Programs for Children and Families

Indoors and out, there are plenty of opportunities at the Montshire for kids to learn about our natural world in a small group setting.

 

Friday, A U G U S T  29 Nature at Night

The night is alive! A Montshire sticker will be your family's ticket to a special evening adventure. Inside the Museum we'll learn about constellations visible in the night sky and the nighttime activities of native mammals. The wonder continues on a night walk outside where we'll use all our senses to observe nature at its most mysterious. 6-9 p.m. Free with Museum admission.

September

Tuesday, S E P T E M B E R  9 First meeting, Afterschool Science Adventures

Montshire's afternoon club is the perfect adventure for your curious young scientist. Each day we'll explore our natural world, making science fun with hands-on activities, experiments, and games. Snacks provided. For children in grades 1-3. Tuesdays, 3:15-5 p.m., September 9-December 9 (no class November 25). Members $275, non-members $300. Pre-registration required; call the museum at 802 649-2200, or register online.  

Wednesday, S E P T E M B E R  10 First meeting, Montshire Preschool

Your preschooler will enjoy fun activities, hands-on experiments, and individual explorations in physical and natural sciences. Open to children ages 4 through kindergarten. Wednesdays, morning session (9:30-11:30 a.m.) or afternoon session (1-3 p.m.). The Byrne Foundation generously supports the Montshire Preschool program. Scholarship aid is available (call 802-649-2200 for details). September 10-December 10 (no class November 26). Members $275, non-members $300. Pre-registration required; call the museum at 802 649-2200, or register online.  

Monday, S E P T E M B E R  15 First meeting, Open Lab: Zap! Electricity from the Sun!

This fall we will spend three weeks investigating electricity and how we can use solar cells to turn sunlight into moving electrons. Create your own inventions and learn to wire photovoltaic cells to electric motors, switches, and more. Mondays, September 15, 22, & 29, 3:15-5 p.m. For children in grades 4-6. Members $85, non-members $95. Register online.  

Monday, S E P T E M B E R  15 Books and Beyond! Science for Preschoolers

Combine great children's literature with exciting hands-on science activities such as sinking and floating, wind and air-play, and more! 10:15 or 11:30 a.m. Preschool programs made possible with support from the Byrne Foundation. Free with Museum admission.  

Friday, O C T O B E R  19 Crime Lab Detectives exhibition preview

5:30-7:30 p.m. Members only.

Saturday, S E P T E M B E R  20 Crime Lab Detectives Opens

Take on the job of investigator and forensic scientist when the traveling exhibition Crime Lab Detectives is at the Montshire Museum. Carefully explore a crime scene, then use the six lab tables to examine various clues, including tire marks, footprints, DNA, broken glass, cloth fiber, and more! Record what you see in your Detective Notebook, and discover what witnesses have to say in video interviews. The challenge: to decide which of the five prime suspects committed the crime. This traveling exhibition was organized by the Arkansas Museum of Discovery. Open through January 7, 2009.  

Sunday, S E P T E M B E R  21 Science Sundays: Water Wheels and Power

Explore how to use the energy of falling water to do work. $5/family, plus Museum admission. 1-2 p.m. or 3-4 p.m. Tickets available on day of program at Museum. Space is limited. Part of the monthly family science series.  

Thursday, S E P T E M B E R  25 Homeschoolers' Day: Crime Lab Science and More!

Enjoy the exhibition Crime Lab Detectives while participating in a day's worth of science designed specifically for homeschoolers and their families. Explore the math and science of crime investigations. Learn a variety of ways to make the invisible visible, from black lights to hidden messages in complex codes. 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Free with Museum admission.  

October

Saturday, O C T O B E R  4 First Annual Montshire Paper Airplane Contest

The competition will begin at 1:00 on the second floor of the Museum. Please arrive with your airplane at 12:30 to sign-in and register for the event. A panel of aviation experts will judge the inaugural flights. Participants can chose to compete in Novice, Open, or Stunt categories. To see a few examples of paper airplanes and get some help creating your own fantastic flyer, join us at 11:00 in the Community Room for our pre-competition building session—all materials provided. Let your creativity soar!  

Monday, O C T O B E R  6 Books and Beyond! Science for Preschoolers

Combine great children's literature with exciting hands-on science activities such as sinking and floating, wind and air-play, and more! 10:15 or 11:30 a.m. Preschool programs made possible with support from the Byrne Foundation. Free with Museum admission.  

Sunday, O C T O B E R  19 Science Sundays: Machine Madness Pre-Build

Put your engineering skills and creativity to work and start (or perfect) your link in this year's upcoming Machine Madness event. Materials will be provided, but feel free to bring some of your own. 12-4 p.m. The classroom will be open on a walk-in basis. Free with Museum admission. Part of the monthly science series.  

Monday, O C T O B E R  20 First meeting, Homeschool Series: All About Air

Mondays, October 20, 27, and November 3, 10:30-11:45 a.m. for ages 6-8; 1-2:15 p.m. for ages 9-12. Join other homeschoolers in this three-week series focusing on air. We'll explore its properties and movement by experimenting with kites, parachutes, and hot air balloons. Members $54, non-members $60. Register online.  

November

Monday, N O V E M B E R  3 First meeting, Open Lab: For the Birds!

Learn about winter birds and other warm-blooded animals that spend the cold months in our nearby forests and fields. We'll make feeders to bring home to help keep these wild winter neighbors healthy. Mondays, November 3, 10, and 17, 3:15-5p.m. For children in grades 4-6. Members $75, non-members $85. Register online.  

Monday, N O V E M B E R  3 Books and Beyond! Science for Preschoolers

Combine great children's literature with exciting hands-on science activities such as sinking and floating, wind and air-play, and more! 10:15 or 11:30 a.m. Preschool programs made possible with support from the Byrne Foundation. Free with Museum admission.  

Saturday, N O V E M B E R  8 Sixth Annual Machine Madness

Calling inventors of all ages! We're building a really big machine at the Montshire, and we need your help. Build a contraption at home that can be linked to creations made by fellow participants and the result will be an incredible chain reaction that starts at one end of the Montshire's Community Room and ends at the other! 1-4 p.m. Registration not required. Free with Museum admission.  

Saturday, N O V E M B E R  22 The Way We Work book signing with David Macaulay

In this comprehensive and entertaining resource, award-winning author and illustrator, David Macaulay reveals the inner workings of the human body as only he could. When readers see how Macaulay, with his trademark humor, builds a body and explains the way it works, they will come away with a new appreciation of the amazing world inside them. Book available at the Montshire Gift Shop. 2 p.m.  

Sunday, N O V E M B E R  23 Science Sundays: Whodunit?

Part of the monthly family science series. This is your chance to be a detective! Use the power of science and math to solve a crime with this whodunit family mystery. 1-2 p.m. or 3-4 p.m. $5 /family, plus Museum admission.  

Monday, N O V E M B E R  24 Books and Beyond! Science for Preschoolers

Combine great children's literature with exciting hands-on science activities such as sinking and floating, wind and air-play, and more! 10:15 or 11:30 a.m. Preschool programs made possible with support from the Byrne Foundation. Free with Museum admission.  

December

Monday, D E C E M B E R  15 Books and Beyond! Science for Preschoolers

Combine great children's literature with exciting hands-on science activities such as sinking and floating, wind and air-play, and more! 10:15 or 11:30 a.m. Preschool programs made possible with support from the Byrne Foundation. Free with Museum admission.  

 

---

 

For programs that require pre-registration, call us at (802) 649-2200. or use the online signup links where listed. Fees due on receipt of registration.