Join us as we dive into the fascinating world of crystals! In this fun, hands-on class, little explorers will discover how crystals form and grow through exciting experiments and playful activities. We'll explore the process of crystallization and watch as sparkling shapes come to life.

What soil nutrients do plants need to grow their best? If you are a gardener, sometimes you have to wait what seems like a long time before plants begin to poke their leaves and stems through the soil and into daylight to find out. If you do this enough and you do some research, though, you can figure out 1) what nutrients certain plants need, and 2) what supplements may help them grow healthier before you ever put seeds in the ground!  In this life-science activity,  you will set up and conduct an experiment to determine whether seeds will sprout faster in soil mixed with coffee grounds or just “regular” soil and learn a little about how seeds turn into plants.

Join us for a fun and interactive adventure as we explore the magic of magnets! Little scientists will discover how magnets work, experiment with attraction and repulsion, and engage in hands-on activities that make learning science exciting.

Join us for a fun and interactive adventure as we explore the magic of magnets! Little scientists will discover how magnets work, experiment with attraction and repulsion, and engage in hands-on activities that make learning science exciting.

What soil nutrients do plants need to grow their best? If you are a gardener, sometimes you have to wait what seems like a long time before plants begin to poke their leaves and stems through the soil and into daylight to find out. If you do this enough and you do some research, though, you can figure out 1) what nutrients certain plants need, and 2) what supplements may help them grow healthier before you ever put seeds in the ground!  In this life-science activity,  you will set up and conduct an experiment to determine whether seeds will sprout faster in soil mixed with coffee grounds or just “regular” soil and learn a little about how seeds turn into plants.

Join us for a fun and interactive adventure as we explore the magic of magnets! Little scientists will discover how magnets work, experiment with attraction and repulsion, and engage in hands-on activities that make learning science exciting.

Spring has begun, and you may have noticed that birds are singing their songs again. You may have noticed the first flower blooms of the season. Take a close look inside the flowers, and you will likely see an insect visiting that flower. Flowers and insects have had a very close relationship with each other for a very long time…dating back to when dinosaurs were alive! We call this type of relationship a symbiotic relationship, and the relationship between insects and flowers is just one of many examples in nature. In this JAM, you will learn how the organisms in these interesting associations help one another.

Travel the globe through the art of masks! Little explorers will discover the history and cultural significance of masks from different regions, then create their own unique mask to take home.

Spring has begun, and you may have noticed that birds are singing their songs again. You may have noticed the first flower blooms of the season. Take a close look inside the flowers, and you will likely see an insect visiting that flower. Flowers and insects have had a very close relationship with each other for a very long time…dating back to when dinosaurs were alive! We call this type of relationship a symbiotic relationship, and the relationship between insects and flowers is just one of many examples in nature. In this JAM, you will learn how the organisms in these interesting associations help one another.

Travel the globe through the art of masks! Little explorers will discover the history and cultural significance of masks from different regions, then create their own unique mask to take home.

Travel the globe through the art of masks! Little explorers will discover the history and cultural significance of masks from different regions, then create their own unique mask to take home.

We all rely on clean, drinkable water to survive. (Remember that most of our body is water.)  The water in our bodies must be replenished by drinking plenty of it during the day. How do we get water that we can drink? The water that comes to us from our environment is not usually drinkable—it must be treated to remove harmful substances in it. One type of treatment involves filtration. Filtration removes substances and microscopic organisms that float in the water, as well as some substances that are dissolved in it. Using materials from the pet and hardware stores, you can construct your own water filtration device to see how this treatment process works.

Travel through time with us as we explore storytelling from ancient myths to modern tales! Little explorers will discover how stories have been shared across generations through art, symbols, and spoken word, with fun, hands-on activities to bring history to life.

Travel through time with us as we explore storytelling from ancient myths to modern tales! Little explorers will discover how stories have been shared across generations through art, symbols, and spoken word, with fun, hands-on activities to bring history to life.

We all rely on clean, drinkable water to survive. (Remember that most of our body is water.)  The water in our bodies must be replenished by drinking plenty of it during the day. How do we get water that we can drink? The water that comes to us from our environment is not usually drinkable—it must be treated to remove harmful substances in it. One type of treatment involves filtration. Filtration removes substances and microscopic organisms that float in the water, as well as some substances that are dissolved in it. Using materials from the pet and hardware stores, you can construct your own water filtration device to see how this treatment process works.

Travel through time with us as we explore storytelling from ancient myths to modern tales! Little explorers will discover how stories have been shared across generations through art, symbols, and spoken word, with fun, hands-on activities to bring history to life.

How do rockets travel into space? You may know that it takes fuel to simply get a rocket off the ground and that the rocket also needs to escape the Earth’s gravity to actually get out of our orbit…which requires a lot of fuel! Fuel can, and has been, made in different ways to generate the forces required to lift rockets. In this aero engineering-themed JAM, you will learn how fuel helps generate these forces—by launching a film canister. You will use two simple ingredients to make your fuel, change the ratios after each launch, and make observations about how the changes in fuel ingredients affects their distance traveled.

Blast off into the wonders of the night sky! Little astronomers will explore what stars are, how they shine, and create their own starry masterpiece in this fun, hands-on adventure.

Blast off into the wonders of the night sky! Little astronomers will explore what stars are, how they shine, and create their own starry masterpiece in this fun, hands-on adventure.

How do rockets travel into space? You may know that it takes fuel to simply get a rocket off the ground and that the rocket also needs to escape the Earth’s gravity to actually get out of our orbit…which requires a lot of fuel! Fuel can, and has been, made in different ways to generate the forces required to lift rockets. In this aero engineering-themed JAM, you will learn how fuel helps generate these forces—by launching a film canister. You will use two simple ingredients to make your fuel, change the ratios after each launch, and make observations about how the changes in fuel ingredients affects their distance traveled.

Blast off into the wonders of the night sky! Little astronomers will explore what stars are, how they shine, and create their own starry masterpiece in this fun, hands-on adventure.

What do snakes do for our native habitats here in northeast Kansas?  Can you identify any local snakes and which ones are potentially dangerous?  Snakes can be found in a variety of habitats - even in the KC metro, there are plenty of parks and natural areas where they can be found.  And more often than not, they will see you before you see them!

Sadly, snakes are often misunderstood animals.  While there certainly are dangerous snakes to watch out for, snakes play a vital role in their habitats as both predator and prey.  In this JAM, we will learn about these fascinating animals and maybe go on a walk in our wetlands to search for two common snakes we have in this area!

Shell-ebrate the amazing world of turtles and tortoises! Little explorers will learn the differences between these fascinating reptiles, discover their unique adaptations, and engage in hands-on activities to bring their learning to life.

Shell-ebrate the amazing world of turtles and tortoises! Little explorers will learn the differences between these fascinating reptiles, discover their unique adaptations, and engage in hands-on activities to bring their learning to life.

What do snakes do for our native habitats here in northeast Kansas?  Can you identify any local snakes and which ones are potentially dangerous?  Snakes can be found in a variety of habitats - even in the KC metro, there are plenty of parks and natural areas where they can be found.  And more often than not, they will see you before you see them!

Sadly, snakes are often misunderstood animals.  While there certainly are dangerous snakes to watch out for, snakes play a vital role in their habitats as both predator and prey.  In this JAM, we will learn about these fascinating animals and maybe go on a walk in our wetlands to search for two common snakes we have in this area!

Shell-ebrate the amazing world of turtles and tortoises! Little explorers will learn the differences between these fascinating reptiles, discover their unique adaptations, and engage in hands-on activities to bring their learning to life.

Did you know that bats live in Kansas?  What do you think bats do in our native habitats, and where is the best place to find them?  There are a few different species native to Kansas, and part of what makes these animals mysterious is the fact that they are nocturnal.  Being nocturnal creatures, though, makes them a unique piece of the ecological puzzle.

There are also myths and misconceptions about bats - think vampire bats! - that leads to misunderstandings about these animals.  In this JAM, we will learn what makes these animals unique and beneficial to their habitats and to humans.

Discover the wonders of owls! Little explorers will learn about these amazing nocturnal birds, their unique adaptations. Join us for a hoot of a time with fun, hands-on activities!

Did you know that bats live in Kansas?  What do you think bats do in our native habitats, and where is the best place to find them?  There are a few different species native to Kansas, and part of what makes these animals mysterious is the fact that they are nocturnal.  Being nocturnal creatures, though, makes them a unique piece of the ecological puzzle.

There are also myths and misconceptions about bats - think vampire bats! - that leads to misunderstandings about these animals.  In this JAM, we will learn what makes these animals unique and beneficial to their habitats and to humans.

Discover the wonders of owls! Little explorers will learn about these amazing nocturnal birds, their unique adaptations. Join us for a hoot of a time with fun, hands-on activities!

Discover the wonders of owls! Little explorers will learn about these amazing nocturnal birds, their unique adaptations. Join us for a hoot of a time with fun, hands-on activities!

Anybody up for some ice cream? Following the steps in this activity, you can make your own. July is a great time to enjoy some cold, refreshing ice cream. As with any kind of cooking and food making, there is science involved. There are chemical changes that happen when making ice cream, such as changes of state and the effect of adding substances that lower the freezing temperature of water. And in the end, you get to eat your science!

Blast off on a cosmic adventure as we explore shooting stars and meteors! Little scientists will learn what makes meteors streak across the sky, create their own meteor crafts, and discover the wonders of space through fun, hands-on activities.

Anybody up for some ice cream? Following the steps in this activity, you can make your own. July is a great time to enjoy some cold, refreshing ice cream. As with any kind of cooking and food making, there is science involved. There are chemical changes that happen when making ice cream, such as changes of state and the effect of adding substances that lower the freezing temperature of water. And in the end, you get to eat your science!

Blast off on a cosmic adventure as we explore shooting stars and meteors! Little scientists will learn what makes meteors streak across the sky, create their own meteor crafts, and discover the wonders of space through fun, hands-on activities.

Blast off on a cosmic adventure as we explore shooting stars and meteors! Little scientists will learn what makes meteors streak across the sky, create their own meteor crafts, and discover the wonders of space through fun, hands-on activities.

When you think of a wetland (maybe a marsh, swamp, or small creek flowing from a pond), what living things come to mind?  Most of you can probably name a few large animals and at least one or two plants.  Did you know, though, that these large living organisms actually depend on tiny, even microscopic, plants and animals to survive.  Without them, a wetland would not function the way it does.

In this natural science JAM, you will each be given some sampling tools for collecting specimens in our creek water behind the museum.  You’ll observe your “catch” through microscopes and learn about the amazing tiny things swimming in the creek!

Discover the amazing human body! Little scientists will explore how our bodies work, from our beating hearts to our busy brains, through fun hands-on activities and interactive learning.

When you think of a wetland (maybe a marsh, swamp, or small creek flowing from a pond), what living things come to mind?  Most of you can probably name a few large animals and at least one or two plants.  Did you know, though, that these large living organisms actually depend on tiny, even microscopic, plants and animals to survive.  Without them, a wetland would not function the way it does.

In this natural science JAM, you will each be given some sampling tools for collecting specimens in our creek water behind the museum.  You’ll observe your “catch” through microscopes and learn about the amazing tiny things swimming in the creek!

Discover the amazing human body! Little scientists will explore how our bodies work, from our beating hearts to our busy brains, through fun hands-on activities and interactive learning.

Discover the amazing human body! Little scientists will explore how our bodies work, from our beating hearts to our busy brains, through fun hands-on activities and interactive learning.

Think of the last picture of a plant or an animal you saw in a book - was it a photograph or a drawing?  We are all used to seeing images of nature through photographs in our books, magazines, and videos.  Photography is a pretty young field, and early scientists couldn’t simply pull out a phone and snap a picture!  So, how did they record the tiny details of natural objects?  In this natural history JAM, we’ll take a look at some of the earliest drawings, even from ancient Roman and Greek times, of plants and animals these early scientists made.  We will also go on our own exploration along the wetlands trail to find objects to sketch.

Journey through history as we learn about the Native American tribes of Kansas! Little explorers will discover their traditions, stories, and daily life through hands-on activities and engaging storytelling.

Journey through history as we learn about the Native American tribes of Kansas! Little explorers will discover their traditions, stories, and daily life through hands-on activities and engaging storytelling.

Think of the last picture of a plant or an animal you saw in a book - was it a photograph or a drawing?  We are all used to seeing images of nature through photographs in our books, magazines, and videos.  Photography is a pretty young field, and early scientists couldn’t simply pull out a phone and snap a picture!  So, how did they record the tiny details of natural objects?  In this natural history JAM, we’ll take a look at some of the earliest drawings, even from ancient Roman and Greek times, of plants and animals these early scientists made.  We will also go on our own exploration along the wetlands trail to find objects to sketch.

Journey through history as we learn about the Native American tribes of Kansas! Little explorers will discover their traditions, stories, and daily life through hands-on activities and engaging storytelling.

We are now in the dog days of summer, the hottest part of the year.  It is no surprise, then, that the noisy cicadas you’re hearing are called dog day cicadas!  These are fascinating insects, and their calls seem to instantly bring warm summer evenings to mind.  There are several species that fall into this group - and did you know that you and actually identify the different species by their song?

In this JAM, you will learn how and why cicadas make their calls and how they can be so loud!  We’ll test our knowledge of cicada calls and walk along the wetlands trail for observation…possibly even handling.  (They are harmless!)

We are now in the dog days of summer, the hottest part of the year.  It is no surprise, then, that the noisy cicadas you’re hearing are called dog day cicadas!  These are fascinating insects, and their calls seem to instantly bring warm summer evenings to mind.  There are several species that fall into this group - and did you know that you and actually identify the different species by their song?

In this JAM, you will learn how and why cicadas make their calls and how they can be so loud!  We’ll test our knowledge of cicada calls and walk along the wetlands trail for observation…possibly even handling.  (They are harmless!)