News - Museum Offers Free Winter Break Fun

Museum Offers Free Winter Break Fun

Storytelling will be explored through crafts, dance, film and more

KALAMAZOO, Mich. - The Kalamazoo Valley Museum invites the whole family to enjoy FREE and low-cost activities daily during Winter Break Dec. 27 - Jan. 6. Crafts, dance, film and more will be offered around the theme of "Stories We Share," designed to celebrate the art of storytelling and the various forms it can take.

This program was inspired by the museum's new "Off the Shelves" exhibit on the third floor that aims to share the stories of furniture and how they became a part of the collection, each with its own unique past. Admission is free to exhibits, activities and the museum. Be sure to share your story with the #mymuseumstory hashtag after visiting us!

The lineup will be augmented by family-friendly shows at our planetarium throughout Winter Break, for $3 per person. Buy tickets at kalamazoomuseum.org, or at the front desk.

Below is the schedule of activities. For more information, please check the museum website at kalamazoomuseum.org.

Wednesday, Dec. 27 | 11:30 a.m.
STEM a Book
Learn about electricity through storytelling and hands-on STEM activities.

Thursday, Dec. 28 | 11:30 a.m. & 1 p.m.
Storytelling with Adam Mellema
LA-based storyteller Adam Mellema returns with some fun for the whole family! Don't miss his "Michigan Dogman" story, which tells the accounts of Michigan lumberjacks many years ago... could they have been true? Decide for yourself!

Friday, Dec. 29 & Jan. 5
Telling Stories Through Dance: Join a Scene from the Nutcracker Ballet
Hands-On Craft at 1 - 3 p.m. | Dance Demonstrations at 1:30 & 2:30 p.m.
Join the Nutcracker ballet and tell a story through dance! Create your own mouse mask or soldier hat, then become the characters as we learn fun dance steps.

Saturday, Dec. 30 & Tuesday, Jan. 2 | 1 - 3 p.m.
Hands-On Crafts: Sensory Bottles
Create a sensory bottle using colors and objects that tell your unique story.

Wednesday, Jan. 3 | 11:30 a.m.
Winter Story Time
Join us for lots of fun winter stories, songs and rhymes - puppets, scarves and egg shakers too! A simple craft will follow story time.

Thursday, Jan. 4 | 1 - 3 p.m.
Hands-On Craft: Spin a Story
Coming up with a story can be hard! Design a spin-a-story wheel filled with ideas that will give your storytelling a boost.

Friday, Jan. 5
Telling Stories Through Dance: Join a Scene from the Nutcracker Ballet
Hands-On Craft at 1 - 3 p.m. | Dance Demonstrations at 1:30 & 2:30 p.m.
Join the Nutcracker ballet and tell a story through dance! Create your own mouse mask or soldier hat, then become the characters as we learn fun dance steps.

Saturday, Jan. 6 | 11:30 a.m. & 1 p.m.
"A Christmas Carol" Silent Film with Live Band
How do you tell a story in film when there is no sound? With music, of course! A live band will play a score specially written for "A Christmas Carol" released in 1910.

PLANETARIUM SCHEDULE AND SHOWS:
Tickets are $3 per person

One World, One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure
Pre-K - Grade 1 | 30 min.
Join Big Bird, Elmo and their Chinese friend, Hu Hu Zhu, in exploring the sky. Discover the Big Dipper and North Star, and take an imaginary trip to the moon with Elmo and Hu Hu Zhu.

  • Wednesday, Dec. 27 - Saturday, Dec. 30, at 11 a.m.
  • Tuesday & Wednesday, Jan. 2 & 3; Friday & Saturday, Jan. 5 & 6, at 11 a.m.
  • Thursday, Jan. 4, at 1:30 p.m.

The Magic Tree House: Space Mission
Grades 3 & up | 30 min.
Travel with siblings Jack and Annie in their Magic Tree House as they discover a note that asks them to answer a series of six questions about space.

  • Wednesday, Dec. 27 - Friday, Dec. 29, at 2 p.m.
  • Tuesday, Jan. 2 - Friday, Jan. 5, at 2 p.m.

The Sky Above Us
Grades 4 & up | 40 min.
Within this live, season-focused program, come learn about some of the "celestial wonders" that can be seen overhead in Michigan. From constellations, planets and meteor showers, you'll learn how to enjoy the sky from your own backyard.

  • Saturday, Dec. 30, at 2 p.m.
  • Saturday, Jan. 6, at 2 p.m.

Hours of operation: The Kalamazoo Valley Museum is open Tuesdays - Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. It will be closed Dec. 23 - 26 and Dec. 31 - Jan. 1.
On Jan. 4, the museum will open at 1 p.m. The Kalamazoo Valley Museum is operated by Kalamazoo Valley Community College and is governed by its Board of Trustees.