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Kids + Families Activities + Programs

Experience new ways to discover the world with your family. Check out our unique events and programs for visitors of all ages and explore the intersection between learning and fun. 

Upcoming Events
Stories of Change

Now Open

Humans have an amazing capacity to cope with and adapt to change. And some changes bring opportunity. Humans also can be the agents of change—we can reimagine our futures, or work to create a more supportive, just, and sustainable society. Share your stories of change.

Art of Tinkering logo surrounded by colorful icons of everyday items
The Art of Tinkering

Now–Monday, September 5, 2022

Slow down—humans at play! This summer, dive into the joy of tinkering with artworks, contraptions, exhibits, and experiences for all ages.

Images in vibrant and negative colors repeat like many rolls of film.
Cinema Arts: Motion Picture Play

Saturday, June 18–Monday, September 5, 2022

Celebrate the spirit of playfulness in moviemaking. These shorts explore creative uses of familiar materials, revealing imaginative landscapes, humorous inventions, and curious surprises. 

In a Manual Cinema production of Hansel and Gretel, two silhouetted figures approach a house in the woods.
Multimedia Shadow Play
With Manual Cinema

Tuesday, August 9–Sunday, August 14, 2022

Create your own form of live cinema in an installation designed by Emmy Award–winning Manual Cinema.

Aug
12
Susie Ibarra at Easton Glacier, Mount Baker. Photo by Michele Koppes.
Water Rhythms
By Susie Ibarra and Michele Koppes

Friday, August 12–Sunday, October 23, 2022

This immersive multichannel spatial soundscape invites viewers to listen to the stories that ice and water tell us about our changing landscapes.

Aug
13
Storytime Science for Kids

Saturday and Sunday, August 13 and 14, 2022 • Noon and 2:00 p.m.

Join the Exploratorium’s Vivian Altmann for a storybook read-aloud and a make-and-take activity for families with young children.

Aug
20
Storytime Science for Kids

Saturday and Sunday, August 20 and 21, 2022 • Noon and 2:00 p.m.

Join the Exploratorium’s Vivian Altmann for a storybook read-aloud and a make-and-take activity for families with young children.

Aug
27
Storytime Science for Kids

Saturday and Sunday, August 27 and 28, 2022 • Noon and 2:00 p.m.

Join the Exploratorium’s Vivian Altmann for a storybook read-aloud and a make-and-take activity for families with young children.

Sep
3
Storytime Science for Kids

Saturday and Sunday, September 3 and 4, 2022 • Noon and 2:00 p.m.

Join the Exploratorium’s Vivian Altmann for a storybook read-aloud and a make-and-take activity for families with young children.

Sep
3
Still image from the animated short film Please Press One Key of a man riding a bicycle in the sky.
Saturday Cinema: The Art of Tinkering

Saturday, September 3, 2022 • 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. PT

An array of animated and kinetic short films explore the inventive ways that amateurs, artists, and tinkerers manipulate the moving image in surprising and/or captivating ways.