School holidays are an exciting time at Otago Museum. The rush of the crowds, the thrill of tours in action and the sound of children playing is exhilarating.
For us in the Education team, it’s a time to relax after a busy term teaching hundreds of kids about everything from astronomy to zoology, and from archaeology to Egyptology. It’s also time to greet a whole new bunch of amazing kids for our Discovery Squad holiday programme!
Discovery Squad is a great way for children to connect with Otago Museum. Every day, up to 30 children spend the day with us in our Discovery Pad teaching suite. With time spent in the galleries, lots of cool craft activities, and experiments in our science lab, it’s a whole lot of fun for everyone.
Each day is themed to link with our collection, ranging from nature and science to culture and identity. Children visit galleries linked to our theme for the day and gain inspiration for their own takeaway activities. Break times are spent watching a G-rated movie with a packed lunch or one provided by the Museum Café.
In the first week of these school holidays, the themes are linked to the Wild Dunedin Festival of Nature, exploring adaptations, extreme environments and climatic cycles over the ages. Week Two focuses on our special exhibition, Current, with themes related to fashion, sustainability and design. It’s going to be a great fortnight of fun and learning in the unique environment of Otago Museum.
Discovery Squad runs on weekdays during the school holidays from Tuesday 18 to Friday 28 April (not available on public holidays). Whole day sessions are from 8.30am to 5.30pm and cost $52. Half day sessions are $29 and run from either 8.30am to 1pm, or from 1pm to 5.30pm; ages 5-12 years, fully supervised, dress for mess! Bookings are essential. Click here for the full schedule and to book.