of life in other countries, and much more.