Saturdays Noon to 4:00PM

STEAM inserts arts into the acronym for STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and it allows children to make connections between these subjects and their world through hands-on experimentation. These strategies have been developed to support schools who are often constrained by limited time and limited funding to “teach to the tests” and are not able to offer this type of practical learning to their students. In order to help fill this gap, Curious Kids’ Museum will offer additional hands-on learning opportunities through science and creative programming all year long!

FREE with Admission or Curious Kids’ Museum Membership

Offered Wednesday mornings during the school year –except Christmas and Spring Breaks. 

Wee Discover is held Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. during the school year at Curious Kids’ Museum for preschoolers based on the concepts of “Mother Goose Science” for young children. The program helps children discover the world around them by linking reading a different story each week with hands-on learning play experiences about different themes. Children exercise body motion, hand-eye coordination, and grasp how the many things in the world around us really work by experiencing them. Parents enjoy sharing this experience with their children and meeting other parents. These fun programs are free with memberships or paid admission. Wee Discover is not held during Christmas Vacation, Spring Break or Summer Vacation.

Let us help you teach those more difficult Science Topics with our Hands-on Expertise and Equipment. Goals of this department of Curious Kids are:

• To increase hands-on Science Education in schools and community families utilizing Museum exhibits.
• To develop partnerships with schools to increase Curious Kids’ service to area educators.
• To assist teachers and be a resource in Science and Cultural Instruction with those hard-to-teach topics meeting classroom and state science objectives.

Curious Classroom Curriculum topics offered at The Museum or at The Discovery Zone on at your location on the road: “How Electricity is Made & Electrical Safety”; Sound; Light; Earth Sciences-Water; Outer Space-Earth in Space and Time; Simple Machines. All taught in classroom styles with equipment not usually found in classrooms. We make these topics fun and memorable. Call Curious Kids’ at 269-983-2543 and ask for Curious Classroom Curriculum units.

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Attention Teachers: Bring your class to Curious Kids’ Museum or the Curious Kids’ Discovery Zone by Curious Kids’ Museum for both an educational and fun field trip! We’re the place where learning is always fun! We have created a number of exhibits with you, the educator, in mind. Using any or all of our hands-on exhibits can help you meet your learning objectives in real-world ways. Plus, the kids will have a great time! Your trip needs to be booked at least 2 weeks in advance, please.

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A Party to Plan? A Meeting to Hold? A Gathering to Organize? Rent the Curious Kids’ Museum or Discovery Zone for a successful event. Curious Kids’ Museum is a community place and seeks to offer friendly, unique spaces and rooms for your special event. There are so many ways to meet your needs:

Holiday Parties or Anytime Parties of all kinds; Organization Retreats or Off-site Sessions and Company Meetings with no interruptions. Social Services Functions take on a Positive Atmosphere here! Whoever heard of camping out with a dinosaur or in outer space? Kids love overnights whether for fun or coupled with a Birthday Party at either Curious Kids location. Call for rates and dates at 269-983-CKID(2543).

Imagine being on an archeological dig and discovering the rich cultural history of Native Americans. Arrowheads, pottery, beads, and artifacts tell the story of a culture from long ago. Authentic and representative items help students distinguish lifestyles of the pre-industrial cultures and compare them to our own society. Students will sit around the fire, passing the talking stick as they go back in time listening to the rich history of people who once walked the same ground they walk today. The Native American ancestors left no written records of their lives. What they did leave was left in carvings, etchings and word of mouth with the gift of story-telling. The perfect introduction to supplement or highlight Native American history and culture through engaging interaction with beautiful artifacts, tools, arrowheads, a chief’s war bonnet, clothing, and much more. Hands-on activities for students to carry away to remind them of this great experience.

Pharaoh Tutankhamen became king when he was about nine years old. Ten years later he died. Imagine ruling an entire country when you’re only nine years old. What do we know about this young boy? Discover the history behind the treasures that were buried with him. What would it have been like to be a child 4,000 years ago? How would you dress? What games would you play? How were hieroglyphics deciphered? Why do camels have humps? What was the real function of the pyramid? Discover answers to these questions and more. Become a junior archaeologist, and carefully dig up artifacts and piece them back together. Interpret ancient writings. Learn new facts about mummies as you come face to face with a life-size one. Unlock the Ancient Secrets of Tablets that are 4,000 years old! Authentic and representative items are a part of this program.

Natural history is everything to do with life on earth, from single-celled protozoa perhaps billions of years old to the complexities of your DNA today. This program will help you discover the basic needs of organisms and their functions in growth, survival, and reproduction. Every living thing needs a food source for energy for growth and repair. Conduct a simple investigation into these basic needs. In a desert environment, how can animals find water or food? Plants and animals have life cycles.

Both plants and animals begin life, develop into adults, reproduce, and eventually die. Discover the details that are different and the same for these organisms. What is a vertebrate? How would a species of animal or plant travel hundreds of miles? What are the differences between native and non-native species? What is a habitat?
Students will handle real artifacts, antlers, shells, skins.

Hands-on activities will include:

• Tell the age of turtles by their shell
• North American mammals
• Plant life cycle
• Snakeskins
• Building habitats
• Match the Animals X-Ray

95% of all living animals are insects! Using our natural specimens, students will get a close up of the characteristics of insect metamorphosis. Gradual metamorphosis is demonstrated by the grasshopper, incomplete metamorphosis by the butterfly. Our unit also features 16 common pests of our homes and gardens. Mounted insects provide a closer look without the painful consequences of biting and stinging. Complement your invertebrate lesson with what makes an insect an insect. Where would people be without insects? Students will engage in a variety of explorations, match the insect to its x-ray, compare your eyes to the dragonfly, talking microscope with insect samples, crafts, and games while learning about the world of insects. Discover the importance of beneficial insects to our eco-system and their role in the control of harmful insects.

One of the greatest detective stories of all times is the story of how man has unraveled the history of our planet earth. Every time we step out of doors we are surrounded by clues. The amazing Minerals and Rocks!

From the molten pool of magma, through the seafloor and the crust of dry land, to the tops of the mountains, they are useful, beautiful, empowering, and even edible. Rocks and minerals are a fundamental part of the earth’s crust. How much of your school is made from rocks? Measure how hard & soft rocks are. Find rare rock gems. The rock cycle goes on and on but at a very slow speed. When one type of rock is destroyed, another type of rock is formed. Become an Earth detective and explore the beautiful collection of rocks and minerals on display. (Program takes 4 to 6 tables of hands-on-activities)

Identifying clouds is a terrific way for students to put their skills of observation and classification to work, as well as to launch them into weather prediction. Clouds are an ever-present feature of the earth’s atmosphere. Every day, around the world, many different types of clouds are seen overhead. We often look at the clouds above us and try to imagine the shapes and figures that they resemble. But clouds tell us much more. They are visible signatures of the motion and conditions of the air in which they exist. Students will examine, identify, and record cumulus, cumulonimbus, cirrus, and stratus cloud formations. The students will understand what a cloud is, how it is formed and the various types of clouds.

Are mysterious magnets from space, made in the lab, or found in nature? Explore how magnetic fields can be demonstrated using materials other than iron. How do they stick to more than refrigerators? Demonstrate how you can block their power. Do all parts of a magnet pull? Can they also push? How many things in our lives use magnets? How do they power our world and protect our planet from total extinction? How does a magnetic compass interact with the Earth’s magnetic field? Tables of hands-on activities, along with magnet painting go with this program.

Rain forests are some of the oldest and most amazing wild places in the world. They are home to millions of different kinds of species, plants, and animals. The canopy is so thick that rain can take ten minutes to reach the ground. The rainforest is home to more than half of the world’s animals. Colorful and unusual animals dwell in all four layers of the forest. All types of creatures are represented, from tiny insects to large mammals. Handle authentic artifacts, hardwoods, and hand-woven fabrics. Learn about the biggest threats to the Rainforest. Connect food-chain links. Learn about the different rainforest animals, plants, and medicines. How important is the rainforest to the air we breathe?

The Multi-cultural program gives students opportunities for creative expression and helps develop an appreciation for the cultural heritage of the people of Africa, Japan, and Mexico. Traditional clothing, artifacts, foods, products, shoes, toys and musical instruments from these countries are provided for the students to explore. Masks appeared as integral parts of life in almost every West African culture and students can interact with an authentic wooden mask. What is different about us, and what connects us all? This program requires 6 to 8 tables.

What happened to the dinosaurs? Dinosaurs became extinct long before people walked the earth, so scientists aren’t sure why they all died. Some believe they gradually became extinct—others believe something catastrophic happened and they all died together. Whatever happened, at the end of the Cretaceous period, about 65 million years ago, the dinosaurs, pterosaurs, and many other prehistoric creatures and plants disappeared. This program covers: new discoveries about how the dinosaurs lived, ate, kept warm, and may have adapted over the millions of years. Students will get a close-up view of dinosaur bones and fossils, compare their footprints to the dinosaurs, erupt a volcano, line up species in order from the great extinction on the Time-Line, find out which dinosaur wore its bones inside and out, and take the Know-It-All Dino-Quiz. Hands-on activities and crafts go along with this program.

StarLab, a portable planetarium, represents the night sky, the North Star and its constellations of the Zodiac, as seen by five ancient cultures bridging myth with science. (This program can be taught from K – college). StarLab requires 20’ X 20’ indoor floor space, an 11’ ceiling and a power outlet. Price includes set up, which begins up to two hours before the program start time.

Cost: $150, $45 for each additional hour. Up to 25 learners fit inside for one 45- minute presentation or two groups of 25 can each enjoy a twenty-five minute presentation.

Includes StarLab plus several tables of hands-on activities relating to stars, moon phases, seasons and planets. The StarLab Deluxe requires 20’ X 20” indoor floor space, an 11’ ceiling, and a power outlet for StarLab. 3-4 tables and 2 or more volunteers are needed for the activities tables. Price includes set up, which begins up to two hours before the program start time.

Cost: $190 for the first hour, $45 for each additional hour. Up to 25 learners fit inside for one 45-minute presentation or two groups of 25 can each enjoy a twenty-five minute presentation. Activities outside of StarLab can accommodate up to approximately 25 learners and can be occurring simultaneously with StarLab presentation.

Includes face paints, Bubble Chamber plus 4 tables of hands-on exhibits and a craft. Choose a theme from our Outreach brochure or we’ll bring a variety. This program requires 4 – 5 tables and 2 – 3 volunteers. Price includes set up, which begins one hour before the program start time.

Cost: $150 for the first hour, $45 for each additional hour. This program can accommodate up to approximately 45 learners at one time.

Create a custom design sampler that offers the best of everything! This program can include Bubble Chamber, face paints, and Star Lab. This is a great choice for family nights, large events, or to treat your school one grade at a time. This sampler requires 8 – 10 tables or 6 tables with StarLab and 6 – 8 volunteers. Price includes set up, which begins up to two hours before the program start time, if StarLab is included.

Cost: $200 for the first hour, $50 for each additional hour. This program can accommodate approximately 60- 75 learners at one time.

Fun hands-on activities for the whole family! Festival Sampler can accommodate any size group large or small. Sampler includes 1 to 2 tables of exhibits. One to two crafts will go along with this program. Price includes set up, which begins one hour before the program start time. Cost: $125 for the first hour, $45 for each additional hour.

Spring / Summer

Bubble chamber OR bubble table, face paints, and mini-golf. Each program will include (2) of the following; Bug stamps, Hand Flowers, Dinosaur hats, Butterfly rings, Cloud finder, or Maracas.

Fall / Winter

Bubble chamber OR bubble table, and face paints. Each program will include (2) of the following; needle in the haystack, Bat Rings, Hand Turkeys, leaf rubbings, Slithery Snakes, Star Finder, puppets, or Wind Socks. Science Fairs can be enhanced with any one of our Programs. Let us design a program to fit your needs.

Students piece together the puzzles of dinosaurs, dig for fossils, line up species in order from the great extinction, erupt a volcano, follow footprints and make fun Dino crafts.