Calendar of Events

In this activity in The Shop, you can create a scary mixed-media beast. Using a variety of tools and a combination of materials like cardboard, cups, fabric, wood, and more, you can create your own mixed-media monster! Best of all, what you make is yours to keep! Please note: The Shop offers access to real tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young tinkerers use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Hands-on gets serious in The Shop! In this material-specific session of Open Build, you’ll use real tools to build nearly anything you can imagine out of wood. Best of all, what you create is yours to keep! Please note: The Shop offers access to real tools and materials that can cause injury if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young tinkerers use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Join our friends from 4-H Youth Development for a hands-on activities that will grow on you! In this hands-on activity in The Discovery’s Microsoft STEM Lab, participants will blend recycled paper into a pulp, mix in seeds, spread the mixture thinly, and dry it into sheets, which can then be planted to grow flowers or other plants, just in time for the spring planting season! Preregistration is required.

Create a character that will grow with the spring flowers in The Shop. Using soil, grass seed, and a variety of other materials, you can create a character that, when nurtured carefully, will grow a healthy crop of grass hair! Please note: The Shop offers access to real tools and materials that can cause injury if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young tinkerers use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Create a character that will grow with the spring flowers in The Shop. Using soil, grass seed, and a variety of other materials, you can create a character that, when nurtured carefully, will grow a healthy crop of grass hair! Please note: The Shop offers access to real tools and materials that can cause injury if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young tinkerers use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Create a character that will grow with the spring flowers in The Shop. Using soil, grass seed, and a variety of other materials, you can create a character that, when nutured carefully, will grow a healthy crop of grass hair!   Please note: The Shop offers access to real tools and materials that can cause injury if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young tinkerers use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Give a classic game a recycled twist when you create your own marble maze in The Shop. Using a variety of repurposed materials, create the tracks, tunnels, bumpers and other obstacles that make that make up the perfect marble challenge. Best of all, what you make is yours to keep! Please note: The Shop offers access to real tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young tinkerers use the tools and materials safely in…

Register for a LEGO® Robot Rumble session and you’ll learn how to build and code the ultimate autonomous, fighting robot using using LEGO® Mindstorms. Then, test your bot’s capabilities when you pit it against your fellow participants in a head-to-head battle. Your objective? Push your competitor’s bot out of the ring to declare victory!

Give a classic game a recycled twist when you create your own marble maze in The Shop. Using a variety of repurposed materials, create the tracks, tunnels, bumpers and other obstacles that make that make up the perfect marble challenge. Best of all, what you make is yours to keep! Please note: The Shop offers access to real tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young tinkerers use the tools and materials safely in…

We often think of robots as designed to do menial, repetitive tasks. This activity in The Shop will challenge you to design and build a robot that takes on a much more creative task… dancing! Using a variety of materials and a small electric motor, you can build a robot that really boogies. Best of all, what you make is yours to keep! Please note: The Shop offers access to real tools and materials that can cause injury if used…

The Force is strong with you! Celebrate Star Wars Day at The Discovery when you explore a variety of activities inspired by the famed movie franchise. As the ageless and wise Yoda once said, “Do. Or do not. There is no try.” Build a Lightsaber Win the battle against the dark side using a miniature lightsaber you build yourself in The Shop. Using a variety of materials and a finger light, you can create a miniature version of the classic…

The Force is strong with you! Celebrate Star Wars Day at The Discovery when you explore a variety of activities inspired by the famed movie franchise. As the ageless and wise Yoda once said, “Do. Or do not. There is no try.” Build a Lightsaber Win the battle against the dark side using a miniature lightsaber you build yourself in The Shop. Using a variety of materials and a finger light, you can create a miniature version of the classic…

Humans have long endeavored to travel among the stars. To do so, we need innovative spaceships that go farther and faster than ever before. Visit Spark!Lab Smithsonian to invent a spacecraft using recycled materials, considering things like how it will be powered, where it will travel, who will be at the controls, and other important aspects of the mission. Please note: This activity includes access to tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to…

Humans have long endeavored to travel among the stars. To do so, we need innovative spaceships that go farther and faster than ever before. Visit Spark!Lab Smithsonian to invent a spacecraft using recycled materials, considering things like how it will be powered, where it will travel, who will be at the controls, and other important aspects of the mission. Please note: This activity includes access to tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to…

Humans have long endeavored to travel among the stars. To do so, we need innovative spaceships that go farther and faster than ever before. Visit Spark!Lab Smithsonian to invent a spacecraft using recycled materials, considering things like how it will be powered, where it will travel, who will be at the controls, and other important aspects of the mission. Please note: This activity includes access to tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to…

Unleash your creativity and bring a touch of enchantment to your home or garden when you build your own fairy house! Perfect for gardeners of all ages, this delightful activity allows you to create a miniature magical world. Best of all, what you create is yours to keep. Please note: The Shop offers access to real tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young tinkerers use the tools and materials safely in…

Inspired by Super Human: Power of Technology, visit The Shop to use cardboard and other recycled materials to design and build a prosthetic. Super Human explores how technological advancements and medical breakthroughs have revolutionized the way we live, opening new possibilities and making the world a more inclusive place. What you create can further those efforts! Please note: The Shop offers access to real tools and materials that can cause injury if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young tinkerers use…

Join our friends from Tahoe Star Tours in The Discovery’s Microsoft STEM Lab for a discussion, and hands-on exploration of the constellations of Orion, Cassiopeia, and Ursa Major. Participants will collaborate with others to construct a scale model demonstrating stellar distances of each constellation. Preregistration is required.

Inspired by Super Human: Power of Technology, visit The Shop to use cardboard and other recycled materials to design and build a prosthetic. Super Human explores how technological advancements and medical breakthroughs have revolutionized the way we live, opening new possibilities and making the world a more inclusive place. What you create can further those efforts! Please note: The Shop offers access to real tools and materials that can cause injury if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young tinkerers use…

With spring almost upon us, visit The Shop to build a cozy home for our feathered friends. Using various wooden materials and available tools, you can design and build your own version of a classic birdhouse. Please note: The Shop offers access to real tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young tinkerers use the tools and materials safely in this space.

With spring almost upon us, visit The Shop to build a cozy home for our feathered friends. Using various wooden materials and available tools, you can design and build your own version of a classic birdhouse. Please note: The Shop offers access to real tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young tinkerers use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Modeling clay is a great way to start a project. It’s easily malleable consistency makes it easy to use (and reuse) for creating a prototype for nearly any project. Visit The Shop to try your hand at using modeling clay to design nearly anything you can imagine. Best of all, what you create is yours to keep! Please note: The Shop offers access to real tools and materials that can cause injury if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help…

3D printing technology is changing the fields of design and manufacturing at a rapid rate. Visit Spark!Lab Smithsonian to witness the layer-by-layer creation of various objects, learn about the materials and technologies involved, and understand the applications and implications of 3D printing across industries like healthcare, engineering, and art.

Visit The Shop to create the perfect decoration for spring. Using hammers and nails, you can create a spring-inspired shape to trace with yarn. Best of all, what you make is yours to take home! Please note: The Shop offers access to real tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young tinkerers use the tools and materials safely in this space.