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Family Activities

Family-friendly events for families with children of all ages. Looking for Summer Camp information, visit our Summer Camp page? 

In Gallery Activity

A father and son reading a dinosaur book in the Museum

Offering different in gallery activities as part of admission. During extended hours on Thursdays, starting June 4th and on Saturdays during the Summer. Thursday activity begins at 5:15 pm, Saturday activities will be at 11 am, 1 pm, and 3 pm. Below are the potential in-gallery activity, dependent upon which staff is working.

  • Children's Reading & Activity Time - Join Hailie, educator, for a children's story and associated activity.
  • Garbology - Join Stephanie, anthropologist, to find out about the scientific study of trash, including its origins, patterns, and society and the environment.
  • Basket Weaving Bracelet - Join Kristal, local artist, in creating your own unique bracelet from cornhusk.
  • Origami - Join Sarah, local artist, to guide you through the process of making your own origami animal.
  • Timeline Tour - Join Trevor, budding paleontologist, for an in-depth guide into Idaho's fossil timeline.

Lunch & Learn

Lunch & learn at the Museum with a cartoon sandwich enjoying the lecture

September 17, 2025

12 to 1 pm

Free

Topic: What can bones tell us about a person’s life—and how can we tell their story when no one else can? 

Join us as we welcome Spencer Moore, graduate student in the Department of Anthropology at Idaho State University, focusing on forensic and biological anthropology. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Anthropology and a certificate in Criminology and Corrections from the University of Utah. Spencer has experience working in cultural resource management as well as archaeological field projects in the United States and Central America, including Alaska and Belize. Spencer will delve into the lives of individuals within Idaho State University’s anatomical skeletal collection, many of whom were obtained through questionable means as part of the global “Red Market” in human remains. While these individuals often arrived with no name, history, or identity, forensic anthropology offers powerful tools to recover parts of their stories.

Spencer will share how stable isotope analysis, biological profiling, and digital facial approximation can work together to reconstruct elements of a person’s origin, life history, and appearance. The presentation combines science, ethics, and advocacy to highlight the importance of restoring dignity to those treated as specimens. Attendees will gain insight into the hidden histories of anatomical collections—and the ways we can use forensic tools to give voice to the voiceless.

 

Dinosaur Felting Craft Class

Dinosaur felting craft class, September 29, 2025 6 to 8 pm, $25

September 29, 2025

6 to 8 pm

$25
Age: 16+

Join Sarah Leary of the Idaho Museum of Natural History as they teach you to create a felted dinosaur. Needle felting is a craft where loose wool fibers are interlocked and compacted using a barbed needle to create a solid fabric. Sarah will provide instructions and materials for the class and you will take home you creation that night!  

Sarah is a multimedia artist based locally in Pocatello. Their main body of work is comprised of Oil Paintings, but they enjoy the craft of needle felting. Their needle felted work focuses on detail and balance, ensuring the pieces are appeasing to the eye.

The felting class will be 16+, there is a risk of injury with the barbs

Registration is required, Museum Members receive a $5 discount with code. If you did not receive your code please email ambertews@isu.edu

Register Today

Lunch & Learn

Lunch & learn at the Museum with a cartoon sandwich enjoying the lecture

October 22, 2025

12 to 1 pm

Free
Topic: A Window Into United States Juvenile Health From Civil War to Roaring Twenties New Orleans-A Case Study on Linear Enamel Hypoplasia
Join Jose Sanchez, ISU Department of Anthropology graduate student, in a discussion on the signs of health and stress events using linear enamel hypoplasia, a prominent stress marker to identify frequency of illness during youth dental development. The Sanchez will provide information on their current research, touching on data collected during a salvage archaeology project undertaken in Mid-City New Orleans. The material presented will provide a base understanding of dental development and methods in estimating age at onset of stress events. Additionally, a brief historical summary will be provided for possible causes and events that may have led to these stress markers within this population that date from 1840 to 1920.

Your event or program registration is transferable

If you are unable to attend a workshop or program, you may transfer your registration to another person or to a different date for the same workshop or program. Transfers may take place up to one week prior to the program date. Please email your request to us. Include the order number and name of the person originally registered for the program and the name and contact information of the person taking your place.

If you must cancel:

  • If you request a refund 15 or more days prior to your workshop, you will receive a full refund
  • If you request a refund 8—14 days prior to your workshop, you will receive a 50% refund
  • If you request a refund 7 or fewer days prior to your workshop, no refund will be issued
  • If a camper or anyone in their immediate family is feeling ill, please stay home! Parents or guardians can email imnh@isu.edu or call 208-282-3168, and we will work to place you in another day of camp or workshop when you are feeling better.