Minnesota Children's Museum

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Discovery Trunks and Other Programs

Minnesota Children's Museum provides a treasure chest of educational activities for everyone.

Along with our self-guided visits, Museum classes and museum-to-go classes, these unique Museum programs serve to enrich learning experiences for you, your students and their families:

Discovery Trunks

What's in store with Discovery Trunks? Fun, education-rich activities for children of all ages that's what. Create a Minnesota Children's Museum experience in your own classroom with Discovery Trunks. Every Trunk comes filled with unique educational activities to keep children engaged, stimulated and intrigued. The self-contained learning units include books, music, costumes, games and two weeks of interdisciplinary lesson plans. The education plans provide a framework to meet state standards for your classroom.

• Rental cost: $70/8 school days or $90/13 school days
• Delivery: pick-up at the Museum is free or we’ll ship directly to your site for $25 round trip.

Discovery Trunk Topics

Art & Music

World Music (PreK-2)

Introduce your classroom to rhythm, rhyme, patterns and sound through music and movement from around the world.

Health & Fitness

Hands-On Health

Discover the amazing dramas that take place every day in our bodies. Your students will learn how the choices we make impact our health.

Science

Dino Dig (PreK-4)

Become paleontologists and explore the prehistoric world of dinosaurs.

Earth World: Forest (PreK-1)

Explore a Minnesota forest with your students and the plants and animals who live there.

Earth World: Insects (K-2)

Become an entomologist and learn about the characteristics, behaviors, needs and life cycles of insects.

Social Studies

Festivals of Light (PreK-4)

Explore the Indian Diwali, Jewish Hanukkah, African-American Kwanzaa and Swedish Lucia celebrations.

Celebrations: New Years(PreK-4)

Celebrate the New Year from September through March as your classroom experiences Iranian Noruz, Hmong New Year, Chinese New Year and Jewish Rosh Hashanah.

Community Faces and Places (PreK-3)

Have students map the places in your community and meet the faces of community helpers.

Global Shoes (PreK-3)

Introduce your classroom to the world through shoes. Exploring what we wear on our feet provides clues to where we live, how we work and play, and how we celebrate the special moments in our lives.

To make reservations and payments, please call 651-225-6021.

Family Nights

Build and boost school community and better involve families in their children's education with a fun-filled Family Night at Minnesota Children’s Museum. Generous discounts let your students and their families explore the Museum together and as a colloborative school. This educational get-together gives both parents and teachers the opportunity to observe children in a learning environment, interact with the Museum's learning-focused galleries and exhibits, and play together in an environment loaded with fun.

• Available: 1st Thursday and every Friday of the month; 6 – 8 p.m.
• Group size: Maximum 200 (children and adults)
• Cost: $400/$275 through the Access program

Invention Showcase

Who will be the next great inventor? Let your K-3 students discover their inner Edison as they showcase their group or individual inventions during this fun, non-competitive Museum program. This creative and confidence-building program encourages students to use their skills to create the next great invention using simple materials and lots of brainpower. Once their creation is complete, these up-and-coming designers can exhibit their work during an evening at the Museum.

• Available: 1st Thursday and every Friday of the month; 6 – 8 p.m.
• Group size: Maximum 200 (children and adults)
• Cost: $400/$275 through the Access program

Homeschools

Museum Classes
Your children will experience a content-rich, hands-on, 45-minute Museum class led by a Museum instructor, followed by a self-guided Museum exploration.

Featured Museum Classes - Museum staff will work with you to select a date and time that fits your schedule.
Date: TBD Time: TBD PreK-K: Grade 1-4: Cost: $7.50/ per child. NOTE: 1 adult per household gets free admission when attending with the children from a home school group on this day.

To make reservations and payments, please call 651-225-6002

Adolescent Parent Program

Minnesota Children's Museum has programs especially designed for adolescent parents and their children to play and learn together. These programs expand parenting skills in a social context, and are reinforced with specific activities which provide adolescent parents with opportunities to understand the importance of play and literacy to their child’s development.

Two Visit Model
Cost: $125 for up to 20 families

During visit one, parents visit the Museum for orientation, role-model observation and information on creating playful learning opportunities for children. Parents and children come to the Museum together on the second visit where they participate in language development activities and play together in the Museum's galleries.

Four Visit Model
Cost: $250 for up to 20 families

This model consists of two Museum visits and two school visits. Partcipants will discuss early childhood education topics, create a book for their child, learn skills for developing playful learning and play with their child in the Museum.

To make reservations and payments, please call 651-225-6002

High School Child Development Classes

Attention High School Teachers! Bring students in your child development classes to observe at Minnesota Children’s Museum. Your students can get a first hand glimpse at children learning and playing at different developmental stages. Observing at Minnesota Children’s Museum is a perfect learning tool and it’s fun too.

• Cost: $4.50 per student, plus a $15 fee for the Play to Learn video and observation materials.
• Visit Length: 2 hours
• Available: Wednesday-Friday