Calendar of Events

Join Visiting Artist Zoe Bray to repurpose and transform objects such as cereal boxes, toilet paper rolls and plastic bottles into festive little puppets and theater sets. By cutting, pasting, drawing and painting on recycled material, we will create fantastical new worlds of our own. About Zoe Bray Zoe Bray is an artist and anthropologist of dual Basque and English roots, based in Reno. She loves to combine the traditional techniques of drawing and painting with illustration and animation to celebrate…

Develop your carpentry skills when you build a custom photo frame in The Shop. Using a variety of materials and a photo you bring with you, or one taken at The Discovery, you’ll create a frame perfect for a holiday 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.

Don’t let the Grinch steal your Christmas cheer. Visit The Shop to use available tools and a variety of materials to build a Grinch trap. If your trap is foolproof, you’ll save Christmas for everyone! 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 The Shop to create your own version of a matryoshka doll. More commonly known as Russian nesting dolls, these well-known toys were originally designed by Sergey Malyutin, a folk crafts painter from Russia. Did you know? The largest set of matryoshka dolls in the world is a 51-piece set hand-painted by Youlia Bereznitskaia of Russia, completed in 2003. The tallest doll in the set measures almost two feet tall!

Challenge your brain, and your family and friends with a board game you create in The Shop. Using available tools and materials, create a board game inspired by the holiday seasons and cultures from around the world. 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.

Stop into Spark!Lab Smithsonian to invent your very own wobblebot. Combine a variety of common materials and simple electronics to create a “robot” that wiggles, wobbles. 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 Art Alcove to create a classic tree-trimming work of art! Combine felted pom poms with a real pine cone to create the perfect decoration for the holidays—yours to keep, or give as a gift!

Visit The Shop to design and build the future of transportation. During “Open Build: Wheels,” take your pick from a variety of materials and use real tools to create nearly anything you can imagine with wheels. 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.

Stop into Spark!Lab Smithsonian to invent your very own wobblebot. Combine a variety of common materials and simple electronics to create a “robot” that wiggles, wobbles. 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 Spark!Lab Smithsonian to take part in the Edison Challenge. In this activity you’ll use your imagination, a pile of junk, and electrical components so see if you can prove famous inventor, Thomas Edison, correct when he said, “all you need to invent is your imagination and a pile of junk.”

Explore the various of ways the new year is celebrated around the world by creating a variety of celebratory items in The Shop. Using available tools and materials you can create coin wallets, floral arrangements, and more! 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 are encouraged to help young tinkerers use the tools and materials safely in this space.

In The Shop, hands-on gets serious. During Open Build, take your pick from a variety of materials and use real tools to design and build 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 be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young tinkerers use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Stop by Art Alcove to try your hand at a relaxing form of art called “Zentangle.” The Zentangle method is an easy-to-learn, relaxing, and fun way to create beautiful images by drawing structured patterns. Art Alcove is The Discovery’s space to explore your creative side. Art Alcove offers a unique art project every day for museum visitors to explore a variety of artistic materials and methods.

Can you imagine a winter wonderland made out of cardboard? Can you create one? Collaborate with other museum visitors in The Shop to help create The Discovery’s first-ever Cardboard City “Winter Wonderland.” 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.