Shape Memory Game

Shape Memory Game Ages 3 and up Recognizing shapes is a great way for young children to learn about math. Not only are shapes and angles crucial for future math skills (like geometry), but they can be an easy way to build confidence in early learners. As your child learns to confidently identify a shape, […]

Geometric Sidewalk Chalk Art

              Geometric Sidewalk Chalk Art  For ages 2 and up  Islamic Art in the Middle Ages avoided using figural images, and instead produced beautiful art that focused on written words(calligraphy) or intricate patterns. These patterns showcased complex geometric shapes. This artwork really highlights the way that math and art […]

Pipe Cleaner Numbers

Pipe Cleaner Numbers Ages 4 and up This month we are talking about math! Early childhood math is so important, and can be a great opportunity to build positive feelings about math for an entire lifetime! Math represents the “m” in STEAM( science, technology, engineering, art and math). The reason that we focus so much […]

Counting Flowers

Counting Flowers Ages 3 and up  Welcome to Mathematical May, our month-long celebration of teaching math skills in early childhood! One of the best ways to teach math to young children is to increase their powers of observation. Nature presents many amazing ways to learn math skills. Consider flowers-they are naturally symmetrical and full of […]

Salt Dough Volcano

Salt Dough Volcano Age Group: for ages 3 and up This experiment is a classic, as well as a crowd pleaser. It is a great family activity, because even young kids can help shape the salt dough onto the exterior of our volcano. Using materials like Salt Dough is a great way to strengthen those […]

Watercolor Geode

  Watercolor GeodeAges 3 and up Have you ever seen inside a Geode? Ordinary looking on the outside, geodes form when a bubble inside a volcanic or sedimentary rock leave a hollow spot in the rock. Minerals or crystals grow after the rock is formed. Some geodes can take up to 1000 years to grow, […]

Mountain Pancakes

Mountain PancakesYummy for Everyone This is our favorite geology related breakfast!  Create a landscape in your oven based in this fun recipe. Eggs react to heat to rise in the oven, and flour keeps the whole recipe together. Perhaps the most exciting part of this activity is that it is hard to predict what kind […]

Grow Some Rock Candy

Grow Some Rock Candy Ages 4 and up with adult help   The kitchen is a great place to practice your science skills, including this tasty experiment to learn about chemistry! In order to make rock candy, we need to grow sugar crystals from a supersaturated solution. A supersaturated solution means there is more sugar […]

Week of the Young Child: Music Monday with PNC Grow up Great

                Week of the Young Child: Music Monday with PNC Grow up Great.  Fun for young children and their caregivers This week, The Museum is celebrating early childhood education with NAEYC’s Week of the Young Child. We will have activities on the blog, and in the museum, all […]

Make a Mini Book

  Make a Mini BookAges 5 and up  To celebrate the PBS Kids Writers Contest, we are going to be making our own mini-journals. The theme of the writing contest this year is the great outdoors, and what better way to capture your stories and pictures about nature than this tiny journal. It is perfect […]

Creating a Rock Collection

    Creating a rock collection Ages 3 and up Have you seen our amazing exhibit, Curate Your Community? It features collections of natural materials from local artist Andy White. Today, we are going to be working on our collections.  Rock collecting can be a great hobby because it does not require a lot of equipment, […]

Sound Scavenger Hunt

Sound Scavenger Hunt Ages 6 and up    It is almost time for another Concert from the Couch! We are so excited to welcome back Your Song, My Song for another fabulous concert on April 9 at 6:30 pm on the Discovery Gateway Facebook Page. Before the concert, we thought it would be awesome to […]

Eggshell Chalk

Eggshell chalk Ages 5 and up Now is the time of year when a lot of us have some leftover eggshells. Don’t throw them away-recycle them into some beautiful chalk instead. By using some simple materials from your kitchen, you will have all the tools you need to make a sidewalk masterpiece.  Materials Eggshells from five […]

STEAM Learning Lab – Abstract Leaf Sculpture

  Abstract Leaf Sculpture Ages 5 and up   When Constantin Brancusi arrived in Paris in the early 1900’s he was invited to work with the well-known artist August Rodin. Rodin was famous for being able to create sculptures of humans that looked so detailed that they were lifelike. However, he famously remarked that, “ […]

STEAM Learning Lab – Mango Lassi

Mango Lassi Yummy for Everyone  Happy Holi! Holi is a Hindu Holiday that celebrates the return of Spring! All over India, and elsewhere, crowds gather to throw brightly colored powder into the air. Check out our ideas from last year about how to have your own celebration at home. As part of your celebration, make […]

STEAM Learning Lab – Watch A Seed Grow

Watch a Seed GrowAges 2 and up During Springtime we are surrounded by plants beginning to grow. Today, we are going to set up a science lab on our window. By using a clear plastic bag, kids can watch what happens to a seed when it sprouts under the dirt. This is a great way […]

STEAM Learning Lab – Cherry Blossom Tree

  Cherry Blossom Tree Ages 3 and up    Now is a great chance to go outside and check out some beautiful blossoms.  In Utah, one of the best places to see some blooms is at the Utah State Capitol.  There are over 400 cherry tree lining the path around The Capitol, and every year […]

STEAM Learning Lab – Contact Paper Rainbow

Contact Paper Rainbow Ages 3 and up, Sensory Friendly In March, we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day as well as the first day of Spring! During this month it snows less and rains more, and if the sun is out while it’s raining, the water in the air will cause the light from the sun to […]

STEAM Learning Lab – Pointillism Project

  Pointillism Project Ages 3 and up   During the month of March, the Museum is displaying the art of local artist Durga Ekambaram in a new exhibit called Intriguing India. Her artwork displays a lot of artistic mediums, including a painting done in method called pointillism. Her piece, Bharathiyar, uses pointillism and is featured […]

STEAM Learning Lab – Pi Day Picnic

  Pi Day Picnic Great for kids 3 and up with an adult   We like to celebrate Pi Day with a side of Pie. 3.14, or Pi, is roughly the ratio of the circumference of any circle to the diameter. What better way to help people remember then celebrating March 14th with a perfect […]

STEAM Learning Lab – Women Working Together Paper Chain

  Women Working Together Paper Chain Ages 6 and up   Happy International Women’s Day! On March 8th we join with communities all over the world to recognize the accomplishments of women. This art project is a great way to highlight some influential women, and can be a fun excuse to learn about new female […]

STEAM Learning Lab – Which Beak Works Best?

Which Beak Works Best? Ages 3 and up Listen outside-what can you hear? If you are lucky, you might hear some birdsong that signals the beginning of the warmer weather.  Birds songs can all sound so different, and they also have different beaks that are good for eating different things. In this experiment, we will […]

STEAM Learning Lab – Painting with Nature

Painting with Nature Ages 3 and up  Impressionist art is named for its ability to capture the artist’s impressions of a scene. In the 19th century, photography was becoming more common and so artists no longer felt the need to create art that captured a scene in accurate detail. Instead, they wanted to show what […]

STEAM Learning Lab – Read Across America with Mark Miller Subaru

Today we are celebrating Read Across America and Dr. Seuss’ birthday. Join our friends at Mark Miller Subaru for a virtual storytime and then make this great Dr. Seuss Day art project!   Dr Seuss Day: Truffula Tree Painting Sensory Activity-great for ages 3 and up with adult Materials Apple or Potato Acrylic or craft paint […]

STEAM Learning Lab – Rainbow Walking Water

Rainbow Walking Water Ages 5 and up. It’s already March! As we get ready for a month full of fun Springtime events, we thought we would start with this activity that lets kids make their own rainbow indoors. Using some basic kitchen supplies, kids can learn about capillary action. Capillaries are the tiny tubes in […]

STEAM Learning Lab – Astronaut Celebration!

Astronaut Boot Camp! Astronaut Celebration! Ages 2 and up Did you know your child can get letters from current astronauts? If you send a letter (or a card!) along with a self-addressed and stamped envelope, then NASA will send you a response! Simply send your mail to    NASA/Johnson Space Center CB/Astronaut Office Houston, TX […]

STEAM Learning Lab – Tasty Constellations

Astronaut Boot Camp! Tasty Constellations Ages 2 and up This tasty snack is a great way to learn about the stars! Constellations provide landmarks in the night sky and can help stargazers and serious astronomers locate and understand astrological events.  In ancient times, people would have relied on knowledge of constellations as a calendar and […]

STEAM Learning Lab – Starry Night Play dough 

Astronaut Boot Camp! Starry Night Play dough Ages 2+  Space-the final frontier! Learning about space from a young age is not only important but can also be a lot of fun. It can be difficult for those who are younger to grasp a concept as large as space which is why a sensory activity is a great learning tool to […]

STEAM Learning Lab – Solar System Mobile

Solar System  Mobile Ages 7 and up with an adult For older kids who are learning about space in their classrooms, creating a solar system sun mobile is a great way to tie everything they’ve been learning and doing from the comfort of their home. Plus, it makes for an eye-catching addition that any kid […]