Children's museum offers Discovery Days during school holidays

MANHATTAN, Kan. — The Wonder Workshop Children's Museum is offering Discovery Days programs for school-age children when USD 383 schools are closed on Friday.

The museum announced on social media that "We're pretending it's still summer and living our best carefree lives — mini golf, scavenger hunt, picnic lunch and ALL the fun!" for the upcoming Discovery Day program.

Discovery Days are offered on days when there is no school for USD 383, with activities including hiking, making art, performing experiments, playing games and going on field trips. The cost is $33 for members and $38 for nonmembers, with preregistration required and scholarships available.

The Wonder Workshop Children's Museum is located at 506 S. 4th St. in Manhattan and operates as a nonprofit hands-on learning museum. The museum's mission is to promote education in the arts, sciences, and humanities, with a goal to develop self-reliant children, families, and community members with hands-on activities and exhibits that instill a desire for lifelong learning.

The museum is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Children ages 2 and under receive free admission, while children ages 3-18 cost $5 and adults cost $7.

In addition to Discovery Days, the museum offers a variety of programs including summer camp, Preschool Explorations, Wonder Teens and scholarship opportunities. The Museum Apprentice Program gives youth in grades 6-12 the opportunity to apprentice within the museum, and after meeting requirements, these youth become paid MAP leaders.

The interactive museum features a variety of hands-on exhibits and activities that promote learning and creativity, with themed play areas where children can engage in imaginative play, from building and engineering stations to art and science exploration zones. Interactive exhibits include the Vet Clinic, Kid's Café, Art Alive, Camp Out and Maker's Lab.

For 30 years, the museum has served the Manhattan community, reaching over 2,000 children and their families through special events, Discovery Days, Think Big Summer Camp and PreK STEAM programs.

Parents interested in registering for Discovery Days can visit the museum's website or call (785) 776-1234. The museum also offers Pre-K STEAM programs on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 10-11 a.m. for children ages 3-5, costing $5 with free admission for members.

The museum encourages advance registration for all programs and offers memberships that include free museum admission, discounts on programs and special member-only invitations.