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, Melody Makers, and Dirt on Dinos, 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 weekly storytelling adventure, Tales for Tots, held each Monday and Friday at 11:00am. Staff will engage guests with interactive storytelling as well as movement and/or music activities that connect to the story theme of the day.
Mondays - Museum of Ancient Life
11am-11:20am (Please purchase a 10:30am or 11am ticket for this program).
Fridays - Butterfly Biosphere
11am-11:20am (Please purchase a 10:30am or 11am ticket for this program).
Included with regular venue admission.
Family groups will be encouraged to space 6 ft. apart in on open area of the museum using colored dots to indicate individual seating areas. Little to no props will be used and will be thoroughly sanitized after each program. The program will run about 15-20 minutes once a week. More offerings will become available as COVID-19 restrictions are released. Masks are required for all participants 3 years of age and above.
Upcoming Schedule:
Every week in January, we will explore the roots of Native American stories, the lessons they teach, and the moral and cultural values they carry. Come learn about Coyote, Cottontail and Buzzard, and how they all live in harmony on Mother Earth!
January 4 | A Hole in the Bottom of the Sea by Jessica Law
What's at the bottom of the sea, do you know? It might be a lot more than you think!
January 11 | Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner
Come on a wonderful adventure where we will discover what Snowmen do at night.
January 18 | Tea Rex by Molly Idle
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have Tea with a Dinosaur? Join us for a tea party with a very special guest.
January 25 | How to Wash a Woolly Mammoth by Michelle Robinson
How would you wash a woolly mammoth would you start with trunk or would you start with the feet?
February 1 | Have You Seen My Dinosaur by Jon Surgal
How do you find a missing dinosaur who’s large and green and likes to roar? When a little boy’s dinosaur decides to play hide-and-seek, he is surprisingly difficult to track down.
February 8 | The Bravest Knight by Mercer Mayer
For the bravest knight, a day’s adventure involves rescuing a cat from a tree, forcing bad knights to pick flowers for the king, and boldly fighting a fire-breathing dragon.
February 15 | Little Ant’s Valentine by S.M.R. Saia
Little Ant hates Valentine's Day. None of the girls in the anthill like him, so he has nothing to celebrate. Then he meets the pretty ant.
February 22 | Nanette’s Baguette by Mo Willems
It’s Nanette’s first big solo trip to the bakery. But . . . will she get the baguette from baker Juliette? Or will Nanette soon be beset with regret?
January 1 | No Tales for Tots
January 8 | Dine’ String Games with Guest Storyteller Eileen Quintana
Mother Dove is missing! Who will help her two little doves find their mother when wood, water and rock are being so unkind?
January 15 | Ms. Coyote and Doe (A Navajo Tale)
According to Navajo tradition, coyote tales are told in the wintertime. Come hear how Coyote learns the consequence of being jealous and why Coyote and Doe are enemies today.
January 22 | Cottontail Tames Wood, Water and Rock (A Uintah/Ouray Ute Tale)
Mother Dove is missing! Who will help her two little doves find their mother when wood, water and rock are being so unkind?
January 29 | Cottontail Shoots the Sun (A Uintah/Ouray Ute Tale)
Cottontail cannot bear the heat any longer, so he decides to teach Sun a lesson and fight him. Have you ever wondered why Sun moves so slowly and cautiously each morning?
February 5 | Frank the Seven-Legged Spider by Michaele Razi
Frank is a spider who loves to weave amazing artistic webs, only to wake up one day to discover he's missing a leg. Is he still a spider if he only has seven legs?
February 12 | Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett
Annabelle finds what looks like an ordinary box full of very colorful yarn. But this box is magic, and soon she transforms her entire town.
February 19 | Clumsy Crab by Ruth Galloway
Nipper the crab’s huge, clumsy claws always cause him problems until his friend Octopus gets tangled up in some seaweed and only Nipper can free him.
February 26 | Lettice the Flying Rabbit by Mandy Stanley
Lettice is determined to make her dream of flying come true. When a small plane lands in the meadow, she sees the perfect opportunity.
Join us for our popular Melody Makers program. Led by our education staff, Melody Makers is the perfect opportunity for little kids and their adults to dance and move in a fun and friendly environment. Come see what each unique staff member has to offer with a variety of engaging songs and themes each week.
Venues are timed ticketed. Please reserve a ticket for the 10:30 am or 11:00 am time slot to participate in this program.
Tuesdays - Museum of Natural Curiosity
11am-11:20am (Please purchase a 10:30am ticket for this activity.)
Location: Adventure Alcove in Kidopolis or, weather permitting we will be meeting outdoors at the Ladybug Stage in the Discovery Garden. Check with Front Desk for location updates.
Thursdays - Farm Country
11am-11:20am (Please purchase a 10:30am ticket for this activity.)
Location: Farm Lobby
Included with regular venue admission.
Family groups will be spaced 6 ft. apart in our outdoor area using colored dots to indicate individual dance spaces. Little to no props will be used and will be thoroughly cleaned after each program. The program will run about 15-20 minutes once a week. More offerings will become available as COVID-19 restrictions are released. Masks are required for all participants 3 years of age and above.
I'm a Little Snowman
Children can grow tall and melt away with us as we enjoy this classic winter song.
The Snowkey Pokey
We will put our mittens in and our mittens out in this fun winter twist on the Hokey Pokey.
Our entomologists need your sleuthing skills to uncover some bug mysteries at the Butterfly Biosphere! These mysteries are perfect to solve with the whole family.
January 22 - Butterfly Biosphere
5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Upcoming Mystery Nights:
February 12, 2020
March 12, 2020
Included with regular venue admission.
The Case of the Popular Pen Pal
Makena moved back home after doing an exhibit bug internship, and he’s a such great pen pal! He keeps in touch with all of us at the Butterfly Biosphere, so we’re going to visit him for vacation! Find clues from Makena’s postcards to figure out what kind of bug he is and where we’re going to visit!
Join the fun, and wear your favorite tropical shirt or flowers in your hair!
Join us for The Dirt on Dinos program at the Paleontology Lab window every Wednesday. Our program will be taking place outside the lab where we will have interesting artifacts on display, in closed cases, for viewing only. Friendly staff will help answer questions from safe distances while wearing masks. Bring your best questions and imagination! Can you imagine how large a mask would be for a T-rex? Come learn about the science happening every day here at Thanksgiving Point!
Wednesdays - Museum of Ancient Life
10am - 12 Noon
Included with regular venue admission.
Family groups will be encouraged to space 6 ft. apart.
Temporarily suspended due to COVID-19. Please check back for more information soon.
We are excited to introduce our new Itsy-Bitsy Science sensory bins, happening every Tuesday at the Butterfly Biosphere. Itsy-Bitsy Science is designed specifically for families with children ages 5 and under. This hands-on experience lets children explore insects and the natural world through their senses, making early science concepts playful and fun!
Tuesdays - Butterfly Biosphere
3pm
Included with regular venue admission.
Join us Wednesday mornings at 10:00 am in the Learning Garden at Ashton Gardens for a look at gardening basics! From water and soil to plant parts and pollinators, this program gets the whole family out into the garden exploring and discovering. Geared towards the little ones in your life, this program will help their roots grow deep into the world of gardening.
Wednesdays - Ashton Gardens, Learning Garden (July 15th - October 14th)
10am (Please purchase a 9:30 or 10:00am ticket for this program.)
Included with regular venue admission.
Staff will ensure that materials are sanitized properly after use. Family groups may have their own set of materials if applicable. Outdoor spaces will be used and guests will be encouraged to sit at a safe distance.
Fish Food for Thought: The Alligator Gar is sometimes referred to as a “living fossil” because scientists can trace them in the fossil record back 100 million years!
Join our Museum of Ancient Life staff on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 1pm to watch these agile predators hunt for their lunch!
Wednesdays and Saturdays - Museum of Ancient Life
1pm
Included with regular venue admission.
Family groups will be encouraged to space 6 ft. apart.
Stop by the critter cart on your trip around the Butterfly Biosphere. At the regular show times (12pm, 2pm, 4pm, and 6pm) our Explorers will be handling a bug for you to see. The bugs will be out for approximately 30 minutes. Although you won't be able to hold it yourself right now, you can still engage with our Explorers and their bug friends. Just stop by anytime during one of these half hour blocks to say hello!
Monday-Saturday - Butterfly Biosphere
12pm, 2pm, 4pm, 6pm
Included with regular venue admission.
Staff will encourage families to rotate through display area at safe distances.
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