What are Family Programs?

Family Programs are:

• Family Days—informal family learning experiences in the museum that are organized around seasonal concepts. These occur quarterly and provide a wide range of activities—including hands-on learning—for the entire family.
  
• Family Guides—brochures that focus on significant objects and themes in the museum and that emphasize close observation as a way of driving family discussions.
  
• Family Tours—guided tours that support Family Day themes and are designed to meet the needs of multigenerational learners.
  
• Find-Its—cards that provide gallery-specific looking activities for families and other informal groups.
  
• Informal Learning Environments—spaces where families can learn together through activities, books, demonstrations, guided facilitation, media, performances, self-discovery, stand-alone interactives, storytelling, touchable objects, or themed boxes.
  
• Family-Oriented Web Pages—Pages on the museum’s website that provide intergenerational online and offline learning opportunities at home.
  

In Winter 2009, look for Woven Together, a section of this site that focuses on the weaving traditions of the Nuu-chah-nulth people of the North Pacific Coast.

Program Summaries 2009

Celebrating Native Expression and Community

Winter Storytelling Festival for Families
January 24 & 25
11 a.m.–3 p.m.
Join the fun as the museum celebrates traditional and contemporary storytelling from a variety of Native communities. Listen, watch, and learn how to tell stories not only with words, but with string, dance, and art.

Activities include:

• Artists—Bunky Echo-Hawk (Pawnee/Yakama)
• String storytelling—Matthew Nicolai and David Nicolai (Yup’ik)
• Family tours
• Traditional storyteller—Perry Ground (Turtle Clan, Onondaga)
• Art and string design family workshops throughout the day.

Activities will be located throughout the museum. Pick up a schedule at the museum entrance, or download a copy here.

Honoring Native Community and Living World

Fishing and Planting: Celebrating Our Landscape
April 25 & 26
11 a.m.–3 p.m.
Celebrate the museum’s landscape, inside and out. Learn how NMAI’s cropland, meadow, wetland, and woodland habitats honor the Native communities of the Chesapeake. Discover some ways in which Native people used the resources in this environment and showed respect for them as well.

Activities may include:

• Book signings
• Cooking demonstrations
• Hands-on activities
• Planting traditions
• Presentations
• Storytelling/movies
• Family tours
  

Activities will be located throughout the museum. Pick up a schedule at the museum entrance.

Celebrating Native Community

Songs, Music, Dance, and Native Games
Coming this summer—Date to be determined
11 a.m.–3 p.m.
For many Native people, games teach lessons about life and are a way to maintain traditions. Join us for a day full of activities for children and families! There will be fun and games for everyone.

Activities will include:

• Demonstrations
• Drop-in game participation
• Hands-on activities
• Making games
• Native games we play today

Activities will be located throughout the museum. Pick up a schedule at the museum entrance.