Shell-ebrate the amazing world of turtles and tortoises! Little explorers will learn the differences between these fascinating reptiles, discover their unique adaptations, and engage in hands-on activities to bring their learning to life.

What do snakes do for our native habitats here in northeast Kansas?  Can you identify any local snakes and which ones are potentially dangerous?  Snakes can be found in a variety of habitats - even in the KC metro, there are plenty of parks and natural areas where they can be found.  And more often than not, they will see you before you see them!

Sadly, snakes are often misunderstood animals.  While there certainly are dangerous snakes to watch out for, snakes play a vital role in their habitats as both predator and prey.  In this JAM, we will learn about these fascinating animals and maybe go on a walk in our wetlands to search for two common snakes we have in this area!

Shell-ebrate the amazing world of turtles and tortoises! Little explorers will learn the differences between these fascinating reptiles, discover their unique adaptations, and engage in hands-on activities to bring their learning to life.

Shell-ebrate the amazing world of turtles and tortoises! Little explorers will learn the differences between these fascinating reptiles, discover their unique adaptations, and engage in hands-on activities to bring their learning to life.

What do snakes do for our native habitats here in northeast Kansas?  Can you identify any local snakes and which ones are potentially dangerous?  Snakes can be found in a variety of habitats - even in the KC metro, there are plenty of parks and natural areas where they can be found.  And more often than not, they will see you before you see them!

Sadly, snakes are often misunderstood animals.  While there certainly are dangerous snakes to watch out for, snakes play a vital role in their habitats as both predator and prey.  In this JAM, we will learn about these fascinating animals and maybe go on a walk in our wetlands to search for two common snakes we have in this area!

Blast off into the wonders of the night sky! Little astronomers will explore what stars are, how they shine, and create their own starry masterpiece in this fun, hands-on adventure.

How do rockets travel into space? You may know that it takes fuel to simply get a rocket off the ground and that the rocket also needs to escape the Earth’s gravity to actually get out of our orbit…which requires a lot of fuel! Fuel can, and has been, made in different ways to generate the forces required to lift rockets. In this aero engineering-themed JAM, you will learn how fuel helps generate these forces—by launching a film canister. You will use two simple ingredients to make your fuel, change the ratios after each launch, and make observations about how the changes in fuel ingredients affects their distance traveled.

Blast off into the wonders of the night sky! Little astronomers will explore what stars are, how they shine, and create their own starry masterpiece in this fun, hands-on adventure.

Blast off into the wonders of the night sky! Little astronomers will explore what stars are, how they shine, and create their own starry masterpiece in this fun, hands-on adventure.

How do rockets travel into space? You may know that it takes fuel to simply get a rocket off the ground and that the rocket also needs to escape the Earth’s gravity to actually get out of our orbit…which requires a lot of fuel! Fuel can, and has been, made in different ways to generate the forces required to lift rockets. In this aero engineering-themed JAM, you will learn how fuel helps generate these forces—by launching a film canister. You will use two simple ingredients to make your fuel, change the ratios after each launch, and make observations about how the changes in fuel ingredients affects their distance traveled.

Travel through time with us as we explore storytelling from ancient myths to modern tales! Little explorers will discover how stories have been shared across generations through art, symbols, and spoken word, with fun, hands-on activities to bring history to life.

We all rely on clean, drinkable water to survive. (Remember that most of our body is water.)  The water in our bodies must be replenished by drinking plenty of it during the day. How do we get water that we can drink? The water that comes to us from our environment is not usually drinkable—it must be treated to remove harmful substances in it. One type of treatment involves filtration. Filtration removes substances and microscopic organisms that float in the water, as well as some substances that are dissolved in it. Using materials from the pet and hardware stores, you can construct your own water filtration device to see how this treatment process works.

Travel through time with us as we explore storytelling from ancient myths to modern tales! Little explorers will discover how stories have been shared across generations through art, symbols, and spoken word, with fun, hands-on activities to bring history to life.

Travel through time with us as we explore storytelling from ancient myths to modern tales! Little explorers will discover how stories have been shared across generations through art, symbols, and spoken word, with fun, hands-on activities to bring history to life.

We all rely on clean, drinkable water to survive. (Remember that most of our body is water.)  The water in our bodies must be replenished by drinking plenty of it during the day. How do we get water that we can drink? The water that comes to us from our environment is not usually drinkable—it must be treated to remove harmful substances in it. One type of treatment involves filtration. Filtration removes substances and microscopic organisms that float in the water, as well as some substances that are dissolved in it. Using materials from the pet and hardware stores, you can construct your own water filtration device to see how this treatment process works.

Travel the globe through the art of masks! Little explorers will discover the history and cultural significance of masks from different regions, then create their own unique mask to take home.

Travel the globe through the art of masks! Little explorers will discover the history and cultural significance of masks from different regions, then create their own unique mask to take home.

Spring has begun, and you may have noticed that birds are singing their songs again. You may have noticed the first flower blooms of the season. Take a close look inside the flowers, and you will likely see an insect visiting that flower. Flowers and insects have had a very close relationship with each other for a very long time…dating back to when dinosaurs were alive! We call this type of relationship a symbiotic relationship, and the relationship between insects and flowers is just one of many examples in nature. In this JAM, you will learn how the organisms in these interesting associations help one another.

Travel the globe through the art of masks! Little explorers will discover the history and cultural significance of masks from different regions, then create their own unique mask to take home.

Spring has begun, and you may have noticed that birds are singing their songs again. You may have noticed the first flower blooms of the season. Take a close look inside the flowers, and you will likely see an insect visiting that flower. Flowers and insects have had a very close relationship with each other for a very long time…dating back to when dinosaurs were alive! We call this type of relationship a symbiotic relationship, and the relationship between insects and flowers is just one of many examples in nature. In this JAM, you will learn how the organisms in these interesting associations help one another.

Join us for a fun and interactive adventure as we explore the magic of magnets! Little scientists will discover how magnets work, experiment with attraction and repulsion, and engage in hands-on activities that make learning science exciting.

What soil nutrients do plants need to grow their best? If you are a gardener, sometimes you have to wait what seems like a long time before plants begin to poke their leaves and stems through the soil and into daylight to find out. If you do this enough and you do some research, though, you can figure out 1) what nutrients certain plants need, and 2) what supplements may help them grow healthier before you ever put seeds in the ground!  In this life-science activity,  you will set up and conduct an experiment to determine whether seeds will sprout faster in soil mixed with coffee grounds or just “regular” soil and learn a little about how seeds turn into plants.

Join us for a fun and interactive adventure as we explore the magic of magnets! Little scientists will discover how magnets work, experiment with attraction and repulsion, and engage in hands-on activities that make learning science exciting.

Join us for a fun and interactive adventure as we explore the magic of magnets! Little scientists will discover how magnets work, experiment with attraction and repulsion, and engage in hands-on activities that make learning science exciting.

What soil nutrients do plants need to grow their best? If you are a gardener, sometimes you have to wait what seems like a long time before plants begin to poke their leaves and stems through the soil and into daylight to find out. If you do this enough and you do some research, though, you can figure out 1) what nutrients certain plants need, and 2) what supplements may help them grow healthier before you ever put seeds in the ground!  In this life-science activity,  you will set up and conduct an experiment to determine whether seeds will sprout faster in soil mixed with coffee grounds or just “regular” soil and learn a little about how seeds turn into plants.

Join us as we dive into the fascinating world of crystals! In this fun, hands-on class, little explorers will discover how crystals form and grow through exciting experiments and playful activities. We'll explore the process of crystallization and watch as sparkling shapes come to life.

If you dig in a patch of dirt, what do you find?  Depending on where you dig, you will likely find different living things crawling in and around your sample.  What would you expect to find in a sample of wetland soil vs, say, a sample of sandy soil?  If you think about what all living things need to survive, this can give you clues to answer this question.

In this JAM, you will look closely at samples of soil collected from different habitats.  While we often barely notice what is living under our feet, the tiny soil invertebrates play a huge role in the diversity and health of the habitats we interact with everyday. 

Join us as we dive into the fascinating world of crystals! In this fun, hands-on class, little explorers will discover how crystals form and grow through exciting experiments and playful activities. We'll explore the process of crystallization and watch as sparkling shapes come to life.

Join us as we dive into the fascinating world of crystals! In this fun, hands-on class, little explorers will discover how crystals form and grow through exciting experiments and playful activities. We'll explore the process of crystallization and watch as sparkling shapes come to life.

If you dig in a patch of dirt, what do you find?  Depending on where you dig, you will likely find different living things crawling in and around your sample.  What would you expect to find in a sample of wetland soil vs, say, a sample of sandy soil?  If you think about what all living things need to survive, this can give you clues to answer this question.

In this JAM, you will look closely at samples of soil collected from different habitats.  While we often barely notice what is living under our feet, the tiny soil invertebrates play a huge role in the diversity and health of the habitats we interact with everyday.