Calendar of Events

Ring in the new year and visit The Shop to put your automotive design skills to the test. Using a variety of materials, you can design and build your very own race car. 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/caregivers are encouraged to help young tinkerers use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Keep your literary collection organized and carefully displayed with bookends you make in The Shop. Using real tools and a selection of wood and craft supplies, you can build bookends to keep your book in perfect, standing order. Please note: The Shop offers access to real tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents/caregivers are encouraged to help young tinkerers use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Let the performance begin! Visit The Discovery’s Spark!Lab Smithsonian to invent your own version of a hand puppet. Using a variety of materials, you can design and create a hand puppet and then conduct a performance for friends, family and fellow museum visitors on the Spark!Lab puppet stage. Please note: This activity includes access to tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young inventors use the tools and materials safely.

Keep your literary collection organized and carefully displayed with bookends you make in The Shop. Using real tools and a selection of wood and craft supplies, you can build bookends to keep your book in perfect, standing order. Please note: The Shop offers access to real tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents/caregivers are encouraged to help young tinkerers use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Let the performance begin! Visit The Discovery’s Spark!Lab Smithsonian to invent your own version of a hand puppet. Using a variety of materials, you can design and create a hand puppet and then conduct a performance for friends, family and fellow museum visitors on the Spark!Lab puppet stage. Please note: This activity includes access to tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young inventors use the tools and materials safely.

Keep your literary collection organized and carefully displayed with bookends you make in The Shop. Using real tools and a selection of wood and craft supplies, you can build bookends to keep your book in perfect, standing order. Please note: The Shop offers access to real tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents/caregivers are encouraged to help young tinkerers use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Work with fellow museum visitors in Spark!Lab Smithsonian to design a stadium considering what activities it will host and the best way to accommodate all guests. Please note: This activity includes access to tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young inventors use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Visit The Shop to show off your skills in sculpture and get creative with air dry clay. Using clay carving tools and acrylic paint, you can create a decorative relief tile with a three-dimensional effect. 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.

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!

Work with fellow museum visitors in Spark!Lab Smithsonian to design a stadium considering what activities it will host and the best way to accommodate all guests. Please note: This activity includes access to tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young inventors use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Visit The Shop to show off your skills in sculpture and get creative with air dry clay. Using clay carving tools and acrylic paint, you can create a decorative relief tile with a three-dimensional effect. 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.

Work with fellow museum visitors in Spark!Lab Smithsonian to design a stadium considering what activities it will host and the best way to accommodate all guests. Please note: This activity includes access to tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young inventors use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Visit The Shop to show off your skills in sculpture and get creative with air dry clay. Using clay carving tools and acrylic paint, you can create a decorative relief tile with a three-dimensional effect. 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.

Get organized for school or work with a homemade wallet of your own design! Join us in The Shop to engineer a functional pouch using Velcro, zippers, or buttons. Sewing skills are not necessary to complete this project. 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.  

Work with fellow museum visitors in Spark!Lab Smithsonian to design a stadium considering what activities it will host and the best way to accommodate all guests. Please note: This activity includes access to tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young inventors use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Work with fellow museum visitors in Spark!Lab Smithsonian to design a stadium considering what activities it will host and the best way to accommodate all guests. Please note: This activity includes access to tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young inventors use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Get organized for school or work with a homemade wallet of your own design! Join us in The Shop to engineer a functional pouch using Velcro, zippers, or buttons. Sewing skills are not necessary to complete this project. 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.  

Work with fellow museum visitors in Spark!Lab Smithsonian to design a stadium considering what activities it will host and the best way to accommodate all guests. Please note: This activity includes access to tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young inventors use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Get organized for school or work with a homemade wallet of your own design! Join us in The Shop to engineer a functional pouch using Velcro, zippers, or buttons. Sewing skills are not necessary to complete this project. 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.  

The future of robotics is promising. But what can robots do to help humans in our daily lives? Visit Spark!Lab Smithsonian to invent a robot using a variety of craft supplies and recycled materials that can aid in daily tasks. Please note: This activity includes access to tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young inventors use the tools and materials safely in this space.

We’re embracing this icy season at the Discovery! Take your pick from a variety of bright and sparkly materials in The Shop to create something that dazzles. 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 this space.

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!

We’re embracing this icy season at the Discovery! Take your pick from a variety of bright and sparkly materials in The Shop to create something that dazzles. 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 this space.

The future of robotics is promising. But what can robots do to help humans in our daily lives? Visit Spark!Lab Smithsonian to invent a robot using a variety of craft supplies and recycled materials that can aid in daily tasks. Please note: This activity includes access to tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young inventors use the tools and materials safely in this space.