This week at the Detroit Children's Museum we are continuing our celebration of Native American Heritage Month. We have several new displays with Native American Regalia that are beautifully decorated with feathers and porcupine quills. This Saturday, Nov. 20, we will be having a special Corn Husk Doll making activity (while supplies last), our Sky Tellers planetarium show, plus our special Native American exhibits.

Registration is now open for our first annual Gingerbread House Contest. Go to www.detroitsciencecenter.org for more details on rules, registration and prizes.

Julie's Journal - From the Director's Desk

Our Oct. 30 Spooky Science event was a wonderful success! We had over 200 visitors for our special activities including pumpkin bowling, bat activities, giveaways and more. The Candy Corn Contest winner guessed there were 500 pieces in the jar. The actual count was 556. Great job!

This month is our salute to Native American Heritage Month. We will have special planetarium shows highlighting stories from native Americans about the constellations in the night sky called "Sky Tellers." These will be shown Tuesday - Friday at 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., and on Saturdays at 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. In addition, we have several Native America exhibits for you to explore as well as arts & crafts activities throughout the month. Plus we have some new arrivals on our hands-on activities including the Marble Inclined Plane and the Weather Map.

We hope to see you soon. Mention this update when you visit to receive a free Detroit Children's Museum pin.

Curator's Corner by Don Bogart

The museum is already decorated for Halloween—pumpkins galore! It is a very festive environment. But there’s even more fun on the way…

Exhibit updates

We just opened a new display on Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). It is a display of figurines from Mexico celebrating that special holiday.

We will also be bringing up more Native American artifacts soon, to celebrate Native American Heritage month in November.

Where’s Earl (the squirrel)?

Also, we have a taxidermied black squirrel that likes to “migrate” around the museum. He is usually very hard to find for both staff and patrons alike. He usually “goes out for a walk” at least once a week, making him hard to keep a finger on. Look for him next time you visit!

Going Batty at the Children's Museum!

We’re going batty for Halloween at the Detroit Children’s Museum!

Join us this Saturday for Spooky Science. We have extended our hours for this event from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and all activities are free with admission.

Learn about bats and see an actual bat skeleton. Play a game of pumpkin bowling. Go on a bug hunt. Guess how many candy corns fit into a jar. We will also have a costume contest, our fall night skies planetarium show and so much more.

Julie's Journal - From the Director's Desk

Fall has arrived at the Detroit Children’s Museum!

• Who is Johnny Appleseed?
• Why does it get dark so early in the evening?
  
• What is a gourd?
  
• Is a pumpkin a fruit or a vegetable?
  

You can find out all these answers plus a whole lot more at the DCM. Join us this weekend for hands-on activities for all ages. Make your own Johnny Appleseed hat, see our new Fall skies planetarium show and much more.

While you're thinking about pumpkins and seeds, a fun (and yummy) Halloween activity besides carving pumpkins is cooking the seeds! Try this recipe!

Baked Pumpkin Seeds

Preheat oven to 350°F. Separate the pumpkin seeds from the fibers. Wash, drain, and dry the seeds on paper towels. Coat 11/2 cups seeds with 1 teaspoon vegetable oil. Toss the seeds with salt (or omit salt and toss seeds with any of the suggested seasonings below), and spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake, stirring occasionally, 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Deviled Pumpkin Seeds

Add 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce and 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chili pepper.

Sugar and Spice Pumpkin Seeds

Add 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice.

Cheesy Seeds

Add 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese and 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning.

Popcorn Month, Teacher Day and Birthday Parties

Shout it from the rooftops!

The Detroit Children’s Museum is open to the public and to all school/organization groups.

Our hours:

Tuesday-Friday 9am-4pm

Saturday 10am-4pm

Saturdays are Special at the Children’s Museum and this Saturday we have twice the fun! Celebrate National Popcorn Popping Month at the DCM with 3, 2, 1 POP! where you can learn about the history of popcorn. Learn more about National Popcorn Month here including really great recipes, popcorn trivia and more!

POPCORN FACTOID: Most popcorn comes in two basic shapes when it's popped: snowflake and mushroom. Snowflake is used in movie theaters and ballparks because it looks and pops bigger. Mushroom is used for candy confections because it doesn't crumble.

Saturday also features our first Teacher’s Appreciation Day. All educators (with valid ID) will receive free admission to the Children’s Museum. We will have information packets, free drawing for a class field trip to the DCM and much more. Tell the teachers in your life about this wonderful opportunity.

Our new BIRTHDAY PARTIES have been very popular! We have special parties just for the youngsters in your life. Check out our website to see what all the excitement is about or call our reservations department for information at (313) 577-8400 option 5.

Hispanic Games Day and other upcoming events

Looking for something fun to do this weekend? Join us at the Detroit Children’s Museum on Oct. 2 for our Hispanic Games Day!

Learn how to play some traditional Hispanic games, explore our exhibits including some dedicated to the Hispanic/Latino culture, enjoy an art activity and more. We hope to see you there!

Other upcoming events include:

Oct. 9, all day

Teacher Appreciation Day – Free teacher admission with ID; no reservations required

3,2,1 Pop! – Learn about the beginning of one of our most beloved foods: popcorn!

Oct. 16, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Teacher Professional Development Day -- Pre-registration required for this course on Earth Science Basics and graduate credits are available. More information including cost, registration information available here.