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Programs
Preschool, Youth, & Family Programs

Other Programs
Teacher Information.
Preschool, Youth, & Family Programs
Outreach Programs
Travel Programs:
Domestic
International
Hall of Life Programs
Excursions
Lectures and Classes
Free Science Shows
Certification Programs
Special Programs


Museum Preschool Adventures
Foster preschool children's innate curiosity and wonder of the natural world through hands-on exploration and activities. Every month we offer a different theme in our 45-minute program where preschoolers receive an invaluable introduction to the natural world. These classes are offered to preschools, early childhood centers, and kindergartens on Wednesdays and Fridays only. For more information, contact Mary Mitchell at 303-370-8225 or [email protected]. To request a brochure, call 303-370-6371.

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Treasure House Preschool
The Jewels inside Treasure House are waiting to be discovered by your child! Children ages 4-kindergarten have an opportunity for a month or more of hands-on science exploration and adventure. Each month focuses on a different theme. This preschool enrichment program includes stories, crafts, and Museum walks as part of every class. For more information, contact Mary Mitchell at 303-370-8225 or
[email protected]. To request a brochure, call 303-370-6371.

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Museum Camp-ins

GROUP CAMP-INS

    The Denver Museum of Nature and Science, in cooperation with the Denver Zoo, invites students in grades 3-6 to experience a unique camping adventure.

    Who can come?
    School and youth groups with children grades 3-6, their teachers and leaders, and other adult chaperones. Participants may attend only as a group with a minimum of six children.

    Fee
    $35 per child
    $30 per adult
    Fee waived for one group coordinator per class or youth group

    What does the fee include?
    Museum admission
    Zoo admission
    Three Museum hands-on workshops
    IMAX film
    Late-night snack
    Light breakfast
    Bonus patch

    All new camp-in program schedule
    Saturday, 5:45 p.m.-midnight
    Check-in
    Three hands-on workshops
    Snack
    View IMAX film
    Free time
    Lights out

    Sunday, 7:00-11:30 a.m.
    Wake up
    Light breakfast
    Denver Zoo visit
    Check out

    Girl Scout-only camp-ins
    Call Linda Fuller, Girl Scouts - Mile Hi Council, for information on these exclusive events at 303-778-0109, ext. 238

GROUP CAMP-INS 2001 SCHEDULE—Three New Amazing Opportunities!

  • Native American Treasures
    January 13–14
    • Explore the temporary exhibition HuupuKwanum•Tupaat: Treasures of the Nuu-chah-nulth Chiefs
    • View the incredible IMAX® film Amazing Journeys
    • Visit the Denver Zoo
    • Learn about the fascinating Native American cultures of North America
  • Biology to Paleontology: Exploring Museum Sciences
    January 20–21, January 27–28, February 10–11, February 24–25, March 3–4 (Girl Scouts only), March 31–April 1, April 7–8, April 21–22, April 28–29, May 5–6, May 12–13, May 19–20, and June 2–3
    • Learn about the areas of science featured in the Museum including biology, geology, paleontology, space science
    • Visit the outstanding exhibitions in the Museum including Prehistoric Journey and beginning March 2, the fantastic temporary exhibition Vikings: The North Atlantic Saga
    • View an exciting IMAX® film
    • Visit the Denver Zoo
  • JASON XII
    February 2–3
    • Take your class to the extremes with the volcanoes of Hawaii
    • Participate in a live JASON broadcast
    • Explore Hawaii and the unique biodiversity and cultural groups of these remote islands
    • Unique Camp-in schedule; please call for more information

    How to enroll?
    Registration is under way. Call Reservations at 303-322-7009 or toll free at 1-800-925-2250, seven days a week, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

    For more information
    If you have questions about the camp-in opportunities, please call Jack Vincent at 303-370-8287, or send an e-mail to
    [email protected].

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Children's Workshops—Winter/Spring 2001 Session
Spring into Science!

On various weekends beginning February 10, we invite your child to spend a morning or afternoon exploring the world and ourselves in a Natural and Cultural History or Hall of Life Workshop. Our weekend workshops offer your child the opportunity to investigate the Museum's unique collections and specimens, adventure into various cultures, and wonder at the human body through activities, experiments, and crafts. We also offer various Parent/Child workshops where you can delve into Museum workshops together. Registration begins January 17.

For more information regarding Natural and Cultural History Workshops, contact Mary Mitchell at 303-370-8225 or [email protected]

For more information regarding Hall of Life Workshops, contact Jodi Doherty at 303-370-8347 or [email protected]

To request a brochure, call 303-370-6371.

Ages 4 & 5, Grades K-1, Grades 2-3, Grades 4-6, Grades 6-8

Ages 4 & 5

  • Bearly Awake
    Many animals sleep through the long, cold days of winter. Bears, marmots, and even some insects wake to the signs of spring. Learn how to watch for awakening animals, create your own storybook, and go for a search in the Museum to find the animals that sleep through the winter.
    Saturday, March 24
    1:00-3:00 P.M.
    $15 member, $20 nonmember
  • BRRR! It's Cold!
    How do animals stay warm in the cold days of winter? Can they put on boots and gloves? What do they eat once the snow covers the ground? Where do they live? Learn some fun facts about winter survival in this cool class and create a wintry craft to take home with you.
    Saturday, February 17
    10:00 A.M.-NOON
    $15 member, $20 nonmember
  • Music and Movement
    Shake, rattle, and roll at the Museum in this music workshop. Explore musical sounds of instruments and discover how different cultures use music in everyday life. Join us in some merry music making!
    Section I: Sunday, March 18
    1:00-2:30 P.M.
    Section II: Saturday, March 24
    10:00-11:30 A.M.
    $15 member, $20 nonmember
  • Our Place in Space
    Fasten your seat belts and prepare for blastoff! Visit the nine planets of the solar system, but don't land on Mercury-it's too hot! Explore moon craters and make a moon sample to take home. Watch out for the meteorites you will examine at close range. If you get hungry, you can munch on some astronaut food before you travel home.
    Section I: Saturday, February 17
    1:00-3:00 P.M.
    Section II: Saturday, April 21
    1:00-3:00 P.M.
    $15 member, $20 nonmember
  • Paws and Jaws
    Examine and touch lots of different animal faces and feet, from a wolf nose and turtle toes to a horse jaw and bear paw! How are they different? How are they the same? Why do they look the way they do? Compare your foot to an elephant's and your teeth to a tiger's! Create a fanciful animal mask to take home.
    Sunday, April 22
    1:00-3:00 P.M.
    $15 member, $20 nonmember

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Grades K & 1

  • A Day at the Seashore
    Come in on a cold wintry day and spend an imaginary afternoon at a warm beach! Romp in the sand. What will you find? Perhaps a starfish, crab, sand dollar, or gull. Listen to the sound of the waves, taste some seafood, and make a seashore diorama to remind you of your day at the beach.
    Section I: Saturday, February 10
    10:00 A.M.-NOON
    Section II: Saturday, March 24
    1:00-3:00 P.M.
    $15 member, $20 nonmember
  • Astro-Adventures
    Travel through space with us to discover what lies in and beyond our solar system. What kind of clothes should you wear on this trip? How will you get there? What will you eat? You will explore the needs of space travelers and learn about planets, stars, and moons on this adventure into space.
    Section I: Saturday, February 10
    1:00-3:00 P.M.
    Section II: Sunday, March 18
    1:00-3:00 P.M.
    $15 member, $20 nonmember
  • Busy Bees and Fabulous Flowers
    Spring is here, the flowers have sprung, and the bees are buzzing! Discover seeds and flowers as you touch and examine the parts of a flower, plant a seed to take home, and make a seed painting. Look at a bee and a beehive under a magnifying glass. Learn interesting bee facts and taste a honey treat.
    Saturday, April 21
    1:00-3:00 P.M.
    $15 member, $20 nonmember
  • Busy Brain
    Have fun learning about your busy brain while playing games. Discover differences between human brains and some animal brains. Test your memory and trick your senses to see how many ways you can use your brain. Observe a real sheep's brain dissection. Fascinating fun!
    Saturday, April 7
    10:00 A.M.-NOON
    $15 member, $20 nonmember
  • Chromatography: The Science of Color
    Have fun experimenting with the world of color. Learn about rainbows as you work with prisms. Mix your own colors and then separate them again. Play with a color disk to make colors magically appear and disappear.
    Section I: Saturday, February 17
    10:00 A.M.-NOON
    Section II: Saturday, March 17
    10:00 A.M.-NOON
    $15 member, $20 nonmember

  • Digging for Dinosaurs
    Become a junior paleontologist as you piece together clues to prehistoric times. Dig for dinosaur bones in our paleo box. Visit Prehistoric Journey to view the reassembled Diplodocus (it's longer than ever) and see how big a T. rex skull really is. Use role-play to learn how dinosaurs walked, and touch a real fossil footprint.
    Section I: Saturday, April 21
    10:00 A.M.-NOON
    Section II: Sunday, April 22
    1:00-3:00 P.M.
    $15 member, $20 nonmember
  • Have a Heart
    You've got the beat, so why not hear it on a stethoscope? Learn more about the heart and circulatory system. Compare human and animal hearts. Learn what's good for your heart, like healthy foods and exercise. See a real sheep heart dissection!
    Saturday, February 10
    10:00 A.M.-NOON
    $15 member, $20 nonmember
  • I Love Lava
    Learn about volcanoes and Earth's forces that create them. Get an up-close view of a lava bomb, Mount Saint Helen's ash, obsidian, pumice, and other volcanic rocks. Make your own volcano and watch it erupt!
    Section I: Saturday, March 24
    10:00 A.M.-NOON
    Section II: Saturday, April 14
    10:00 A.M.-NOON
    $15 member, $20 nonmember
  • Inside Me
    Where are your organs and what do they do? Find your way through a maze of organs, bones, and muscles. Listen to your heartbeat before and after exercise. Learn about the skeletal and muscular systems by seeing and touching real bones. Arrange your own flannel-board skeleton. Flex those muscles and test your strength! Make an organ apron to take home!
    Saturday, March 10
    1:00-3:00 P.M.
    $15 member, $20 nonmember
  • Just Say Aah . . .
    Doctors have all the fun! Here is your chance to dress up like a doctor and listen to someone's heartbeat, take a temperature, and measure height and weight. Examine X rays of broken bones and create your own take-home first-aid kit!
    Saturday, April 21
    1:00-3:00 P.M.
    $15 member, $20 nonmember
  • Kinderscientists
    What does it mean to be a scientist? Your kinderscientist will make observations, learn to use a microscope, test magnetism, and discover density! Dazzle your parents with your newfound knowledge about gases, liquids, and solids. Take home a fun polymer experiment you make yourself!
    Section I: Saturday, February 24
    10:00 A.M.-NOON
    Section II: Saturday, April 7
    1:00-3:00 P.M.
    $15 member, $20 nonmember
  • Open Your Mouth
    Did you know that some foods actually help clean your teeth? Discover foods that help fight tooth decay and foods that are dental destroyers. Practice brushing and flossing teeth and check your results with a disclosure tablet. Examine animal teeth and discover how they differ from your own.
    Saturday, February 10
    1:00-3:00 P.M.
    $15 member, $20 nonmember
  • Our Fabulous Five Senses
    You'll be in touch with your five senses after this workshop! Tantalize your tongue, excite your eyes, explore your ears, feel with your feet. Only your nose knows the difference between real and artificial scents. After all your hard work, reward yourself with a scratch-and-sniff sticker! A hands-on, nose-on, eyes-on, taste buds-on, ears-on workshop!
    Saturday, May 5
    10:00 A.M.-NOON
    $15 member, $20 nonmember
  • Outside Me
    Learn about the natural covering you live in-your skin! Make your own toiletry kit while learning how to take care of this important organ. Examine your fingerprints, see how the skin heals itself from scratches, and learn why it's important to wear sunscreen!
    Saturday, May 5
    1:00-3:00 P.M.
    $15 member, $20 nonmember
  • Science Play
    Celebrate science! Learn scientific concepts and have fun conducting scientific experiments. Dissect a drop of water and make some silly putty to take home. Try out some follow-up activities so that you can be a wonderful science wizard at home!
    Section I: Saturday, March 10
    1:00-3:00 P.M.
    Section II: Saturday, April 14
    1:00-3:00 P.M.
    $18 member, $23 nonmember
  • Snazzy Snacks
    Have you ever eaten a spider? In this workshop you will! Learn how to make healthy snacks for your friends and family! Spend two hours creating fun-to-make and fun-to-eat snacks; learn about kitchen safety and important hygiene techniques. Share your recipes with a take-home recipe book!
    Saturday, February 24
    1:00-3:00 P.M.
    $18 member, $23 nonmember

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Grades 2 & 3

  • Animal Migrations
    Why do animals migrate? How do they know where to go? Join us for an exploration into the mystery of animal migration. We will investigate ways animals track direction and see the IMAX film Amazing Journeys to learn more about the mystery of migrating animals.
    Saturday, February 17
    9:00 A.M.-NOON
    $20 member, $25 nonmember
  • Animals of Ancient Egypt
    Watch out for that crocodile! Learn about the animals of ancient and present-day Egypt. Find out why the jackal and falcon were revered. Experience these and other mythic animals through stories and crafts in this fun-filled class.
    Section I: Saturday, February 10
    1:00-3:00 P.M.
    Section II: Saturday, March 10
    1:00-3:00 P.M.
    $15 member, $20 nonmember
  • Basics for Winter Survival
    How do animals survive a harsh winter? How do winter sport enthusiasts detect avalanche areas? Learn about snow caves and what to include in a basic survival kit for a winter outing. Take an investigative hike through the Museum and find out how animals and people endure severe weather during winter months.
    Saturday, February 10
    10:00 A.M.-NOON
    $15 member, $20 nonmember
  • Brain Games
    What's inside your head? Discover the anatomy of your amazing brain when you see a sheep's brain dissection and view a real human brain. Find out how you can fool your five senses with taste tests and a mystery smell game. Make your own optical illusions to take home and fool your family and friends!
    Saturday, April 7
    1:00-3:00 P.M.
    $15 member, $20 nonmember
  • Cave Explorers
    Investigate the mysterious underground world of caves. Learn about cave formations, examine crystals found in caves, and pretend you are a spelunker. What strange animals will you find in a cave? Could you live in a cave? Create a cave craft to take home with you.
    Section I: Saturday, March 24
    9:00 A.M.-NOON
    Section II: Saturday, April 14
    9:00 A.M.-NOON
    $20 member, $25 nonmember
  • Crazy Chemistry
    Create crazy concoctions while learning the basics of chemistry and scientific discovery in a safe and exciting way. Explore the dynamics of solids, liquids, and gases. Learn about reactions, density, and polymers through hands-on experiments. Watch a liquid turn into a solid when you make ice cream!
    Section I: Saturday, February 10
    1:00-3:00 P.M.
    Section II: Saturday, May 5
    1:00-3:00 P.M.
    $15 member, $20 nonmember
  • Foot Soldiers, Great Ships, and Explorers
    Who were the Vikings and where did they come from? Join us for a wonderful adventure learning about the Vikings. Investigate long ships and make a Viking mask. Tell a story using runes and visit the temporary exhibition Vikings, The North Atlantic Saga.
    Section I: Saturday, March 17
    10:00 A.M.-NOON
    Section II: Saturday, April 21
    10:00 A.M.-NOON
    $18 member, $23 nonmember
  • Junior Surgeons: Bones
    Did you know that one job of bones is to make blood? Locate the smallest and largest bones in your body as you play a bone-matching game and examine real human bones. Learn how bones and muscles work together to help us move. Then dissect a chicken wing to discover how this movement works!
    Saturday, March 10
    10:00 A.M.-NOON
    $18 member, $23 nonmember
  • Junior Surgeons: Eye
    The eyes have it in this "ex-eye-ting" workshop! Feel the jellylike fluid that gives your eyes their shape when you dissect a real sheep eye. Try on special glasses that show how different animals view the world, and test your blink reflex. Trick your eyes with crazy optical illusions! Record your discoveries in a take-home lab book.
    Saturday, April 7
    10:00 A.M.-NOON
    $18 member, $23 nonmember
  • Junior Surgeons: Heart
    Did you know that you have enough blood vessels in your body to stretch around the earth two and a half times? You will be an expert on the heart after you dissect a sheep heart and listen to your own heart using a real stethoscope. Learn how to keep your heart healthy and record your discoveries in a take-home lab book.
    Saturday, February 10
    10:00 A.M.-NOON
    $18 member, $23 nonmember
  • Junior Surgeons: Lung
    What does the inside of a lung look like? Dissect a sheep lung and look at real human lung sections. Find out how the lungs work together with the heart. Record your discoveries in a take-home lab book.
    Saturday, February 24
    10:00 A.M.-NOON
    $18 member, $23 nonmember
  • Junior Surgeons Spring Break Special!
    Looking for a unique experience for your child during Spring Break? Enroll in a four-day workshop March 26-29! Each day you get to learn about a different body system and dissect a specimen. Join us for four afternoons of fun!
    Monday-Thursday, March 26-29
    1:00-3:00 P.M.
    $65 member, $75 nonmember
  • Let's Get Cooking
    Spend a morning cooking and eating healthy, easy-to-prepare snacks! Come hungry and ready to eat the recipes you make from your take-home recipe book. Learn about proper cooking techniques, cleanliness, and the importance of eating nutritional foods. A perfect class for the curious gourmet!
    Saturday, April 21
    10:00 A.M.-NOON
    $18 member, $23 nonmember
  • Physics Toys
    Physics is made fun as you experiment with toys. Play a parachute game and construct your own aerodynamic plane. Race a boat you build yourself and make a balancing toy out of a clothespin. Learn basic physics concepts and find out how fun science can be!
    Section I: Saturday, March 24
    1:00-3:00 P.M.

Section II: Saturday, April 21
1:00-3:00 P.M.
$15 member, $20 nonmember

  • Rites of Spring
    April showers bring May flowers! Learn about various springtime rituals like May poles and May baskets. Create your own May basket to hang on your front door. Explore the springtime rituals of Native American and Inuit culture. Listen to a Ute legend of the emerging bear, and dance to music that leads bears out of their long winter sleep.
    Sunday, April 22
    1:00-3:00 P.M.
    $15 member, $20 nonmember
  • Sensational Scopes
    This workshop was designed with the young explorer in mind! Probe the mysteries in and around the human body in a world too tiny to see with your eye. Discover the mysteries of magnification as you look at a variety of objects both large and microscopic in size! Use a stereomicroscope to look at everything from fingerprints to fingernails.
    Saturday, March 10
    1:00-3:00 P.M.
    $15 member, $20 nonmember

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Grades 4–6

  • Forensics Fun
    (4-hour workshop)
    This workshop is designed for the serious Sherlock Holmes. Discover how bones can tell you a story. Delicately lift hidden fingerprints. Learn how to type blood using simulated blood. Analyze hair and fiber under a microscope. Use these forensic-science techniques to solve a fictional murder mystery! Please bring a lunch and drink.
    Saturday, February 24
    10:00 A.M.-2:00 P.M.
    $35 member, $40 nonmember
  • Junior Geneticist
    What makes you uniquely you? Learn about genes, heredity, and the language of DNA. Find out about this exciting career field that has led to many medical advances. Perform an actual DNA extraction. Learn about the realities of cloning and the possible futures for biotechnology.
    Section I: Saturday, February 10
    10:00 A.M.-NOON
    Section II: Saturday, May 5
    1:00-3:00 P.M.
    $15 member, $20 nonmember
  • Mind Benders
    Grades 4 & 5
    What does your brain look and feel like? A variety of activities will help you answer this question! A dissection of a sheep brain will aid in your exploration. Make a brain model that simulates brain texture and weight. See how different parts of your brain help solve problems. Test your reflexes and figure out which part of your brain controls them. Fool your five senses and find out how they interact with your brain by doing a mystery drink taste test!
    Section I: Saturday, April 21
    10:00 A.M.-NOON
    Section II: Saturday, May 5
    10:00 A.M.-NOON
    $15 member, $20 nonmember
  • Scope It Out
    Grades 4 & 5
    Probe the mysteries of our bodies and our world as you learn proper microscope techniques. Compare different types of human cells and look at bacteria that can affect your health. Prepare your own wet mount using your own cheek cells and hair! Collect more specimens and find what's lurking around you!
    Saturday, April 21
    1:00-3:00 P.M.
    $15 member, $20 nonmember
  • Senior Surgeons: Brain and Eye
    Grades 4 & 5
    Did you know that our brain receives most of its information through our sense of sight? Senior Surgeons learn the basics about the brain and view a dissection of a sheep brain. Study the anatomy and physiology of the eye to find out how visual messages are sent to the brain for interpretation. Conclude this exciting day by doing a dissection of a sheep eye. Record your discoveries in a take-home lab book.
    Saturday, February 24
    1:00-3:00 P.M.
    $18 member, $23 nonmember
  • Senior Surgeons: Heart
    Grades 4 & 5
    Discover how your heart functions as you dissect a sheep heart in this workshop. Use real stethoscopes to find your own heartbeat before and after exercise. Learn about what causes heart disease and how you can keep your heart healthy. Find out the facts about fats in your favorite fast foods and how they can affect your heart. Look at real human arteries and record your discoveries of the day in a take-home lab book.
    Saturday, February 10
    1:00-3:00 P.M.
    $18 member, $23 nonmember
  • Senior Surgeons: Guts
    Grades 4 & 5
    Where did your breakfast go? Find out what happens during the process of digestion and learn why it's so important to keep your digestive organs healthy. What causes a burp? Experiment in this workshop and find out! Dissect a frog to examine its "guts" and compare them to your own. Record your discoveries in a take-home lab book.
    Saturday, April 7
    1:00-3:00 P.M.
    $18 member, $23 nonmember
  • Senior Surgeons: Lung
    Grades 4 & 5
    Take a deep breath and get ready to learn about the respiratory system and your amazing lungs! Why is breathing so important to life? Find out about the incredible exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide by doing your own experiment. See how much air your lungs can hold! Test your knowledge when you dissect a sheep lung. Record your discoveries in a take-home lab book.
    Saturday, March 10
    1:00-3:00 P.M.
    $18 member, $23 nonmember
  • Senior Surgeons Package
    Grades 4 & 5
    Really into dissections? Take all four "Senior Surgeons" workshops and receive a discount.
    $65 member, $75 nonmember
  • Tropical Rainforest Supermarket
    Grades 4 & 5
    Did you know rainforests are like a giant pantry? Taste foods from tropical areas and play a medicine matching game. Look at and touch real plants and seeds from the Amazon. Become an ethnobotanist and record your findings in a take-home lab book.
    Saturday, March 10
    10:00 A.M.-NOON
    $15 member, $20 nonmember
  • Astrogeology
    Grades 4-6
    Did you know that Mars used to have volcanoes and rivers? Or that some rocks on Venus are so hot they glow bright red? This workshop focuses on the geology of the other terrestrial bodies in our solar system. Investigate plate tectonics, planetary evolution, and the mysteries of other planets in this adventurous class!
    Saturday, February 10
    10:00 A.M.-NOON
    $15 member, $20 nonmember
  • Making of an IMAX Film
    Grades 4-6
    (6-hour workshop)
    How are IMAX films made? What types of equipment are used? How do IMAX filmmaking techniques differ from those of regular films? Learn about IMAX filmmaking, storyboards, and the power of a large-format film. Your imagination will run wild with inspiration from observing not one, but two IMAX films! Join us for this fun-filled day. Please bring a lunch and drink.
    Saturday, April 21
    9:00 A.M.-3:00 P.M.
    $50 member, $55 nonmember
  • Marine Mammals
    Grades 4-6
    Did you know there are thirty-one species of true dolphins and that they are mammals? Learn about dolphins and other marine mammals in this investigative class. Explore marine mammals' use of sonar, and play a game to determine how well you can "see" sound. Touch the bones of a beluga whale, handle a sperm whale tooth, and compare a dolphin skull to your own. To enhance your learning experience you will see the IMAX film Amazing Journeys.
    Saturday, February 17
    9:00 A.M.-NOON
    $25 member, $30 nonmember
  • Native American Beadwork
    Grades 4-6
    Study the history of Native American beadwork and explore the Museum's collections in this informative workshop. See a Blackfoot beaded rosette, touch an Arapahoe beaded moccasin, and use Cheyenne beadwork as the inspiration for the beaded creation you will make to take home.
    Section I: Saturday, March 10
    1:00-3:00 P.M.
    Section II: Sunday, March 18
    1:00-3:00 P.M.
    $15 member, $20 nonmember
  • Skulls and Skeletal Features
    Grades 4-6
    Participants in this workshop will learn basic concepts of physical anthropology through investigating skulls and other skeletal features. What differences are found when comparing primate and human skulls? Why do those differences exist? Join us on an investigative afternoon to answer these and other questions that physical anthropologists ponder in their work.
    Saturday, April 14
    1:00-3:00 P.M.
    $15 member, $20 nonmember
  • Viking Amulets, Viking Jewelry
    Grades 4-6
    Explore with us the meaning and purpose of Viking jewelry. See some of the most beautiful adornments in the world when you visit the temporary exhibition Vikings: The North Atlantic Saga. Practice intricate designs when you create a piece of jewelry to take home.
    Section I: Saturday, March 24
    10:00 A.M.-NOON
    Section II: Sunday, April 22
    1:00-3:00 P.M.
    $20 member, $25 nonmember
  • Women in Space
    Grades 4-6
    Investigate the history of women in space. Learn about contributions women have made to space programs, the first woman to orbit the earth, and other neat facts about female astronauts. How did these women become astronauts? When they were young, was it their dream to be an astronaut? What did they study in school? Join us for an in-depth look at some fascinating female astronauts!
    Saturday, February 17
    1:00-3:00 P.M.
    $15 member, $20 nonmember

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Grades 6–8

  • Breathing and Blood
    Grades 6-8
    (4-hour workshop)
    Have you ever thought about how amazing it is that your heart and lungs are constantly working to keep you alive? To understand how this constant interaction between the circulatory and respiratory systems occurs, you will dissect a sheep heart and lungs still connected to each other. The concepts of diffusion, oxygen transportation, and pressure will be explored through a variety of activities. Conduct a blood-typing experiment using simulated blood!
    Please bring a sack lunch and drink.
    Saturday, May 5
    10:00 A.M.-2:00 P.M.
    $35 member, $40 nonmember
  • Chemically Dependent
    Grades 6-8
    Did you know your body depends on chemical reactions? Strap on your safety goggles in this workshop designed for the curious middle school mind. Discover how chemistry is present in our everyday lives. Create your own toothpaste and ice cream. Learn why cereal has iron filings in it and why calcium deposits build up around the bathroom sink.
    Saturday, February 24
    1:00-3:00 P.M.
    $18 member, $23 nonmember
  • The Cutting Edge: Brain and Nervous System
    Grades 6-8
    Explore the nervous system, both its anatomy and function. Learn about all the marvelous things our brains do for us, practice some memory activities, trick your brain by sending two messages at one time, and learn about brain injuries and how they can be prevented. See a real human brain and then become the surgeon and dissect a sheep brain.
    Saturday, April 7
    10:00 A.M.-NOON
    $18 member, $23 nonmember
  • The Cutting Edge: Digestive System
    Grades 6-8
    What's so important about the "guts"? Learn how the digestive system works and the unique job each digestive system organ has. Explore each organ's anatomy and physiology. Learn the importance of good nutrition. Then, snap on some gloves to dissect a frog and explore its digestive system and the contents of its stomach!
    Saturday, April 21
    1:00-3:00 P.M.
    $18 member, $23 nonmember
  • The Cutting Edge: Eye, Organ, and Tissue Transplantation
    Grades 6-8
    Watch out! Your eyes might be playing tricks on you! Come focus on the eye and on transplantation, a truly cutting-edge medical field. Study a variety of organs and tissues that can be transplanted, including eyes! Do a series of visual activities centered on optical illusions. Learn about the anatomy and function of the eye and perform an eye dissection!
    Saturday, April 7
    1:00-3:00 P.M.
    $18 member, $23 nonmember
  • The Cutting Edge: Heart
    Grades 6-8
    What makes the heart "tick"? Discuss the anatomy and function of the heart, exploring the inner chambers and valves. Take a deeper look at the heart and learn about the pacemaker. Learn the difference between arteries and veins and analyze foods that can keep them healthy. After dissecting a sheep heart, try your hand at suturing!
    Saturday, February 10
    1:00-3:00 P.M.
    $18 member, $23 nonmember
  • The Cutting Edge Package
    Grades 6-8
    Really into dissections? Take all four "Cutting Edge" workshops and receive a discount.
    $65 member, $75 nonmember
  • Micro!
    Grades 6-8
    (4-hour workshop)
    You know that some parts of the body are not visible to the human eye. Now, see them! Study a variety of human tissues, cells, and diseases under the scope. Then, become a pathologist and diagnose "patients" with different symptoms. See lymphoma, emphysema, and tattoos up close! Bring a sack lunch and drink.
    Saturday, March 10
    10:00 A.M.-2:00 P.M.
    $35 member, $40 nonmember

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Parent-Child Workshops

Please note age specifications for each workshop.

A parent or guardian must attend the workshop with the child. To ensure the best possible experience for your child(ren), please abide by the age requirements; younger siblings, including infants and toddlers, cannot be accommodated in programs for older children. An additional age-appropriate child or an additional parent may participate at half the pair price.

Nature's Tastes and Textures
Ages 2 & 3 with adult
Join us to investigate some of the tastes and textures found in nature. You and your child will feel textures and enjoy tastes at Cinnamon Station, Vanilla Junction, Cocoa Creations, and more. Learn where these goodies are found in the world and take home a nature-inspired craft from this yummy class!
Section I: Saturday, February 10
9:30-10:30 A.M.
Section II: Saturday, February 10
11:00 A.M.-NOON
$18/pair member, $23/pair nonmember

Please Touch for Tots: Patterns
Ages 2 & 3 with adult
Discover patterns and shapes in nature. Hunt for stripes, circles, and squares on wild animals. Feel the rectangles on a crocodile's back and play pattern games. Share a pattern story and create your own pattern crafts to take home.
Section I: Saturday, March 17
9:30-10:30 A.M.
Section II: Saturday, March 17
11:00 A.M.-NOON
$15/pair member, $20/pair nonmember

Animal Alphabet
Ages 3 & 4 with adult
Animals from A to Z, so much fun for you and me! Discover some unique creatures of the animal kingdom while exploring alphabet letters with your preschooler. Investigate an armadillo and touch a zebra hide. Create an alphabet animal craft to hang on the wall at home!
Saturday, April 14
10:00-11:30 A.M.
$18/pair member, $23/pair nonmember

Busy Bodies
Ages 3 & 4 with adult
What's inside your body? Touch plastic models of the heart, lungs, stomach, and intestines. Crawl through a big esophagus after learning about eating healthy foods. Draw a life-size poster of yourself and color in the lungs, brain, heart, and other important organs.
Saturday, February 24
11:00 A.M.-NOON
$15/pair member, $20/pair nonmember

Dr. Doctor
Ages 3 & 4 with adult
Dress up like a doctor in scrubs and a surgical mask and let your parent be your patient! Check the temperature, listen to the heartbeat, and test the reflexes. You'll discover that visiting the doctor can be fun!
Section I: Saturday, February 24
9:30-10:30 A.M.
Section II: Saturday, May 5
11:00 A.M.-NOON
$15/pair member, $20/pair nonmember

Fabulous Five Senses
Ages 3 & 4 with adult
Tingle your taste buds, excite your ears, and get all of your senses singing! Discover how your senses help you find out about your world and what it would be like without one or more of them. This workshop is full of fun, hands-on activities!
Saturday, February 10
11:00 A.M.-NOON
$15/pair member, $20/pair nonmember

Food for Fun
Ages 3 & 4 with adult
Yummy! Edible experiments are just one way parents and tots learn why people need food and what foods are healthy to eat. Children will learn the importance of eating a variety of foods through shapes, colors, and the alphabet. Parents and kids will make a fun breakfast treat and get a recipe to take home!
Saturday, April 7
11:00 A.M.-NOON
$15/pair member, $20/pair nonmember

Germs Galore!
Ages 3 & 4 with adult
Can you see a germ? How do you know they're there? Do an activity with artificial germs that you can see. Then watch as you inadvertently pass them on to your parent! Discover where germs like to hide on our bodies. Parents and kids participate in activities that focus on health habits and hygiene.
Saturday, March 10
11:00 A.M.-NOON
$15/pair member, $20/pair nonmember

Healthy Body, Happy Body
Ages 3 & 4 with adult
Having a happy body means taking care of it inside and out. Make your own take-home bath kit as you learn about keeping your skin healthy. Come ready to move and exercise to keep your insides healthy, too!
Saturday, April 7
9:30-10:30 A.M.
$15/pair member, $20/pair nonmember

Heart to Heart
Ages 3 & 4 with adult
Listen to your heartbeat! This is your chance to learn about the heart and circulatory system as you see and compare real animal and human hearts. How do good food and exercise help your heart? Come and see!
Saturday, February 10
9:30-10:30 A.M.
$15/pair member, $20/pair nonmember

Safety Rangers
Ages 3 & 4 with adult
Use your five senses and become safety aware as you learn decision-making skills that will help keep you safe. Do activities with your parent as you learn about dealing with strangers and calling for help.
Saturday, April 21
11:00 A.M.-NOON
$15/pair member, $20/pair nonmember

Sensational Skeletons
Ages 3 & 4 with adult
Learn about the skeleton inside you! Look at a life-size skeleton and take home a paper skeleton to make on your own. Touch plastic human bones and take a look at X rays. Examine different animal skeletons and compare them with your own. Discover what your bones do and how to keep them healthy.
Saturday, March 10
9:30-10:30 A.M.
$15/pair member, $20/pair nonmember

Stop, Drop, and Roll
Ages 3 & 4 with adult
What should you do in an emergency? Practice fire safety and learn what to do in case of an accident. Create an escape plan for your home and learn how to use the five senses to stay away from danger.
Saturday, May 5
9:30-10:30 A.M.
$15/pair member, $20/pair nonmember

Teeth and Tummies
Ages 3 & 4 with adult
Do beavers, alligators, and orangutans have different teeth than you do? Find out about different shapes and sizes of teeth, and how teeth work by chewing different foods. See real animal teeth and skulls. Learn how to brush your teeth and take home a new toothbrush! Do you know how big your stomach is? Discover where food goes in the body and how our stomachs digest it.
Saturday, April 21
9:30-10:30 A.M.
$15/pair member, $20/pair nonmember

Animal Explorers
Ages 4 & 5 with adult
Explore classification in the animal kingdom from sponges to mammals. Use hands-on activities to learn the characteristics of each kind. Touch lots of different mammal furs, from porcupine quills to soft beaver. How are they different from snake scales or a crab shell? Compare the eggs of a fish, a reptile, and a bird. What kind of animal are you?
Section I: Saturday, March 10
1:00-3:00 P.M.
Section II: Saturday, April 21
10:00 A.M.-NOON
$20/pair member, $25/pair nonmember

Roses are Red
Ages 4 & 5 with adult
Roses are red . . . and so are a lot of other things! Discover red and pink in nature this Valentine season. Examine a red rhodochrosite crystal, a pink flamingo, and a red tropical beetle. Mix and match your colors and see what happens when you mix red with other colors. Create a red and pink Valentine craft, go on a color scavenger hunt in the Museum, and sample some red edibles.
Saturday, February 10
1:00-3:00 P.M.
$25/pair member, $30/pair nonmember

Anatomy of a Snowflake
Grades K & 1 with adult
Take a new look at the beautiful world of snow. Learn how snow is formed and see different types of crystals that make up a winter wonderland. Discover the importance of snow and make a snowflake crystal craft to take home.
Saturday, February 17
1:00-3:00 P.M.
$20/pair member, $25/pair nonmember

Kitchen Chemistry
Grades 2 & 3 with adult
Conduct fun chemistry experiments using vinegar, sugar, salt, lemon juice, candy, and other common foods. Explore saturation points, test for acids and bases, investigate chemical reactions, and more! Learn how to turn your kitchen into a chemistry lab. Safety procedures and precautions will be taught and stressed.
Section I: Saturday, February 17
1:00-3:00 P.M.
Section II: Sunday, March 18
1:00-3:00 P.M.
$25/pair member, $30/pair nonmember

Ukrainian Egg Dyeing
Grades 4-6 with adult
(5-hour workshop)
Ukrainian egg dyeing is elegant, elaborate, and easy for you and your child to do! Learn about Ukrainian folk art, listen to regional stories, and experience the unique process of this egg-dyeing art. You and your child will have an "eggs-cellent" time! Please bring a lunch and drink.
Saturday, April 14
10:00 A.M.-3:00 P.M.
$45/pair member, $50/pair nonmember

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Family Explorations

These parent-child field trips are held off-site. All outings are for ages 3-6. You may make reservations for these field trips today by calling 303-322-7009.

Designed for Success! Amazing Animal Adaptations
Ages 3-6 with adult
Every living thing has amazing physical and behavioral adaptations that help it to survive. Join us in Franktown for fun hands-on activities that help you see the world from an animal's perspective. Go on a predator hunt looking for your unique type of food, search for camouflaged critters and danger colors, and gain a "no-thumbs" appreciation for some unique human adaptations.
Thursday, March 1
9:30-11:30 A.M.
$12 adult member, $16 adult nonmember
$6 child

Nature's Tricks to Staying Warm
Ages 3-6 with adult
How do animals stay warm on a cold winter's day? How do plants survive the cold temperatures? In Franktown, navigate through a fun obstacle course to learn about the different ways animals and plants stay warm, look outside for signs of animals, and create a winter picture to show all you have learned.
Tuesday, February 6
9:30-11:30 A.M.
$12 adult member, $16 adult nonmember
$6 child

We're Different, But We're the Same
Ages 3-6 with adult
Some animals have eight eyes, polka dots, and taste with their feet! Discover some amazing critter adaptations on a trip to Franktown. Explore the outdoors in search of animals. Run, slither, and hop through relay games, and attempt simple tasks using the adaptations of other animals. Find out what all living things have in common with humans even though we are very different.
Wednesday, March 21
9:30-11:30 A.M.
$12 adult member, $16 adult nonmember
$6 child

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