Each week at Thanksgiving Point are tons of educational and fun activities for families of all ages and abilities! Our Family Programs include, Tales for Tots, Monday Night Activities, and Design Challenge, just to name a few. All activities are FREE for Thanksgiving Point Members, as they are included with venue admissions.
The programs are always adapting and changing throughout the year so check back often for updates. They are also led by our trained educational team to ensure each person at the activity has a great time learning and playing together as family and friends. Click each drop-down menu below to learn more about these one-of-a-kind educational opportunities at Thanksgiving Point and to see dates, locations, and times for each one. See you soon!
Join us for our hands-on storytelling adventures, Tales for Tots, held each Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings at 11 am. Each day a new story is read followed by a fun activity that goes along with that story.
Tuesday – Museum of Ancient Life
Wednesday – Farm Country
Thursday – Museum of Natural Curiosity
Friday (June - September) – Ashton Gardens
Upcoming Schedule:
March 27 | The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds
Children will sympathize immediately with Vashti first, angry little dot and then cheer her subsequent discovery that even a dot can be art when it springs from inspiration. Before long, Vashti has found many ways to create many dots.
April 3 | Triceratops for Lunch by Andrea Posner- Sanchez
Join Tank the Triceratops for lunch as he tries new food with his friends!
April 10 | The Berenstain Bears and the Dinosaur Bones by Stan Berenstain
When a dinosaur bone goes missing from the Bear Museum, it’s up to the Berenstain Bears to help crack the case
April 17 | We’re Sailing down the Nile by Laurie Krebs
There is so much in store on this incredible journey enormous statues and temples, the legendary Sphinx, tombs and mummies, and of course the Great Pyramids
April 24 | Toby and the Ice Giants by Toe Lillington
Join Toby the Bison in this fact-filled adventure as he explores the Ice Age Tundra and meets some of the giants that roamed its icy surface.
March 28 | Sky Color by Peter H Reynolds
Marisol loves to paint. So, when her teacher asks her to help make a mural for the school library, she can’t wait to begin! But how can Marisol make a sky without blue paint? After gazing out the bus window and watching from her porch as day turns into night, she closes her eyes and starts to dream.
April 4 | The Happiest Book Ever! By Bob Shea
What could be happier than a book with a dancing cake, a candy parade, and a hug monster? A book with all those things plus YOU!
April 11 | The Great Paper Caper by Oliver Jeffers
The picture book features funny looking characters with dots for eyes and stick for legs who live in the forest where everyone is responsible for the environment.
April 18 | I Hear a Pickle by Rachel Isadora
A book about the five senses is aimed perfectly at another sense—kids’ sense of humor.
April 25 | Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola
Strega Nona -- "Grandma Witch" -- is the source for potions, cures, magic, and comfort in her Calabrian town. Her magical everful pasta pot is especially intriguing to hungry Big Anthony.
March 22 | My Amazing Body by Pat Thomas
This lively picture book explores the importance of a good diet and plenty of exercise and encourages kids to make positive decisions about caring for themselves.
March 29 | Beautiful Oops by Barney Saltzberg
It’s OK to make a mistake. In fact, hooray for mistakes! A mistake is an adventure in creativity, a portal of discovery. A spill doesn’t ruin a drawing—not when it becomes the shape of a silly animal. And an accidental tear in your paper? Don’t be upset about it when you can turn it into the roaring mouth of an alligator.
April 5 | How to Dress a Dragon by Thelma Lynne Godin
If you have to dress a dragon, you must be prepared to catch him as he flies by. Also, beware of ticklish toes, shirts with buttons, and hats that do not fit neatly between his horns!
April 12 | Diego by Jeanette and Jonah Winter
Vibrant miniature paintings convey the sense of adventure and magic that marked Rivera's early years.
April 19 | For you are a Kenyan Child by Kelly Cunnane
Imagine you live in a small Kenyan village, where the sun rises over tall trees filled with doves. With so much going on around you, it's just as easy to forget what your mama asked you to do!
April 26 | Bitty Bot by Tim McCanna
Told in jaunty, rollicking rhymes that are enlivened by colorful, humorous digital illustrations, no matter how energetic a little ‘bot’ may be, there inevitably comes a time when ‘batteries are running low!
Bring your tots and enjoy a fun morning of exploring music and movement at the Museum of Natural Curiosity and Farm Country. Led by our education staff, Melody Makers is the perfect opportunity for little kids to dance and move in a fun and friendly environment. Included with regular venue admission.
Tuesdays at 11 am: Museum of Natural Curiosity
Thursdays at 11 am: Farm Country
Upcoming:
March 27 | Yummy in my Tummy
Come sing songs all about the wonderful food you eat! We will pretend to be a pizza and sing about apples and bananas. The take home instrument today will be a cup shaker.
April 3 | Learn to Dance
It’s time to learn a line dance. Sing and dance with us as we learn how easy it is to make up dance steps to various types of music including country music. Make a key necklace to take home.
April 10 | Weather Fun
Listening to the rain is a great way to enjoy the spring season. Come explore with us as we make a rainstorm with our hands. Explore and play to fun songs about the weather outside like Rain, Rain Go Away and Mr. Golden Sun. Today we will make a seed packet shaker to sound like the rain.
April 17 | Nursery Rhymes
We will be featuring classic songs and old-time favorites. Simple nursery rhymes can easily be set to music because the lyrical words make a unique beat as we say them. Join us today as we sing favorites and make a slippery fish puppet clapper to take home.
April 24 | Learn to Try
Sometimes we learn do things that are difficult. Come see what can happen when we do our best and try! We will also wiggle and giggle as we try. The take home instrument today will be a unique ribbon wand.
March 22 | Around Town
The Wheels on the Bus go around and around all through the town. Learn the actions to this and other songs as we discover the world around us. Just for fun we will learn Are You Sleeping and learn a variety of new actions to go with this and other children’s classic songs. Make a shaker to take home.
March 29 | Animal Pretend
Do you like animals? Do you like to pretend? Do you like making the sounds of zoo animals like the lion, bear, alligator, and monkey? Today we are going to explore music about animals. Make a monkey stick puppet to take home.
April 5 | Farm Fun
Farm songs are fun. Learn and play as we explore songs that tell a story like Farmer in the Dell, Old McDonald Had a Farm and B.I.N.G.O. Try your hand at a unique clapper made with buttons.
April 12 | Move to the Beat
It’s time to move to the beat and shake it up. Move, clap, and make a beat to various rhythm patterns as we use shakers, maracas, and drum sticks to enhance the music. Mix it up as we try a variety of different songs. The take home instrument today is a wrist egg shaker.
April 19 | Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes
It’s time to see how to move and shake it up. Learn about our bodies and how they wiggle about. The take home instrument today will be a flower finger puppet.
April 26 | Travel to the Moon
There is more than one way to travel like trains, cars, and how about a rocket to the moon. Imagine that you can be an astronaut and travel to space. Some songs take us on a journey through our imagination. Join us today as we sing, play, and pretend. The take home instrument today will be CD Cymbals.
It’s not every day you could meet an alligator or greet a skunk. Animals are all around us, some live in your backyard, some live far away, but all are important to our world. Come get up close and personal with some of the most interesting animals you will meet as we explore some of the curious critters that make our world wonderful.
Second Saturday of each month at 11 am: Museum of Natural Curiosity
Fourth Saturday of each month at 11 am:
October-February at the Museum of Ancient Life
March-September at Farm Country
Upcoming:
April 14 | Reptile Respect
Sometimes creepy 'crawlies' or 'slitheries' can be considered very scary- but when we look closer with the help of the scientific process, there's so much to discover and learn from these amazing creatures! Come discover their incredible lifestyles as we explore live reptiles and some super-cool specimens, and learn how we can help them thrive and why we should!
April 28 | City Nature Challenge
Join us for Thanksgiving Point’s Insect Bioblitz! Take part in the international citizen science quest: The City Nature Challenge. Comes explore the farm and help record the insects you find using the iNaturalist App. For more information about the City Nature Challenge click HERE.
Featuring new activities each week, Monday Nights at Thanksgiving Point focus on a single theme with various activities designed to entertain and educate the whole family.
4:30 - 7:30 pm. Location varies by season. See below.
January, February, March: Museum of Ancient Life
July, August, September: Farm Country
April, May, June: Ashton Gardens
October, November, December: Museum of Natural Curiosity
Museum of Ancient Life
March 26 | It's All About Size
What’s your favorite kind of dinosaur? Gigantic T-Rex or the tiny Bambiraptor? Search for your favorite dinosaurs while you make your own dinosaur and see how size really does make a difference.
Ashton Gardens
April 2 | The Egg Egstravaganza
Exploring eggs just got a new twist. Finished with Easter, candy, and fun, now you can explore the real miracle of SPRING: Baby Birds!! Also, come explore with us as we take a closer look at egg shapes and colors, birds in their many varieties, nests and feathers.
April 9| It's All About the Spring
Exploring the Ashton Garden as Winter changes to Spring is a magical experience. Join us today as we venture around looking for budding trees, brand new bird’s nests, flowers emerging, grass growing and thickening. As we explore we will be going on a scavenger hunt, dissecting flowers, creating nature mandalas and discovering the diversity of Spring growth.
April 16, 23, 30 | Tulip Festival Monday Nights
Join us in the Ashton Gardens for Monday Night Activities at the Tulip Festival. We will be exploring nature use binoculars and magnifying glasses to search for birds and go on the hunt for unique tulip varieties. What can you find in the garden just by looking? When you have found your inspiration join us at the painting station to begin creating your artistic rendition of your discoveries.
Looking for a fantastic Friday night activity? On the first and third Friday of every month from 5:30-7:30 pm, get your game on with a variety of classic and new board games during our Family Game Night. Family Game Night is a family-focused evening for kids and parents of all ages.
First & Third Friday of each month at 5:30 pm: Museum of Natural Curiosity.
Upcoming
April 6 | Classic Board Games
Gather around the table as we play some classic board games like clue, trouble, and battleship.
April 20 | Life Size Games
Come play life size board games that are too big to fit in one room! Play games with your whole body like Yahtzee, Connect 4, Scrabble, Jenga, and more!
Come have fun while innovating! Design Challenge is a Museum program that gets everyone engaging in the engineering design process. Make a team with your family and join us! Up to eight teams may compete at each challenge. It is free to compete and all supplies will be provided but if you wish to take your project home there will be a small fee to cover the cost of supplies. Come ready to design, build, test and prototype a solution to a given problem. The top three winners for each challenge will receive a trophy and every team will receive a participation certificate.
Third Saturday of each month from 2-4 pm: Museum of Natural Curiosity
Upcoming
April 21 | What Floats Your Boat
Although the ocean laps calmly at the shore, danger awaits just past the shallows. The only hope for your team is to get past the sea monsters, anxious to snatch you off board by the oars. Unfortunately, this escape will require more than your typical raft. As a team of stranded survivors, you must invent a self-propelled boat that will carry you to safer waters. Don’t forget to load up supplies for the long journey ahead. All materials will be provided.
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