So many special events at the museums this weekend, so little time. I love the family days that offer programs and activities geared especially toward kids, but it always seems like they happen simultaneously, and it’s hard to choose just one to attend. Then again, it could be an opportunity to make it a museum weekend and do the whole special event circuit. If your kids like airplanes, art, crafts, music, or all of the above, you’ll find at least one (possibly four) event to enjoy at the museums this weekend. Here’s what going on at our local galleries.
Pioneers of Flight Family Day
Where: National Air & Space Museum
When: Saturday, November 20, 10am – 3pm
Be one of the first visitors to experience the brand new exhibition Barron Hilton Pioneers of Flight as the museum hosts a free Family Day. Activities will focus on the 1920s and 1930s, formative decades in aviation when flight technology rapidly advanced; military and civilian aviation grew tremendously; record-setting and air racing captured public interest; African Americans began to breach the social barriers of flight; and modern rocketry was born. Activities for kids include:
– Earn a Junior Aviator’s Certificate by learning about rockets, famous airplanes and their pilots, and air-minded organizations.
– Talk to family members of people featured in the exhibition and other experts.
– Interact with Amelia Earhart at 11am and 1pm – Come to three story times at 11:30am, 12pm, and 1:30pm – Experience Little Red Rocket Hood, a puppet show by the Good Life Theater 12pm and 2pm
– Learn about William Powell in a play by Discovery Theater 11:15am, 12:45pm, and 2:15pm
– Meet Tuskegee Airmen at 11am and 12:45pm
*This schedule is subject to change. A complete schedule of events will be available at the Welcome Center on the day of the event. The Air & Space Museum is located at Independence Avenue at 6th Street SW.
Food in Art Family Day
Where: Smithsonian American Art Museum
When: Saturday, November 20, 11:30am – 3pm
The museum is hosting a free Family Day that feeds right into Thanksgiving’s feasting tradition. Discover how food has been a source of inspiration for artists in our collection. Try a scavenger hunt through the galleries or sketch out the decoration for your own delicious cake. Decorate your own apron and pick up a recipe for frosting inspired by Wayne Thiebaud’s pastel cakes and pies. Don’t forget to stop by the photo still-life station and get those fruits and veggies ready for their close up! The American Art Museum is located at 8th and F Streets NW.
Arts for Families – Weave Your Own Ikat
Where: The Textile Museum
When: Saturday, November 20, 2pm – 4pm
Guests can make their own swatches of ikat fabric using pre-dyed yarns. Learn the basic plain weave structure while forming the wonderful visual effects of ikat with dyed warp and weft. No reservations required fr this free event. The Textile Museum is located at 2320 S Street NW.
Hide/Seek Friends & Family Day
Where: National Portrait Gallery
When: Sunday, November 21, 11:30am – 3pm
This friends and family day includes music and hands-on arts activities inspired by the exhibition Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture. One of the featured activities is a day-long reading of poet Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass taking place in the Great Hall (3rd Floor). Guided tours of the Hide/Seek exhibition also available at special times. All ages are invited to the free event. The National Portrait Gallery is located at Eighth and F Streets, NW.
