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Calendar of Events
Past Events › Hands-on Activity
![](https://nvdm.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/DIY_Speakers-580x400.jpg)
DIY Speakers
Now hear this! In The Shop you can design and build your own set of speakers to amplify the sound of your favorite smartphone or music player. Experiment with different shapes and materials to find out what creates the loudest or best quality sound. What you build 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…
Find out more »![](https://nvdm.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Marble_Mazes-580x400.jpg)
DIY Marble Mazes
Give a classic toy 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. 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.
Find out more »![](https://nvdm.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Marble_Mazes-580x400.jpg)
DIY Marble Mazes
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. 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.
Find out more »![](https://nvdm.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/OpenBuild-580x400.jpg)
Open Build
In The Shop, hands-on gets serious. During “open build” take your pick a variety of materials and use real tools to design and build nearly anything you can imagine. Best of all, whatever you create 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.
Find out more »![](https://nvdm.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/OpenBuild-580x400.jpg)
Open Build
In The Shop, hands-on gets serious. During “open build” take your pick a variety of materials and use real tools to design and build nearly anything you can imagine. Best of all, whatever you create 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.
Find out more »![](https://nvdm.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/OpenBuild-580x400.jpg)
Open Build
In The Shop, hands-on gets serious. During “open build” take your pick a variety of materials and use real tools to design and build nearly anything you can imagine. Best of all, whatever you create 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.
Find out more »![](https://nvdm.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Thermoplastic-580x400.jpg)
Fantastic Thermoplastic
An event every week that begins at 4:00 pm on Wednesday, repeating until February 8, 2017
Visit The Shop to create your own piece of thermoplastic art and then watch as it shrinks to size before your very eyes. Create things like earrings, bookmarks, keychains, and more, and learn how this amazing material softens when heated, but hardens when it cools. 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.
Find out more »![](https://nvdm.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Thermoplastic-580x400.jpg)
Fantastic Thermoplastic
Visit The Shop to create your own piece of thermoplastic art and then watch as it shrinks to size before your very eyes. Create things like earrings, bookmarks, keychains, and more, and learn how this amazing material softens when heated, but hardens when it cools. 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.
Find out more »![](https://nvdm.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Thermoplastic-580x400.jpg)
Fantastic Thermoplastic
Visit The Shop to create your own piece of thermoplastic art and then watch as it shrinks to size before your very eyes. Create things like earrings, bookmarks, keychains, and more, and learn how this amazing material softens when heated, but hardens when it cools. 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.
Find out more »![](https://nvdm.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/TechNight-580x400.jpg)
Tech!Night February
Visit The Discovery on the second Wednesday of every month for Tech!Night, a new program designed to put emerging technology in the hands of museum visitors. Tech!Nights will feature a variety of high-tech tools and techniques, gadgets and games – command a robot, print in 3-D, and even code a new game – happening monthly in Spark!Lab Smithsonian. Generously supported by:
Find out more »![](https://nvdm.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Lambi_Tinkerer-580x400.jpg)
Visiting Tinkerers: Rachael and Debbie Lambin
Join Visiting Tinkerers Rachael and Debbie Lambin to create a Valentine’s Day inspired book sculpture. This mother-daughter team of artists will help you create an intricate literary sculpture that gets its inspiration from the titles and stories contained in the book it inhabits. All materials needed for this projected will be provided. Our thanks to the Meyer family for their generous support of the Visiting Tinkerer program.
Find out more »![](https://nvdm.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Plush_Valentines-580x400.jpg)
DIY Plush Valentines
Visit The Shop to create your own Valentine’s Day plush toy using a no-sew technique. Choose from a variety of materials to create a fun and fuzzy way to celebrate this holiday of love. 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.
Find out more »![](https://nvdm.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Plush_Valentines-580x400.jpg)
DIY Plush Valentines
Visit The Shop to create your own Valentine’s Day plush toy using a no-sew technique. Choose from a variety of materials to create a fun and fuzzy way to celebrate this holiday of love. 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.
Find out more »![](https://nvdm.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/MEGA_Heart-580x400.jpg)
Heart Month: MEGA Heart
An event every day that begins at 10:00 am, repeating until February 18, 2017
February is American Heart Month, a month to bring attention to heart disease and how people can prevent it. To raise awareness, Renown Health is bringing the MEGA Heart exhibit to The Discovery! Museum visitors will have the opportunity to walk through this enormous model of human heart to learn about cardiovascular functions, observe examples of various types of heart disease, and see displays explaining some of the latest medical treatments for heart problems. MEGA Heart exhibit sponsored by:
Find out more »![](https://nvdm.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Foam_Sculptures-580x400.jpg)
Foam Sculptures
Visit The Shop to combine repurposed packing foam with pipe cleaners and toothpicks to create unique artistic sculptures. What is 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.
Find out more »![](https://nvdm.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Foam_Sculptures-580x400.jpg)
Foam Sculptures
Visit The Shop to combine repurposed packing foam with pipe cleaners and toothpicks to create unique artistic sculptures. What is 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.
Find out more »![](https://nvdm.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Foam_Sculptures-580x400.jpg)
Foam Sculptures
Visit The Shop to combine repurposed packing foam with pipe cleaners and toothpicks to create unique artistic sculptures. What is 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.
Find out more »![](https://nvdm.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Wooden_Wheels-580x400.jpg)
Wood & Wheels
Prepare to engineer your version of the next automotive trendsetter in The Shop. Using available tools and materials and a selection of wooden wheels, you can design and build your very own automotive creation 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.
Find out more »![](https://nvdm.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Wooden_Wheels-580x400.jpg)
Wood & Wheels
Prepare to engineer your version of the next automotive trendsetter in The Shop. Using available tools and materials and a selection of wooden wheels, you can design and build your very own automotive creation 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.
Find out more »![](https://nvdm.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Wooden_Wheels-580x400.jpg)
Wood & Wheels
Prepare to engineer your version of the next automotive trendsetter in The Shop. Using available tools and materials and a selection of wooden wheels, you can design and build your very own automotive creation 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.
Find out more »![](https://nvdm.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Refrigerator_Magnets-580x400.jpg)
DIY Refrigerator Magnets
Visit The Shop to create your own version of a classic refrigerator decoration. Using available materials, and provided magnets, you can create an artistic and functional magnet to hold notes, photos or whatever comes to mind. 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.
Find out more »![](https://nvdm.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Refrigerator_Magnets-580x400.jpg)
DIY Refrigerator Magnets
Visit The Shop to create your own version of a classic refrigerator decoration. Using available materials, and provided magnets, you can create an artistic and functional magnet to hold notes, photos or whatever comes to mind. 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.
Find out more »![](https://nvdm.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Refrigerator_Magnets-580x400.jpg)
DIY Refrigerator Magnets
Visit The Shop to create your own version of a classic refrigerator decoration. Using available materials, and provided magnets, you can create an artistic and functional magnet to hold notes, photos or whatever comes to mind. 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.
Find out more »![](https://nvdm.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/TechNight-580x400.jpg)
Tech!Night March
Visit The Discovery on the second Wednesday of every month for Tech!Night, a new program designed to put emerging technology in the hands of museum visitors. Tech!Nights will feature a variety of high-tech tools and techniques, gadgets and games – command a robot, print in 3-D, and even code a new game – happening monthly in Spark!Lab Smithsonian. March Tech!Night guest: Reno Robot Club Generously supported by:
Find out more »