Adventure awaits with Stars, S’mores & The Great Campout at the Hands On Children’s Museum during the month of August as part of the Summer Splash! Festival which includes themed activities, animal guests, and live performers.
The month kicks-off with the Great Campout, Aug.5 from 5-10p.m. in the Museum’s Outdoor Discovery Center offering the fun of an evening campout without sleeping over. Activities and events include roasting s’mores and s’more science, singing and storytelling around the campfire with Washington State Park rangers, exploring camping tents with REI, making bug boxes with Olympia Parks & Recreation, and eclipse talks with the Astronomical Society. The event will close with a short outdoor movie under the stars.
On Aug. 11 & 12 guests can climb inside a portable universe from the Museum of Flight to study the night sky. Featuring six shows daily, the mobile planetarium is a great introduction to astronomy for learners of all ages.
The weekend of Aug. 19 & 20, the Museum will highlight the solar eclipse with Solar Days activities. Visitors will discover the power of the sun as they learn to cook in a solar oven, explore solar energy inside the Museum’s greenhouse, power the water slide duck dash and air dancer, and make sun catchers.
The Summer Splash! Festival is the Museum’s signature education event and features three months of exciting interactive learning experiences designed to engage children while alleviating summer learning loss.
Additional August activities include making LED lighthouses, wind chimes, and sculptures in the Museum’s new MakeSpace exhibit. Young visitors can paint a vintage camper, climb a rock wall August 18-20, and explore gravity with The Evergreen State College Astronomical Society. Nature Play is offered daily in the Museum’s Outdoor Discovery Center with chicken talks, mud pie Mondays and children’s garden activities. Guests can also meet Rangers from the US Forest Service and greet Smokey Bear August 23 and 30.
All Summer Splash! activities are free to the public with Museum admission or membership. The Museum offers Free Friday Night the first Friday of each month from 5 to 9 p.m. For a full schedule of Museum events, visit www.hocm.org/summersplash.
