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Opportunities for Summer Enrichment
There are many wonderful opportunities in the
Jill Clopton
- Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
- Smithsonian National Gallery of Art
- Smithsonian National Postal Museum
- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
- Corcoran Gallery of Art
- International Spy Museum
- National Building Museum
- The National Zoo
- Newseum
- Art at the Center
- Camp Shakespeare
- UVA Summer Enrichment Program
Smithsonian National Air and
Discovery Stations (
Discovery Stations at the National Air and
For school groups, Discovery Stations offer hands-on programming presented by knowledgeable staff where students can touch models and explore activities related to aviation and space exploration. They are available to groups upon request and staff availability. Discovery Stations can be added to your guided tour or presented as a 15 minute interactive experience in combination with other programming.
Story Time
Flights of
Ages: 4-8
Duration: 30 minutes
Availability: upon request. Subject to staff availability. Limit 20 students.
Description: Museum staff read stories about famous aviators, hot-air balloon flights, trips to Mars, characters visible in the night sky, or creatures that have their own wings. Each session includes one story and a hands-on activity, such as making paper balloons, drawing a space habitat, designing a constellation, or making a paper butterfly.
Lockheed Martin IMAX® Theater
Check the website for new shows and times. For the latest schedule information, please call 1-877-932-IMAX (4629).
Albert Einstein Planetarium
Forget everything you knew of a planetarium. Now in addition to the spectacular star field of the Zeiss Model VIa planetarium instrument, America's Bicentennial gift from the people of West Germany, the Einstein Planetarium has been upgraded to include a first-of-its-kind, Sky Vision™ dual digital projection system and six-channel digital surround sound. For the first time, you'll feel the sensation of zooming through the cosmos, enveloped in color saturated moving images and spine-tingling sound.
Call 1-877-932-IMAX (4629) for more information.
The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center located in
Tickets for IMAX® films may be purchased from any Smithsonian theater box office.
Smithsonian National Gallery of Art
Family Weekend
Family Weekends offer a variety of activities—films, music, hands-on art projects—for children and adults to enjoy together. All activities are free. There is no advance registration for this drop-in program; participation in each activity is on a first-come, first-served basis.
Subscribe to Free E-mail Newsletters
Stay up to date with the National Gallery of Art by subscribing to free e-mail newsletters: Web, educators, family programs, fellowships/internships, films, lectures, music programs, and teen programs. Select as many updates as you wish to receive.
Upcoming Films
The Film Program for Children and Teens offers innovative film programming, enhances enjoyment of the Gallery's collections and exhibitions, and fosters an understanding of film as an art form. The program aims to represent a broad range of recently produced foreign and domestic films, including a variety of animation styles, live-action, and classics. Films in this series are selected for their appeal to both youth and adult audiences; age recommendations are intended to guide parents in selecting the most emotionally and intellectually stimulating films for their children. Feature films are in English, unless otherwise noted.
All film programs are shown in the East Building Auditorium unless otherwise noted. No registration is required. Programs are free and subject to change without notice. Seating is offered on a first-come, first-seated basis. Groups are welcome. For up-to-date information on the current month's films, please call (202) 789-3030.
You may also be interested in Family Activities and the Adventures in Art audio tour.
http://www.nga.gov/kids/kids.htm
NGAKids: There is a plethora of online activities that are absolutely amazing. There is even an art zone where there is interactive art you can make online.
Smithsonian National Postal Museum
http://www.postalmuseum.si.edu/
The Smithsonian Institution's
Both guided and self-guided tour options are available for groups.
General Information
Admission to the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History is free and no tickets are required for entrance to the museum. National
New Exhibitions
Farmers, Warriors, Builders: The Hidden Life of Ants
- Ants dominate the small-scale world. We may seldom notice them, but ants affect their ecosystems as much as humans do. Open through October 10, 2009.
Written in Bone, Forensic Files of the 17th-Century Chesapeake - examines history through bone biographies, including those of colonists at Jamestown, VA, and those living in the wealthy and well-established settlement of St. Mary’s City, MD. Open through Feb. 2011.
The Sant Ocean Hall is our largest permanent exhibition. It explores the ancient, diverse, and constantly changing nature of the ocean, the historical connections humans have had with it, and ways in which we are impacting the ocean today.
Dig It! The Secrets of Soil - journey into the skin of the earth and explore the amazing world of soil in this exciting new exhibit. Discover the amazing connections between soils and everyday life, and think about this hidden world in a whole new way. Open through Jan. 2010.
New Websites
Antarctic Marine Invertebrates - Bundle up to explore the frigid waters of the Southern Ocean. Meet the clawed, tentacled, spiky, gelatinous, many-legged, shelled and shell-less residents. Follow the missions of Antarctic research ships from the 1800s to the present day.
Natural History Highlights
Homo floresiensis - Walking, but not running, with the real 'Hobbits' - scientists are a big step closer to understanding the evolution of walking in humans. Bipedalism has long been considered one of the hallmarks of human evolution, signaling the transition from an ape-like reliance on arms and hands for locomotion to an upright gait using the legs and feet.
Located at 10th St. Constitution Ave. NW Washington , D.C. 20560
Free admission. No tickets are required for entrance. For more call 202-633-1000.
Open every day except December 25.
Regular hours are 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM. Through Labor Day 9/7/09, Museum’s hours are 10 am until 7:30. Please check our hours calendar for special early closings
IMAX® Deep Sea 3D - get an up-close and personal encounter with some of the strangest and most exotic creatures on Earth.
Glowing Sucker Octopus, Photo Courtesy of David Shale
The
The facility is located 45 minutes from the National Mall, just 2 miles from the
The address is
Call 703-779-9712 or 1-800-729-7725 for directions and scheduling information.
Hours: Open Tuesday through Saturday, 10:30 to 4 p.m. Closed Sundays, Mondays, and all federal holidays.
Family Programs at the Corcoran bring art to life! From Aspiring Artists classes and hands-on art workshops to in gallery programs and summer camp, the gallery offers an interactive experience for children of all ages with diverse interests. The programs change monthly so visit the website and you will find family programs under education.
Fees apply and enrollment is limited.
If you have questions about specific family activities, please call (202) 639-1770
The
This museum offers a variety of interactive activities for families and children of all ages. One can register for summer camp or attend one of the ongoing family programs that are offered.
QUESTIONS: Call 202.272.2448 or email: family@nbm.org.
Everyday Activities at the Museum
There is something for families to do everyday at the
*Due to the size of some of our Great Hall events, which support the Museum's exhibitions and programs, occasionally the Tool Kits and Arch will not be offered. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience this may cause and encourage visitors to call the Museum at 202.272.2448 to check for availability in advance of their visit.
Family Tool Kits*
On your next visit to the Museum, "check out" one of the Museum's new Family Tool Kits. Designed for families with children of many ages, each family or group will get their own tool kit loaded with lots of cool things to help explore the architecture of the Museum's historic home by seeing, moving, touching, and doing!
Tool Kit 1: Patterns: Here, There, and Everywhere!
Includes: creating architectural patterns using stamps and rubbings, making musical patterns, looking for patterns in the Museum, building patterns with mini bricks, and much much more! (For children ages 3-7 and adult companions)
Tool Kit 2: Eye Spy: What Can You Find with Your Little Eye?
Includes: binoculars and flashlights, eye spy games, drawing activities, custom jigsaw puzzles of details in the Museum's historic home and much, much more! (For children ages 7-10 and adult companions)
Tool Kit 3: Constructor Detector
Includes: measuring tapes, a measuring wheel, a level, magnetic compass, hammer and nails, and much more to figure out challenges and create an art piece to take home. (For children ages 8-11 and adult companions)
Free for members. $5 check-out fee per tool kit, non-members, cash or check. Tool Kits are for rental and on-site usage until 4 PM daily. Recommended for children ages 3-11 with adult companions. Available on-going daily.
Amazing Arches: Build a Life-Sized Arch in the Great Hall*
Arches are an iconic architectural feature in the Museum's Great Hall and around the world. But have you ever wondered just how they work? Discover the arch's secrets for yourself by constructing a 7-foot-tall, soft-block arch in the Museum's Great Hall.
Fun for all ages!
Free. On-going daily. Appropriate for all ages.
Activity Booklets
Try the Treasure Hunt Activity Booklet, for families with children ages six and older, which introduces architecture concepts and features in the Museum and around
The Building Zone
Ongoing
first floor galleries
This exhibition in the Building Learners Gallery is designed especially for our youngest visitors, ages two to six, and their adult companions. Building Zone introduces children to the building arts through engaging activities. Build with big, soft Legos™ and building blocks; curl up with an architecture picture book in the book nook; vroomm with 'dozers and other construction play trucks; pretend to be a craftsperson complete with hard hats, tool belts, and much more!
Discovery Carts
The Museum's "Bridging the Gap" Discovery Cart. Photo by F.T. Eyre.
Bridging the Gap
During this interactive demonstration, participants learn about five basic bridge types before solving a transportation problem by choosing a type of bridge to build.
Free. Registration not required. Most appropriate for ages 5 and up.
Arches and Trusses: The Tension Builds
Discover how building forces, materials, and structures affect strength and longevity. Participants test different building materials and work together to build a brick arch.
Free. Registration not required. Most appropriate for ages 5 and up.
Saturdays at 10:30 am
Sundays at 11:30 am
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/default.cfm
At FONZ classes, children gain a deeper understanding of animals, their behaviors, and their habitats. Classes are available to FONZ Household members (and higher levels) only. Not a member? You can join during the registration process. These programs meet in the
Adult/Child Classes
Ages 2 - 3
These programs are designed to let an adult and a young child discover the zoo together. All children must be accompanied by an adult who is prepared to take part in the activities. For everyone’s safety and enjoyment, unregistered children including siblings may not attend, with the exception of infants who are not yet crawling.
Children’s Workshops
Ages 4 - 12
Children’s workshops are for kids ages 4 to 12 with specific ages indicated in each class listing. Adults are not encouraged to stay with the class, but they may if they wish. There is no charge for an adult who attends with a child.
For the most current listing of classes for the summer months, go to the website:
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Education/Classes/classes.cfm#discovery
Overnight Camp with the CRC
The Conservation and Research Center (CRC) in
An overnight nature exploration is offered at the Conservation and
A two-week session for ninth and tenth graders provides a unique opportunity for students to work alongside world renowned Smithsonian science staff to learn real-world research techniques. Campers will develop critical thinking skills and brainstorm solutions to conservation problems facing the
Newseum
NEWSEUM http://www.newseum.org
The Interactive
The Newseum opened April 11 in downtown
It offers daily programs for visitors, but as yet does not appear to have classes available. The exhibit halls are interactive. You can even role play an anchor, reporter or photographer in a national newsroom setting. Newspapers from around the world send front page news daily. Other exhibits give you a sense of the power of information and history of those people who are significant in the field. Fees apply, but a must see this summer for you and your family. Visit the website and plan your day. Below are just two of the many exhibits available. You will see the news with a whole new point of view.
The New York Times–Ochs-Sulzberger Family Great Hall of News
Surrounded by the Flow of Information
Around, above and below, visitors to the Great Hall of News are surrounded by a continuous flow of news. Instant, breaking, historic news that is uncensored, diverse and free.
This soaring, 90-foot-high atrium showcases breaking news on its giant Electronic Window on the World screen; the latest headlines are constantly updated on an electronic zipper. Suspended from above are two icons of modern news gathering and transmission, a satellite replica and a
Front Pages From Across America and Around the World
More than 500 newspapers transmit their front pages electronically to the Newseum every day. Up to 80 are enlarged and printed for display in this gallery — among them one from every state and the
Art at the Center
Art at the Center is an art studio designed specifically for children and their families with an emphasis on the use of natural and recycled materials as well as traditional art media. The studio is a learning laboratory where experimentation is encouraged and students can practice thinking skills and problem solving as they engage in projects. The arts are seen as languages for children to express their ideas, working both individually and collaboratively in a group setting. The studio environment is designed to provoke curiosity and wonder and to encourage active engagement with the materials and with each other. Peer feedback and building relationships is a key part of the creative and learning process.
http://www.shakespearetheatre.org/education/schools/camp_shakespeare/index.aspx
During this two-week day camp young people ages 9-18 will investigate the artistry and process of classic theatre in performance under the guidance of Shakespeare Theatre Company Teaching Artists. Students will analyze and interpret Shakespeare’s text, create several characters with their bodies, voices, and imaginations and explore the art of unarmed stage combat. Camp will culminate with a performance for friends and family.
A typical day at
- Acting
- Movement
- Stage Combat
- Text Analysis
- Theatre Game
- Rehearsal
- a total immersion in the tools that a professional actor needs to perform Shakespeare.
Classes are held Monday-Friday 10:00 am - 5:00 pm at the Shakespeare Theatre Company Rehearsal Studios, 507 and 516 8th Street SE, Washington, DC, at Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F St. NW Washington, DC and at satellite locations throughout the DC metro area. All classes are taught by classically trained, teaching artists.
Students are divided into the following appropriate age groups:
- Groundlings (ages 9-11)
- Young Performers (ages 12- 14)
- Teen Ensemble (ages 15 - 18)
To conclude each session; the Groundlings will present scenes from Shakespeare’s works that share a common theme. Young Performers and Teen Ensemble will each present a different Shakespeare play making it possible for both first-time and continuing students to participate in more than one session per summer.
UVA Summer Enrichment Program
The Summer Enrichment Program (SEP) at University of Virginia's Curry School of Education accepts applications from students currently enrolled in grades 4-10 for summer residential programs on grounds for gifted students. The emphasis at SEP is on exploration of topics not generally available during the regular school year and looking at familiar topics from a new perspective with greater abstractness or complexity.
Information about course and seminar offerings, applications, and financial aid information are available at http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu/overview-enrichment-201/1854-draft-summer-enrichment-program-opening-page.