Saturday and Sunday in January
Build-a-Friend Facilitated by CDM Artist-in-Residence Eri Honda
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Back due to popular demand! Who says junk can’t be your friend? Create a character using your imagination and materials you might find at home. Will your buddy have 3 eyes, or just one? Will your friend be silly or scary, colorful or grey? Let your imagination run wild!
Saturday and Sunday in December
Scenic Snowman Facilitated by CDM Artist-in-Residence Eri Honda
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Dreaming of a snowy winter? Join us for a blizzard of creativity in the LeRoy Neiman Art Studio! Create your own icy masterpiece by building a snowman this December. While you’re having fun in the snow, you won’t even realize you’re learning all about proportion by comparing the different sizes of snowballs. Isn’t making art the coolest?
Tuesday through Friday in December
The Patterns of Nature Elements of Art: Form
Facilitated by CDM Visual Art Specialist Muneeba Zeeshan
10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Form refers to objects that are 3-Dimensional, or have length, width, and height. Let’s get creative and explore form by making our very own mannequins! Artists have been using mannequins to practice form for centuries–now you can make your very own. All you need is pipe cleaners! Is your mannequin doing a handstand, dancing, or surfing? Will yours be pink, purple, blue, or all three? You can even use a friend or family member as a model to help you out–we’re so excited to see what you make!
Tuesday through Friday
Elements of Art: Line
10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Lines can be used to define shapes and figures, but also to represent motion and emotion. Let’s practice line making by using wax pencils and paper. Will your lines be swirls or zig-zags, smooth or jagged? Feel free to add a splash of color to your artwork by using tempera sticks.
Tuesday through Friday
Element of Art: Texture
Facilitated by Visual Art Specialist Muneeba Zeeshan
10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Let’s learn all about patterns and texture using rubbing plates and colored pencils. You can create anything from a forest to an imaginary creature and bring it to life using different textures. Have fun making anything including fish scales, alligator skin, leaves, and butterfly wings using this technique!
Tuesday through Friday in December
The Patterns of Nature Elements of Art: Form
Facilitated by CDM Visual Art Specialist Muneeba Zeeshan
10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. (holiday week hours)
Form refers to objects that are 3-Dimensional, or have length, width, and height. Let’s get creative and explore form by making our very own mannequins! Artists have been using mannequins to practice form for centuries–now you can make your very own. All you need is pipe cleaners! Is your mannequin doing a handstand, dancing, or surfing? Will yours be pink, purple, blue, or all three? You can even use a friend or family member as a model to help you out–we’re so excited to see what you make!
Tuesday through Friday
The Patterns of Nature Elements of Art: Color
Facilitated by CDM Visual Art Specialist Muneeba Zeeshan
10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
What happens when you blend blue and yellow, or red and white? Explore an amazing tool called the color wheel and learn about primary, secondary, and complimentary colors. Use tempera paint sticks to explore the rainbow! What will your colorful creation be?
Tuesday through Friday
Elements of Art: Line
10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Lines can be used to define shapes and figures, but also to represent motion and emotion. Let’s practice line making by using wax pencils and paper. Will your lines be swirls or zig-zags, smooth or jagged? Feel free to add a splash of color to your artwork by using tempera sticks.
Tuesday through Friday
Elements of Art: Line
10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Lines can be used to define shapes and figures, but also to represent motion and emotion. Let’s practice line making by using wax pencils and paper. Will your lines be swirls or zig-zags, smooth or jagged? Feel free to add a splash of color to your artwork by using tempera sticks.
2:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Catch a sneak peek of the musical Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Children’s Musical Theater of San Jose! This whimsical journey into Willy Wonka’s captivating chocolate factory is a magical adventure filled with unforgettable characters, songs, and breathtaking dance numbers that transports audiences to a world of pure imagination.
MEET AND GREET THE GRINCH
3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. (photo opportunities)
Meet the Grinch who’ll be at the Museum to meet and greet friends before his performances in Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas The Musical by Broadway San Jose.
This heart-warming holiday musical, which The New York Times praised as “100 times better than any bedtime story” and the Gannett papers hailed as “A genius of a show! is a total delight for both kids and adults.”
Great Big Family Play Day vendors showcase family-friendly products* at the Purple Museum with a chance for free gift bags and tons of giveaways!
*Children’s Discovery Museum does not endorse any of the products seen at this event and the vendors have simply rented a space to showcase their products.
Noon Year’s Eve
Sunday, December 31
Ball drops at 11:00 a.m. | 12:00 p.m. | 2:00 p.m. | 3:00 p.m.
Celebrate the arrival of 2024 with the whole family by participating in the “countdown to noon across time zones” with family hugs, a lively celebration, and the Museum’s version of the famous Ball Drop in Times Square with lots of confetti. At the different drops, “shoutouts” are given to different countries and what people in those countries might be doing at that time.
Activities:
– Make a Party Hat
– Family Photos
New Ballet presents The Nutcracker
November 19, 2023
11:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
Join us as New Ballet presents a short preview of their “The Nutcracker” ballet in our Indoor Theater. San Jose’s favorite Nutcracker returns to the beautiful California Theatre in downtown San Jose, for a truly magical holiday experience! The San Jose Nutcracker is a joyful holiday production that transports the well-loved story to turn-of-the-century San Jose, with historical references that highlight our valley setting as a birthplace of innovation.
New Ballet presents The Nutcracker
November 19, 2023
11:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
Join us as New Ballet presents a short preview of their “The Nutcracker” ballet in our Indoor Theater. San Jose’s favorite Nutcracker returns to the beautiful California Theatre in downtown San Jose, for a truly magical holiday experience! The San Jose Nutcracker is a joyful holiday production that transports the well-loved story to turn-of-the-century San Jose, with historical references that highlight our valley setting as a birthplace of innovation.
Saturday, October 7, 2023
1:30-3:30 PM
Build your own catapult to launch pom-poms into targets, while learning about STEM along the way.
Ruth Li, founder of Stemmable, is a rising sophomore at Archbishop Mitty High School, hoping to make STEM education available to young kids.
She discovered her love of service through volunteering at Children’s Discovery Museum since fifth grade. This experience made her realize that STEM education could create a profound impact on young kids. Her skills and interests in robotics, biology, and programming motivated her to work with the Museum to design fun activities and educational programs where kids are able to see the power of STEM.
Her volunteering has also earned the President’s Volunteer Service Award four times since 2019. But, the biggest reward she could ever receive is being able to impact others with the things she’s passionate about.