Family Activities
Family-friendly events for families with children of all ages.
In Gallery Activity
Offering different in gallery activities as part of admission. During extended hours starting April 2nd will be from 5:30 to 7 pm.
- May 7, Children's Reading & Activity Time - Join Hailie, educator, for a children's story and associated activity.
- May 14, Garbology - Join Stephanie, anthropologist, to find out about the scientific study of trash, including its origins, patterns, and society and the environment.
- May 21, Basket Weaving Bracelet - Join Kristal, artist, in creating your own unique bracelet from cornhusk.
- May 28, Origami - Join Sarah, artist, to guide you through the process of making your own origami animal
Lunch & Learn
May 21, 2025
12 to 1 pm
Free
Topic: Gorgonopsian, the sabertooths of the Late Permian with Dakota Pittinger, Biology Graduate Student
Dakota's thesis research is on the ontogeny and taxonomy of a small-bodied Gorgonopsian from the Late Permian of Zambia. He is using Dragonfly 3D software in the Idaho Virtualization Lab to segment out the Gorgonopsian's skull bones from CT scan data.
Dakota is a first year MS student in ISU's Biological Sciences Paleobiology Lab. Before moving to Idaho with he wife, they lived in Utah for a year and Arizona for a few months while interning at Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument and Petrified Forest National Park, respectively. Before moving west, Dakota lived in Pennsylvania and earned a BS in geology and biology minor at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania.
Snake Encounter
May 24, June 21, July 19, August 16
12 to 3 pm
Dr. Charles (Chuck) Peterson will be on-hand to change our view of snakes with this afternoon snake encounter. Snakes are important for many reasons. They are important elements of biodiversity with over 4,000 species of snakes worldwide. They play key ecological roles as both predators and prey. Snakes benefit humans because they help control rodent populations thus preventing the loss of crops and the spread of some diseases. They also provide important model systems for biological research and are symbolically important in many cultures throughout the world.
After interacting with a Great Basin Rattlesnake, made secure by Dr. Peterson, join us for making "snake skins" crafts and other related snake activities.
How Do You Know It's a Fossil?
June 10, 2025
6 to 8 pm
$3- Single or $10 - Family (2 adults, 4 youth)
Join Dr. LJ Krumenacker as he visits about ancient Idaho: Dinosaurs, extinctions, and new life. From the field to new science explores the research he has done in Idaho! LJ will answer the questions of how does a scientists know they are looking at a fossil, how is it collected, how do they clean them up, and how are they used in museum collections.
LJ is a Blackfoot native, received a Bachelor's from Idaho State University, Masters of Science from Brigham Young University, and his PhD from Montana State University. LJ has been collecting and describing Idaho fossils for over 20 years. His research on Idaho and other dinosaurs, extinction and recovery events, birds and mammals. LJ is also a full-time professor at College of Eastern Idaho and adjunct at ISU.
Space is limited and registration is required. Museum Members and ISU Community receive free admission, didn't receive email ambertews@isu.edu