Archives

Build a Catapult!

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.

Build a Monster

Saturday, January 13
9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Build your own monster using the power of probability and genetics! Choose a monster’s genes and traits by flipping a coin or rolling dice, then draw your creation.

Ruth Li, founder of Stemmable, is a 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.

 
We are closed for our annual fundraising gala, Keep on Playing.

Juneteenth Community Celebration
Wednesday, June 19, 2024
9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Let’s celebrate African-American culture together with our partner, Silicon Valley African Film Festival (SVAFF). Watch a variety of short animated films (see films below), find your rhythm during a drumming workshop, and catch the beat by making your own drum to practice at home. Drummer Pope Flyne, a Ghanaian-born performer, composer, and educator, will lead a drumming workshop and invite you to try your hand at some traditional African drums. Then top off the day by making your own percussion instrument!

Silicon Valley African Film Festival Selections

About SVAFF

Silicon Valley African Film Festival
Africa through the African lens!
13th annual SVAFF, October 13-16, 2022
http://www.svaff.org

We stand strong together.

Proud of My Family
Saturday, June 1, 2024
9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
 
 

Adding a positive voice to the national narrative around inclusion and diversity, Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose hosts its ninth annual Proud of My Family event. Visitors will enjoy activities designed to celebrate all types of families, especially LGBTQ+ parents, relatives, and friends. The museum’s Proud of My Family event is one of the few Pride events that is held every year for young children and their families.

The event fosters understanding and builds awareness of family diversity while recognizing that families come in all configurations and what binds people together are the shared hopes and dreams for their children and their futures.
 

Day of Activities:

• Make rainbow streamers to spin, twirl, and whirl.
• March in the visitor parade.
• Make a Proud Pin in the LeRoy Neiman Art Studio
• Strike a pose to make lasting family memories with a commemorative photo.
• Craft a rainbow and magical designs on faces, hands, and arms with paint in the Museum’s Face Painting Room.
• Move and groove in the Rainbow Dance Zone.

The program was created in partnership with the museum’s LGBTQ advisory committee and is part of the museum’s Cultural Competence strategic commitment. The museum was the recipient of the prestigious Diversity, Equity, Access and Inclusion Award in 2020 by the professional association American Alliance of Museums, which represents over 5,000 museums of all disciplines.

2021 Livestream Celebration

Additional Resources from the Museum’s Minds in Bloom blog

Family Diversity: Talking to Children About LGBTQ Topics

Representation is Everything! Gender & Family Diversity in Children’s Books

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

HIGHLIGHTS FROM PAST EVENTS

Art Projects

Bring the whole family to see the Lion Dance and experience this popular celebration of Vietnamese culture!

Children of the Dragon
Saturday, April 20, 2024
9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Explore some of the rich Vietnamese traditions at this festive celebration. Don’t miss the thrilling Lion and Dragon dances from Yun Yee Tong USA – a spectacular favorite among museum visitors and staff. Make a dragon puppet, pose for a commemorative family photo in a xich-lo, and stop by the theatre to watch a short video to learn more about Vietnamese cultural heritage and the legend of children of the dragon.

Yun Yee Tong USA performances at 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM PAST PROGRAMS

 
This celebration is created in partnership with the Museum’s Vietnamese Cultural Advisors.
 

NOWRUZ AROUND THE WORLD CELEBRATION

 
Sunday, March 24, 2024
9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

The Museum has embarked on an exciting three-year project exploring Nowruz, the Persian New Year celebration of the spring equinox. Our goal is to develop a cultural festival and a Museum exhibition by co-creating these projects with individuals and organizations that celebrate Nowruz.

Discover the beautiful customs and traditions of Nowruz and how the Persian New Year is celebrated around the world. Join us as we welcome spring, new beginnings, and the renewal of nature with this ancient holiday observed by more than 300 million people worldwide. Enjoy traditional music and dance, learn about the Haft-sin table arrangement, and engage in hands-on art activities to honor the spring equinox that kicks off the ‘new day’ celebration.

Schedule of Events

 
Morning Session

• 9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Spring Crown Art Activity / LeRoy Neiman Art Studio
• 9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Honey Tasting / Bill’s Backyard
• 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Nowruz Traditions / FoodShed

Performances / Indoor Stage

• 10:30 a.m. Storytime with Niloo
• 11:00 a.m. Storytime with Sepideh
• 11:30 a.m. Beshkan Dance Academy

Afternoon Session

• 1:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Spring Crown Art Activity / LeRoy Neiman Art Studio
• 1:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Honey Tasting / Bill’s Backyard
• 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Nowruz Traditions / FoodShed

Performances / Indoor Stage

• 3:00 p.m. Storytime by Sepideh
• 3:30 p.m. Niosha Dance Academy

This event is part of a Museum-led three-year planning project to develop an exhibition and annual cultural event celebrating the holiday Nowruz.

 

 
What is Nowruz?

Rejoicing in the arrival of spring, Nowruz, which translates into “New Day,” is now observed as a secular holiday around the world. Crossing cultures, religions, and nationalities, this ancient tradition marking the spring equinox lasts up to 13 days and has been around for three thousand years.

While the ways of celebrating vary around the world, there are some common practices: preparing for festive gatherings, visits with family and friends, and setting the Haft-Sin table with seven items each beginning with the Persian letter S, symbolizing renewal. Other customs include Chahar Shanbeh Suri, a ritual of jumping over fire to remove the negative aspects from the previous year and to look toward the future; and Sizdah Bedar, where on the 13th-day people leave their homes to commune in nature. The greenery from the Haft-Sin table is thrown into running water on this day.

While the region once known as old Persia included a large region which are now several countries, the traditions of Nowruz are strong among people from its former lands including Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, India, Pakistan, and Turkey. It’s also celebrated in the Persian diaspora worldwide including Europe, America, and Canada, among others.

We believe that certain values are universal across cultures – the importance of family, the challenge of holding onto traditions while also embracing life as Americans, and the hopes we all share for our children’s future. These common values spark connection and mutual understanding. We’re excited to immerse ourselves in Nowruz!

Saturday, February 3, 2024
9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

 Kick off the Year of the Dragon at our annual Lunar New Year celebration bringing together Chinese and Vietnamese traditions.

Create your own branch of beautiful flowers to symbolize health, prosperity, and good fortune in the coming year, signifying the end of winter and the beginning of spring. Be thrilled by the magnificent and ever-popular Lion Dance by Yun Yee Tong USA, as we welcome in the new year together.
 

 
Museum open for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday: Two play sessions
9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Join us on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day for “The Dream of a King.” Storyteller Diane Ferlatte brings to life tales of history, culture and music inspired by the teachings of Dr. King in this enthralling stage performance that pays homage to one of America’s most celebrated activists. Performances at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

Bring the whole family to this popular celebration of Latino culture!

El Día de los Tres Reyes Magos / Three Kings Day

Saturday, January 6, 2024
9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Join us for festive fun with the three kings and more at the 25th annual celebration! Make and decorate a crown, enjoy lively and traditional Mariachi youth performers and folklórico dance, delight in gifts (chocolate coins) handed out by the kings, and learn how to make real tortillas. Plus, share your talents during our “Open Mic” sessions. Recognized widely by many cultures around the world, and observed in many Spanish-speaking countries, the Feast of the Three Kings honors the Epiphany. The day is traditionally celebrated with family, food, gift-giving, and a Rosca de Reyes (sweet bread or King’s Cake).

Schedule

• 11:00 a.m. Mariachi México de Gilroy
• 11:35 a.m. El Grito de la Cultura
• 12:00 p.m. Open Mic
• 3:00 p.m. Mariachi México de Gilroy
• 3:35 p.m. Los Lupeños Juvenil
• 4:00 p.m. Open Mic

Hands-on Activities

Make a Crown, Make Tissue Paper Flowers, Make a Tortilla, Taste Rosca de Reyes

This program was made possible, in part, by a Cultural Affairs grant from the City of San Jose.

Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose is supported in part by an American Rescue Plan Act grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to support general operating expenses in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM PAST EVENTS

Three Kings

 
This celebration is created in partnership with the Museum’s Latino Cultural Advisors.

Bring the whole family to this popular Hanukkah celebration!

Sunday, December 3
1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. (afternoon session only)
 

Take joy in sharing your own culture or discovering the traditions of Hanukkah with friends and neighbors in this partnership event with JCC Los Gatos. Make celebratory candles, watch a storytime in Hebrew, Russian, and English, and enjoy songs performed by Yavneh Day School students. Go on a miracle scavenger hunt and savor a traditional Hanukkah treat!

In partnership with Addison-Penzak JCC, PJ Library, and Yavneh Day School

HIGHLIGHTS FROM PAST EVENTS

Art Studio

This program was made possible, in part, by a Cultural Affairs grant from the City of San Jose.

Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose is supported in part by an American Rescue Plan Act grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to support general operating expenses in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

WORLDWIDE DAY OF PLAY

Global play event presented by Nickelodeon and the Association of Children’s Museums

September 30, 2023
9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Join us for Our World: Worldwide Day of Play in the morning play session on September 30, 2023. As a day dedicated to experiencing joyful learning through play, this event is focused on getting kids and their families up, out, and playing around.

Engage with a special activity in the Museum on September 30.

“Play is a powerful experience that enriches people’s lives in museums, schools, homes, and beyond,” states Arthur G. Affleck, III, executive director of the Association of Children’s Museums. “ACM is pleased to partner with Nickelodeon on amplifying the importance of play on wellbeing and healthy brain development, and to make learning more effective and joyful for everyone. As children’s museums, we believe in the power of play and we strive to nurture more play and playful learning everywhere we go.”

Diwali: Festival of Lights

 
Saturday, November 11
9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Discover the meaning and rich traditions of Diwali during our festive celebration. Make a Diya lamp, learn about traditions, delight in Rangoli artwork by Tanisha Shah, and enjoy music and dance. MC’d by Radio Dehotties, get ready to learn some dance moves with a performance and instruction by Sindhu Ravuri and a performance by Indraadhanush: Center for Excellence. Diwali is one of the major festivals celebrated by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, and some Buddhists. Join us!

The festival usually lasts five days and is celebrated during the Hindu lunisolar month Kartika.

Learn More about the Celebration

HIGHLIGHTS FROM PAST EVENTS

Meet the Artist

This celebration is created in partnership with the Museum’s South Asian Cultural Advisors

The museum is committed to promoting the region’s diversity through the Cultural Celebration Series so that families of all backgrounds can explore the many cultures and traditions in Silicon Valley. Cultural celebrations offer opportunities for building global awareness for people to explore and understand their cultural differences and similarities.

The series includes: Mid-Autumn Moon Festival,  Diwali Festival, Dia de los Muertos, Menorahs & Miracles, El Dia de Los Tres Reyes Magos, Lunar New Year, Children of the Dragon, Proud of My Family, and Juneteenth.

Join us at the Museum as we celebrate the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival!

Mid-Autumn Moon Festival
Saturday, September 23
9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Join us for a thrilling Lion Dance performance by Yun Yee Tong USA, make playdough moon cakes, and dance to traditional music. Explore Chinese and Vietnamese customs of celebrating and giving thanks to the moon and the bountiful harvest season while learning more about this joyous holiday.

In many parts of Asia, it’s common during a Mid-Autumn Moon Celebration to honor and worship the moon, the people who work the land, and the food that is cultivated. The festivals coincide with the full moon on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month.

Performances

Lion Dance by Yun Yee Tong USA, 11:00 a.m. & 3:00 p.m.

Hands-on Activities

• Make a Playdough Mooncake – use handmade, scented dough and mooncake molds to make your own decorative mooncake
• Clay Rabbits in the Neiman Art Studio
• Dance Under the Light of the Moon in the Theatre

Want to learn more about the traditions of the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival? Watch this video from our program at the Museum.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM PAST EVENTS

Lion Dance

This program is created in partnership with the Museum’s Cultural Advisors.
The museum is committed to promoting the region’s diversity through the Cultural Celebration Series so that families of all backgrounds can explore the many cultures and traditions in Silicon Valley. Cultural celebrations offer opportunities for building global awareness for people to explore and understand their cultural differences and similarities.

The series includes: Mid-Autumn Moon Festival,  Diwali Festival, Dia de los Muertos, Menorahs & Miracles, El Dia de Los Tres Reyes Magos, Lunar New Year, Children of the Dragon, Proud of My Family, and Juneteenth.

 
A special event for children with autism ages 2-15 and their families, Play Your Way is an opportunity to relax, have fun, and learn.

Upcoming Events

Halloween
Tuesday, October 31
4:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
 

Join us for Halloween family fun at this fall’s Play Your Way event designed for children with autism, ages 2-15, and their families.

It’s going to be a frighteningly fangtastic time with sensory activities and Halloween fun. We encourage all families to come dressed in their favorite costumes!

The event is being held in the early evening with limited attendance so your child can enjoy all the fun things the museum has to offer, just with fewer people and less noise and bright lights. Our goal is for your family to have a positive experience… not to mention, a wickedly awesome time!

Resources

Social Story: Text and pictures to gain familiarity about your visit to the Museum Download
Museum Map: Download

These evenings are part of the Museum’s longstanding Autism Initiative.