Exciting Programs and Events this Fall!

Do your children want to create some art, explore the wonders of science, exercise your body, learn a new language, or act out your favorite character? Bring them to the museum for one of our many weekly Drop-In programs at the Virginia Discovery Museum. Check out our website or our bi-monthly newsletter to view the times and dates of all of these exciting programs.

Starting this week, the museum brings back seasonal favorite Drop-In programs, which require no registration and feature new educational projects each week for the kids – hearing exciting stories, creating art, and exploring the depths of science and nature.

On Tuesdays, we have “Tuesday Travelers” at 10:30am. This delightful program takes children ages 3 & up on an adventure to a new country each week. Kids will fill their passports with stamps as they journey around the world learning about different languages, music, art, dance, and geography. Later in the afternoon, kids can stretch their imaginations creating rhymes, haikus, and sonnets in “Poetry Club”, which is every Tuesday at 4pm. Established for kids ages 5 & up, this program encourages kids to discover their unique voice and learn the basics of writing poetry.

Longtime favorite, “Toddler Time,” comes back on Wednesdays at 10:30am. This program, which is for children ages 6 & under, presents the little ones with the opportunities to create a work of art while learning how to act in a classroom setting. Each week will bring a new fun activity and craft – allowing visitors to go home with a new masterpiece for their walls and refrigerators back home. On Thursdays, kids ages 4 & up can join our “Science Club” at 4pm to learn about chemistry, biology, zoology, and physics through hands-on experiments, demonstrations, and projects. This exciting program will also bring a special guest you won’t want to miss to the museum every second Thursday of each month.

Speaking of special guests, on September 8^th and October 6^th at 10:30am, visitors to the museum will be treated to a special story time lead by a featured guest. The mornings will include a story along with a fun activity. Help you kids get excited about books by bringing them to these special story times where there will also be free book giveaways.

Along with our exciting Drop-In Programs, the Virginia Discovery Museum also has several special pre-register programs and events happening this fall. On Monday, October 10^th from 9am-12pm, the museum is hosting a Teacher Workday Program for kids ages 4-8. Themed “Hometown History,” this drop-off program will explore the heritage of Virginia with a focus on the museum’s very own Showalter log cabin. Kids will spend time playing in the Virginia Frontier area and learn about what life was like for the Showalters. They will make crafts relating to Virginia history, dress up in costumes, play games that the Showalters might have played, and enjoy a frontier-themed snack. Register soon for this fun educational program, which is $30 for members and $35 for non-members.

On October 28^th, the museum will be hosting our annual Halloween Party from 6-7:30pm. Register now and come dressed in your best costume! This event, for children ages 2-7 with an adult, is $6 for members and $8 for non-members (prices are person). For one night only, the VDM staff will transform the museum into a kooky not-so-ahunted house for little ones and their accompanying adults to enjoy. Kids will enjoy fun Halloween games and snacks as they watch a wacky witch brew up eerie concoctions. They can visit the creepy bat cave, decorate their own Halloween cookies. Don’t miss out on the best night of the year!

Register for these special programs soon as space is limited and don’t forget about Date Nights on First Fridays from 5:30-8:00pm. Enjoy a night on the town while your kids revel in an evening of activities, dinner, and lots of free time to play in the museum.

The fall season aims to be a busy one for the Virginia Discovery Museum, but we hope it will also be a success. We are eager to see the kids participate in the weekly programs and we welcome any feedback from our visitors. Please contact us anytime for information and questions. We wish everyone a happy fall and hope to see you for the programs. Stay tuned for updates on the new exhibit renovations in the Front Gallery and for NASA’s Driven to Explore on September 27^th and 28^th.