Celebrate the Apollo 11 moon landing through STEM studies at The Woodlands Children’s Museum’s One Giant Leap event.
THE WOODLANDS, Texas – Families are invited to join The Woodlands Children’s Museum for a day of activities designed to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing—and launch little ones on an exciting journey of scientific discovery.
One Giant Leap will take place Friday, July 19, one day before the 50th anniversary of the first time humans landed on the moon.
During One Giant Leap, museum visitors will have a chance to meet space ranger Buzz Lightyear at 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 and 1:30 p.m.
Throughout the celebration, children can explore hands-on science stations including Moon Craters, Hide and Seek Moon, and Galactic Slime—all designed to spark excitement in Science, Technology, Engineering and Technology (STEM) studies.
The NASA-approved science activities were provided by NISE, the National Information STEM Education Network. NISE encourages STEM learning across the United States by bringing cutting-edge research to museum exhibits and programs, improving the practices of educators and scientists, and creating relationships among individuals and organizations.
The Woodlands Children’s Museum has been a NISE partner since 2016, when the museum was selected to be a recipient of NISE’s Earth and Space Toolkit. Since then, the museum has been using the curriculum and materials in the kit to create a wide range of hands-on learning activities at the museum.
“Encouraging children to dream and explore are priorities for us at The Woodlands Children’s Museum,” Executive Director Angela Colton said. “The moon landing gives little ones a powerful example of people who did those things in a major way and, as a result, changed human history.”
The name of the museum’s celebration is based on the words of Astronaut Neil Armstrong, who famously said, “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” as he became the first person to set foot on the moon.
“The moon landing in 1969 was a giant leap for the United States and our history,” Education Coordinator Carmen Ortega said. “I want children to be inspired by what we achieved and to get excited about the science and technology that made it possible.”
Also during One Giant Leap, a special book reading will take place at 11 a.m., and children can create a commemorative art project in the MUSE, the museum’s art bar.
All activities will take place at 4775 W. Panther Creek Drive, Suite 280, The Woodlands, Texas 77381.
To protect the health and safety of the museum’s costumed performers, Buzz Lightyear will limit appearances at the museum to 15-minute stays. While the museum staff will do its best to accommodate as many patrons as possible, they will not be able to extend the appearance times.
One Giant Leap is included in the museum’s $7 admission for visitors age 1 and older.
Museum admissions will be limited to ensure a fun, safe experience for visitors.
The Woodlands Children’s Museum is recommended for ages 7 and under. Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times. For more details, call 281-465-0955, or visitwoodlandschildrensmuseum.org.
About The Woodlands Children’s Museum
The Woodlands Children’s Museum, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, was founded out of a desire to meet the community’s proven need for a positive environment where children and their families can learn, play and make special memories throughout the year. At the museum, fun and learning go hand in hand, whether children are creating art, singing along to a musical performance or conducting a science experiment. The museum also has made it a priority to bring children multi-ethnic and multicultural experiences that celebrate cultural and global differences and strengthen common bonds. Programs frequently are delivered in partnership with other nonprofit organizations, always with the goal of making a positive difference in the life of a child. woodlandschildrensmuseum.org.