Each week Thanksgiving Point hosts educational and fun activities for families of all ages and abilities! Our Family Programs include Tales for Tots, Melody Makers, and Dirt on Dinos, just to name a few.Â
The programs are always adapting and changing throughout the year so check back often for updates. They are also led by our trained educational team to ensure each person at the activity has a great time learning and playing together as family and friends. Click each day below to learn more about these one-of-a-kind educational opportunities at Thanksgiving Point and to see dates, locations, and times for each one. See you soon!
Tales for Tots
11-11:20 am
Mountain America Museum of Ancient Life
Join us for our weekly storytelling adventure, Tales for Tots. Staff will engage guests with interactive storytelling as well as movement and/or music activities that connect to the story theme of the day.
Included with regular venue admission
November 6 | Have You Seen My Dinosaur? by Jon Surgal
When a boy and his dinosaur decide to play hide-and-seek, he cannot find his dinosaurâs hiding place anywhere!
November 13Â | Where Did All the Dinos Go? by Jim Benton
Where did all the dinos go? Some say they vanished long ago. Could they be living way out west in cowboy boots and fancy vests?
November 20Â | Thanks for Thanksgiving by Julie Markes
At Thanksgiving, there are so many things to be thankful for! Delicious turkey, falling leaves, hot cider, but most importantly: family!
November 27Â | The Bravest Knight by Mercer Mayer
Who hasnât wished that they could live in a land of fairytale adventures? As one little boy dreams of what his life would be like, he imagines saving fair maidens and fighting fire-breathing dragons!
Butterfly’s First Flight
11 am and 5 pm
$4 per person, $3 for Thanksgiving Point members
Help one of our newly-emerged butterflies spread their wings with this immersive experience! Join our entomologists in releasing young butterflies into the conservatory and help a butterfly celebrate its first flight! Guests must purchase Butterfly Releases in-person at the Butterfly Biosphere Front Desk.
Reptile Report
11:45 am and 2:30 pm
Meet and learn about some amazing reptilian creatures at the Reptile Report! Whether you know it all about the reptiles or you’re just learning about them for the first time, this program has something for everyone.
Included with regular venue admission
Critter Encounter
10 am, 1 pm, 3:30 pm, and 6 pm
Go beyond the glass with this hands-on opportunity! Check out the Critter Corner during your trip around the museum for a chance to hold a friendly bug. These regularly timed shows allow you to learn about bugs and the important role they play in the environment!
Included with regular venue admission.
Itsy Bitsy Science
3 pm
Come explore with us at Itsy Bitsy Science! Together we will investigate the workings of the natural world with young guests and their families. This program is all about encouraging littles to engage in beginning science practices through facilitated play.Â
Included with regular venue admission.
Good Night Museum
7 pm
You and your family will wind down as Thanksgiving Point educators read bedtime stories and invite you to participate in quiet, calming activities. It’s the perfect end to an adventurous day.
Included with regular venue admission
Melody Makers
11-11:20 am –Â Museum of Natural Curiosity
Join us for our popular Melody Makers program. Led by our Learning and Engagement staff, Melody Makers is the perfect opportunity for little kids and their adults to dance and move in a fun and friendly environment. Come see what each unique staff member has to offer with a variety of engaging songs and themes each week.
Included with regular venue admission.
FEATURED SONG FOR November:
âTurkey Dinner Danceâ
Join us for music and movement as we explore some of the yummy foods that can be found at Thanksgiving dinner!
Butterfly’s First flight
11 am and 5 pm
$4 per person, $3 for Thanksgiving Point members
Help one of our newly-emerged butterflies spread their wings with this immersive experience! Join our entomologists in releasing young butterflies into the conservatory and help a butterfly celebrate its first flight! Guests must purchase Butterfly Releases in-person at the Butterfly Biosphere Front Desk.
Critter Encounter
10 am, 1 pm, 3:30 pm, and 6 pm
Go beyond the glass with this hands-on opportunity! Check out the Critter Corner during your trip around the museum for a chance to hold a friendly bug. These regularly timed shows allow you to learn about bugs and the important role they play in the environment!
Included with regular venue admission.
Messy Makers
3-3:30 pm
Join us for Messy Makers, a brand-new art program at Thanksgiving Point! Designed for children and their families, the program encourages all to explore the limits of their creativity by immersing themselves in the full sensory experience of artistic play.
Included with regular venue admission
Good Night Museum
7 pm
Mountain America Museum of Ancient Life
You and your family will wind down as Thanksgiving Point educators read bedtime stories and invite you to participate in quiet, calming activities. It’s the perfect end to an adventurous day.
Included with regular venue admission
Dirt on Dinos
10 am – Noon
Mountain America Museum of Ancient Life
Join us for The Dirt on Dinos program at the Museum of Ancient Life every Wednesday. Our program will have interesting specimens, fossils and cast material, on display for up-close observation. Friendly staff will help answer questions and guide guests in educational conversation and activity. Bring your best questions and imagination! Come learn about the science happening every day here at Thanksgiving Point!Â
Included with regular venue admission
TALES FOR TOTS
11-11:20 am
Join us for our weekly storytelling adventure, Tales for Tots. Staff will engage guests with interactive storytelling as well as movement and/or music activities that connect to the story theme of the day.
Included with regular venue admission
November 1Â | Invasion of the Grumpies by Thal Dixon
They are mean and nasty Grumpies. Theyâre a familyâs greatest vice. They want all the world to be unhappy. They hate everything thatâs nice. Will our families surrender? Will the Grumpies take control? Everyday more people struggle while the Grumpies take their toll.
November 8Â | Bring Me a Rock! by Daniel Miyares
When a power-hungry grasshopper king wants a throne to loom over his bug subjects, he summons each of them to âbring me a rock!â
November 15Â | Bee Gets a Sweater by Keith Faulkner
Bee Gets a Sweater begins a long time ago, when all bees were just plain black. Then, Spider had a brilliant idea…
November 22Â | ‘Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving by Dav Pilkey
A field trip to a turkey farm the day before Thanksgiving has the children giggling, gobbling, and leaving with full bellies as they remember everything that they are thankful for.
November 29Â | Children Make Terrible Pets by Peter Brown
When Lucy, a young bear, discovers a boy in the woods, she’s absolutely delighted. She brings him home and begs her mom to let her keep him, even though her mom warns, “Children make terrible petsâ. Join Lucy and Squeaker on their day of fun and decide for yourself whether children really do make terrible pets.
BUTTERFLY’s First flight
11 am and 5 pm
$4 per person, $3 for Thanksgiving Point members
Help one of our newly-emerged butterflies spread their wings with this immersive experience! Join our entomologists in releasing young butterflies into the conservatory and help a butterfly celebrate its first flight! Guests must purchase Butterfly Releases in-person at the Butterfly Biosphere Front Desk.
CRITTER ENCOUNTER
10 am, 1 pm, 3:30 pm, and 6 pm
Go beyond the glass with this hands-on opportunity! Check out the Critter Corner during your trip around the museum for a chance to hold a friendly bug. These regularly timed shows allow you to learn about bugs and the important role they play in the environment!
Included with regular venue admission.
bubbles and bites
1 pm
Mountain America Museum of Ancient Life
Fish Food for Thought: The Alligator Gar is sometimes referred to as a âliving fossilâ because scientists can trace them in the fossil record back 100 million years! Join our Museum of Ancient Life staff on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 1pm to watch these agile predators hunt for their lunch!
Included with regular venue admission
ITSY BITSY SCIENCE
3 pm
Come explore with us at Itsy Bitsy Science! Together we will investigate the workings of the natural world with young guests and their families. This program is all about encouraging littles to engage in beginning science practices through facilitated play.Â
Included with regular venue admission.
Good Night Museum
7 pm
You and your family will wind down as Thanksgiving Point educators read bedtime stories and invite you to participate in quiet, calming activities. It’s the perfect end to an adventurous day.
Included with regular venue admission
Melody Makers
11-11:20 am
Join us for our popular Melody Makers program. Led by our Learning and Engagement staff, Melody Makers is the perfect opportunity for little kids and their adults to dance and move in a fun and friendly environment. Come see what each unique staff member has to offer with a variety of engaging songs and themes each week.
Included with regular venue admission.
FEATURED SONG FOR November:
âTurkey Dinner Danceâ
Join us for music and movement as we explore some of the yummy foods that can be found at Thanksgiving dinner!
BUTTERFLY’s First flight
11 am and 5 pm
$4 per person, $3 for Thanksgiving Point members
Help one of our newly-emerged butterflies spread their wings with this immersive experience! Join our entomologists in releasing young butterflies into the conservatory and help a butterfly celebrate its first flight! Guests must purchase Butterfly Releases in-person at the Butterfly Biosphere Front Desk.
CRITTER ENCOUNTER
10 am, 1 pm, 3:30 pm, and 6 pm
Go beyond the glass with this hands-on opportunity! Check out the Critter Corner during your trip around the museum for a chance to hold a friendly bug. These regularly timed shows allow you to learn about bugs and the important role they play in the environment!
Included with regular venue admission.
Messy Makers
3-3:30 pm
Join us for Messy Makers, a brand-new art program at Thanksgiving Point! Designed for children and their families, the program encourages all to explore the limits of their creativity by immersing themselves in the full sensory experience of artistic play.
Included with regular venue admission
Good Night Museum
7 pm
Mountain America Museum of Ancient Life
You and your family will wind down as Thanksgiving Point educators read bedtime stories and invite you to participate in quiet, calming activities. It’s the perfect end to an adventurous day.
Included with regular venue admission
TALES FOR TOTS
11-11:20 am
Join us for our weekly storytelling adventure, Tales for Tots. Staff will engage guests with interactive storytelling as well as movement and/or music activities that connect to the story theme of the day.
Included with regular venue admission
November 3 | Leonardo the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems
Leonardo is terrible at being a monster, he never seems to be able to scare anyone! But, when he finally finds a nervous little boy that he can scare, he realizes that maybe he does not want to be scary at all. Maybe he just wants to be a good friend.
November 10 | The Poppy Lady by Barbara E. Walsh
When American soldiers entered World War I, Moina Belle Michael, a schoolteacher from Georgia, knew she had to act. How could she honor and remember those soldiers?
November 17 | I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato by Lauren Child
Lola is a very picky eater, but her brother Charlie is very creative when it comes to getting her to eat new foods. For example, Lola will not eat mashed potatoes until Charlie teaches her that they are cloud fluff from Mount Fuji. But there is one food Lola is sure she hates, tomatoes.
November 24 | Weâre All Wonders by R.J. Palacio
Palacio shows readers what itâs like to live in Auggieâs worldâa world in which he feels like any other kid but is not always seen that way.
BUTTERFLY’s First Flight
11 am and 5 pm
$4 per person, $3 for Thanksgiving Point members
Help one of our newly-emerged butterflies spread their wings with this immersive experience! Join our entomologists in releasing young butterflies into the conservatory and help a butterfly celebrate its first flight! Guests must purchase Butterfly Releases in-person at the Butterfly Biosphere Front Desk.
CRITTER ENCOUNTER
10 am, 1 pm, 3:30 pm, and 6 pm
Go beyond the glass with this hands-on opportunity! Check out the Critter Corner during your trip around the museum for a chance to hold a friendly bug. These regularly timed shows allow you to learn about bugs and the important role they play in the environment!
Included with regular venue admission.
Reptile Report
11:45 am and 2:30 pm
Meet and learn about some amazing reptilian creatures at the Reptile Report! Whether you know it all about the reptiles or you’re just learning about them for the first time, this program has something for everyone.
Included with regular venue admission
Good Night Museum
7 pm
You and your family will wind down as Thanksgiving Point educators read bedtime stories and invite you to participate in quiet, calming activities. It’s the perfect end to an adventurous day.
Included with regular venue admission
TALES FOR TOTS
11-11:20 am –Â Museum of Natural Curiosity
Join us for our weekly storytelling adventure, Tales for Tots. Staff will engage guests with interactive storytelling as well as movement and/or music activities that connect to the story theme of the day.
Included with regular venue admission
November 4Â | Flight School by Lita Judge
Little Penguin is determined to fly! Although his wings werenât built to soar, he is going to find a way.
November 11 | Where do Balloons Go? by Jamie Lee Curtis
When a little boy accidentally lets go of his balloon, his imagination takes him on a journey of all the places it could travel to.
November 18 | I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie by Alison Jackson
In this Thanksgiving-themed familiar rhyme, an old lady swallows a pie, the whole turkey, a squash, and the entire salad! As she grows fatter and fatter, the children are delighted, and the parents are shocked!
November 25 | Mary Had a Little Lab by Sue Fliess
Mary is a brilliant inventor, but she does not have any friends. So, she decides to make one! A sheep!
BUTTERFLY’s first flight
11 am and 5 pm
$4 per person, $3 for Thanksgiving Point members
Help one of our newly-emerged butterflies spread their wings with this immersive experience! Join our entomologists in releasing young butterflies into the conservatory and help a butterfly celebrate its first flight! Guests must purchase Butterfly Releases in-person at the Butterfly Biosphere Front Desk.
CRITTER ENCOUNTER
10 am, 1 pm, 3:30 pm, and 6 pm
Go beyond the glass with this hands-on opportunity! Check out the Critter Corner during your trip around the museum for a chance to hold a friendly bug. These regularly timed shows allow you to learn about bugs and the important role they play in the environment!
Included with regular venue admission.
bubbles and bites
1 pm
Mountain America Museum of Ancient Life
Fish Food for Thought: The Alligator Gar is sometimes referred to as a âliving fossilâ because scientists can trace them in the fossil record back 100 million years! Join our Museum of Ancient Life staff on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 1pm to watch these agile predators hunt for their lunch!
Included with regular venue admission
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