Calendar of Events

Visit The Shop to create a beautiful and functional device to harness the power of the sun. Using wax paper, tissue paper, and a variety of other materials, you can create a sun catcher that looks like stained glass. 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 cardboard. 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.

Calling all paleontologists-in-training! Explore the complex process and important decisions that are made to get fossils out of the ground in this hands-on dig pit activity.

Visit The Shop to create a dinosaur-themed classic wooden pull toy. Choose from a variety of materials and go to work with your choice of woodworking tools to create a prehistoric toy that will fondly follow you everywhere you go! 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.

Visit Art Alcove to create an artistic interpretation of your favorite prehistoric creature. Using watercolor, you can paint a whimsical and colorful silhouette of the dinosaur of your choice.

What if dinosaurs still existed today? What would they need to survive? What would they eat? Where would they live? Visit Spark!Lab Smithsonian to use a variety of materials to invent your own modern-day dinosaur. Please note: Spark!Lab offers access to tools and materials that can cause injury if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young inventors use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Calling all paleontologists-in-training! Explore the complex process and important decisions that are made to get fossils out of the ground in this hands-on dig pit activity.

Visit The Shop to create a dinosaur-themed classic wooden pull toy. Choose from a variety of materials and go to work with your choice of woodworking tools to create a prehistoric toy that will fondly follow you everywhere you go! 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.

Visit Art Alcove to create an artistic interpretation of your favorite prehistoric creature. Using watercolor, you can paint a whimsical and colorful silhouette of the dinosaur of your choice.

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 cardboard. 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.

Visit The Shop to put your creativity and your crafting skills to the test when you design your very own stuffed dinosaur. With the help of the museum’s educators, you’ll use available materials to design and fill your own plush dino. 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 improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young tinkerers practice the safe use…

Visit The Shop to put your creativity and your crafting skills to the test when you design your very own stuffed dinosaur. With the help of the museum’s educators, you’ll use available materials to design and fill your own plush dino. 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 improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young tinkerers practice the safe use…

Visit The Shop to create a robot friend using a variety of materials including cardboard. Use real tools and combine a variety of materials to create your version of a robot that can help you accomplish daily tasks. Best of all, what you make is your 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…

Visit The Shop to create a robot friend using a variety of materials including cardboard. Use real tools and combine a variety of materials to create your version of a robot that can help you accomplish daily tasks. Best of all, what you make is your 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…

Young biologists will delight in this hands-on activity that uses soft, plush frogs to learn about frog anatomy in a non-intimidating manner. The activity merges fun with education, fostering an understanding of biology without using real specimens, making it accessible and appealing for budding biologists of any age.

Visit Spark!Lab Smithsonian to design a mini ecosystem. Learn about the balance of nature when you assemble layers of rocks, soil, plants, and decorations. Through guided instruction, visitors will understand how these elements interact to create a sustainable environment within a closed container. Please note: Spark!Lab offers access to tools and materials that can cause injury if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young inventors use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Visit The Discovery to explore things are an incredibly small scale! Using microscopes and accompanying slides, you can take an enlightening dive into the microscopic world. Under expert guidance, participants will learn how to operate microscopes and examine various slides, ranging from plant cells to microorganisms, gaining an appreciation for the complexity and diversity of life at the microscopic level.

Visit Spark!Lab Smithsonian to design a mini ecosystem. Learn about the balance of nature when you assemble layers of rocks, soil, plants, and decorations. Through guided instruction, visitors will understand how these elements interact to create a sustainable environment within a closed container. Please note: Spark!Lab offers access to tools and materials that can cause injury if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young inventors use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Discover the building blocks of life when you extract DNA from an ordinary strawberry. Museum visitors will extract, isolate, and observe the DNA of a strawberry using everyday materials like dish soap, salt, and alcohol to understand more about the building blocks of life and pursuits in the field of genealogy. Please note: This activity uses basic household chemicals that can be harmful or used improperly. Parents/caregivers are encouraged to help young scientists use the materials safely.

Learn interesting and surprising things about your own eyes and how they work when you witness the dissection of a bovine (cow) eye. Museum Educators will perform the dissection a cow’s eyeball to reveal how the many parts work together to provide vision. Note: This demonstration contains material that may be sensitive for younger museum visitors. Parents/caregivers should exercise discretion when attending this demonstration.

Young biologists will delight in this hands-on activity that uses soft, plush frogs to learn about frog anatomy in a non-intimidating manner. The activity merges fun with education, fostering an understanding of biology without using real specimens, making it accessible and appealing for budding biologists of any age.

Visit The Discovery to explore things are an incredibly small scale! Using microscopes and accompanying slides, you can take an enlightening dive into the microscopic world. Under expert guidance, participants will learn how to operate microscopes and examine various slides, ranging from plant cells to microorganisms, gaining an appreciation for the complexity and diversity of life at the microscopic level.

In Spark!Lab Smithsonian you can get hands-on with the process of invention: Think It, Explore It, Sketch It, Create It, Try It, Tweak It and Sell It. In this activity, you can use The Discovery’s massive collection of LEGO building blocks to create prototypes (Create It) of your most clever invention. Build your prototype, test its usability (Try It), and then refine as needed (Tweak It).

Develop or refine your carpentry skills when you build a custom photo frame in The Shop. Using a variety of tools and materials, you’ll create a frame perfect for your favorite photograph. Keep it for yourself or give it as a gift! 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.