Museum Hosts Free Spring Break Fun for Kids March 26 - 30

Need free activities for the kids for spring break? Spring into our Kalamazoo Valley Museum!

The museum will offer a mix of entertainment and learning experiences for all ages, from March 26 - 30. Explore exhibits, participate in art or science activities, attend themed events and enjoy fun, educational days.

Preregistration is not required for the free activities, and admission to the museum and exhibits are also free.

All events are connected with the newest exhibit, "Skin: Living Armor, Evolving Identity," which aims to inspire wonder and curiosity about this uniquely complex organ, illustrate the incredibly adaptive properties of skin across all organisms, and spark dialogue and reflection about skin's role in shaping human culture and identity.

Featuring a range of collections and engaging interactive experiences illuminating the human body's largest organ, guests will get a chance to discover the incredible properties of their own skin and examine the layers of meaning humans have associated with skin color. The exhibit presents the topics of racism, prejudice and discrimination through the lenses of history and science. "Skin: Living Armor, Evolving Identity" was created by the California Academy of Sciences and modified for travel and distributed by the Science Museum of Minnesota.

Here's the schedule:

TUESDAY, MARCH 26 | 1 - 3 p.m.
FREE - Hands-On Crafts: Design and color the skin of your own wooden creature.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27 | 1 - 3 p.m. (time subject to change)
FREE - The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra Instrument Petting Zoo is coming to the Kalamazoo Valley Museum! Explore musical instruments with an interactive, hands-on experience. Trained KSO musicians and volunteers will bring instruments, activities and recordings. Touch and feel the different types of "skin" and surfaces on the instruments.

THURSDAY, MARCH 28 | 1 - 3 p.m.
FREE - Kalamazoo Valley Community College's Food Innovation Center, along with the college's Sustainable Horticulture Club, will be at the KVM to teach about plants and gardening. Studying the skin of plants, also known as the epidermis, will allow guests to explore the structure, functions and physiology of this outer layer of plant tissues. Event will take place outside, weather permitting.

FRIDAY, MARCH 29 | 1 p.m. & 2 p.m.
FREE - Learn about the habitats, diets and adaptations of reptiles from the Kalamazoo Nature Center. Get an up-close look at different bio facts and meet live animals handled by one of the Nature Center's trained educators. Tickets will be limited to 50 people for each show and will be available first come, first served.

SATURDAY, MARCH 30
FREE - Spring Spectacle: Explore, Create, Imagine! Spend the day at the museum and take part in a variety of activities.
11 a.m.: Free SpacePark 360 Infinity planetarium show. Repeats at noon, 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.
11:30 a.m.: STEM Storytime in the Mary Jane Stryker Theater. Books and activities all about feathers.
1 - 3 p.m.: Create a cute and prickly craft: a cactus made from a child's handprint.
1 - 3 p.m.: Enjoy activities and education about the upcoming April 8 eclipse in the Kalamazoo Valley Museum's Innovation Lab.

Visit kalamazoomuseum.org for more information. The Kalamazoo Valley Museum is operated by Kalamazoo Valley Community College and is governed by its Board of Trustees.