Honoring NSF’s 75th anniversary with a full day of hands-on discovery!

Saturday, May 10, 2025

Sponsored by National Science Foundation (NSF)

In partnership with Children’s Learning Institute at UTHealth Houston

HOUSTON (April 14, 2025) – Ready, set, STEM! Children’s Museum Houston is going full throttle into a day of discovery, invention, and bubbling excitement during STEM-tastic! A Day of Explorations that Inspire Young Scientists, happening Saturday, May 10, 2025. In partnership with the  Children’s Learning Institute at UTHealth Houston, and in celebration of the National Science Foundation’s 75thanniversary, we’re throwing a high-energy birthday bash for STEM—and you’re on the guest list!

This epic celebration is so big, we’re shutting down Ewing Street and turning it into the ultimate outdoor STEM playground! That’s right—no cars, just science-fueled fun taking over the street with rocket launches, strength challenges, bubble experiments, and more. It’s hands-on, open-air, and totally unforgettable.  Plus, enjoy reciprocal admission at The Health Museum on this day with your Children’s Museum Houston ticket!

At its core, this event isn’t just about fun (though there's plenty of that!)—it’s about laying the foundation for lifelong learning. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) is more than a cluster of subjects—it’s a way of thinking, problem-solving, and preparing children for a world that’s constantly evolving. The earlier kids engage with STEM, the more likely they are to develop critical thinking skills, creativity, confidence, and curiosity that fuels success in school and beyond. And when hands-on discovery meets imagination? That’s when the magic really happens! Don’t miss:

STEM-TACULAR SCIENCE ACTIVITIES:

STEM Challenge Course: Float a beach ball with science! Launch stomp rockets! Fire marshmallow shooters! Take on mini challenges that test your strength, speed, and STEM smarts.  

When: All day on Ewing St.

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Toddler STEM Challenge: Even our tiniest trailblazers get in on the fun with sensory-friendly, age-appropriate STEM adventures.

When: All day on Playscape outdoor area.

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Picnic Science– Solar Science" Discover how sunlight fuels life through hands-on experiments that connect kids to the natural world.

When: At noon and 1 p.m. at Moran Picnic Tables.  

_{Sign-ups open one hour prior; 12 kids per session.}

WORKSHOPS THAT WOW:

A’STEAM Workshops: Get ready to roll up your sleeves, spark your curiosity, and dive into four wildly fun, hands-on science adventures that blend creativity with big-time wow moments.

Where: One World room

_{20 participants per workshop, ages 7+.}

• 10 a.m. – Rubber Band Helicopters:  Build, launch, and defy gravity!‍
• 11:30 a.m. – UV Constellations:  Craft your favorite star patterns and watch what the sun does to your UV beads.‍
• 2 p.m. – Water Filtration:   Clean up murky water and learn the chemistry behind it.‍
• 3:30 p.m.: Elephant Toothpaste: It’s big. It’s foamy. It’s fabulous science!

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BASF Lab –What’s That Reaction?:  Mix, observe, and investigate the fizz-tastic world of chemical reactions.  

When: At 10:30 a.m. 12:30 and 2:30 p.m. in Power Science Lab.

_{Sign-up required, ages 7+.}

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Teaching Together STEM Workshops: These interactive sessions help families explore how young minds can ask big questions, gather data, and build their way of answering.  

Where: In Celebrations room.

• 9:30 a.m. – What’s the Big Idea?: Spark big thinking with curious questions and kid-powered investigations! ‍
• 11 a.m. – Math Rules: Discover how counting and comparing turn everyday moments into math magic! ‍
• 1:30 p.m. – Show What You Know: Graph it, chart it, count it—then show off your science smarts with data!‍
• 3:30 p.m. – Dream It, Build It: Tinker, test, and transform your wildest ideas into real-world solutions!
  
  

SHOWS AND PERFORMANCES:

Texas Bubblers– The Wonderful World of Bubbles STEM Show: Shelly McBubbles amazes with giant bubbles, bubble tricks, and bubbly science lessons.

When: At 10 a.m.in  Brown Auditorium.

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Texas Bubblers– Science Touch Table:  Get hands-on with interactive bubble experiments.

When: From 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 pm in Tree Top room.

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STEM-tastic Science Shows: Our science educators bring the wow factor with exciting demos and explosive learning!

When:  All day on Ewing St.

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Alley Theatre presents The Brainstormers & Their Cosmic Mission: Three space-loving students tackle a group science project that’s out of this world. A fast-paced play that powers up STEM TEKS and executive functioning skills!

When: At 1 and 3 p.m. in Brown Auditorium.

STUDENT-LED EXPLORATIONS:

Edison Middle School Makers: Watch middle school students showcase their innovations and guide you through creating your own!

When: From 9 to 11 a.m. in Tree Top room.

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SCIENCE YOU CAN TASTE:

Papabubble –Live Candy Making Demo and Giveaway: Sugar meets science in this sweet demonstration where chemistry becomes delicious candy!

When: At 2 p.m. in Kids’ Hall.

CULTURAL CONNECTIONS THROUGH STEM:

Petroglyphs on Clay: Explore how ancient civilizations recorded science and stories using symbolic art—then create your own.  

When: From 10 a.m. to noon and from 2 to 4 p.m. outside CenterPoint EcoStation.

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Star Stories and Hurricanes: Learn how cultures used the stars to navigate time and space—and how storms inspire both science and storytelling.  

When: All day at CenterPoint EcoStation.

Whether you're tinkering, testing, launching, or learning, STEM-tastic is the perfect chance to fuel a love for science and spark curiosity in every child.  Program partners include:

• Children’s Learning Institute at UTHealth Houston
• The Health Museum
• UTHealth Houston School of Public Health
• UTHealth Houston Neurosciences
• Rice University Office of STEM Engagement
• Rice Fun with Chemistry

_{ABOUT CHILDREN’S MUSEUM HOUSTON}

_{Winner of 2024 National Medal for Museum and Library Service, winner of Good Housekeeping’s “Best Family Travel Award” three years in a row (2023 to 2025), voted “Houston’s Best Museum” in Houston Chronicle’s Best of the Best Awards two years in a row (2023and 2024), winner of TripAdvisor “2024 Travelers’ Choice Awards,” only American continent finalist in 2023 Hands On! Children in Museums International Award, listed among Forbes, LA Times and USA Today’s “Best Children’s Museums in the U.S.,” The Culture Trip’s “Top Museum and Landmark to Visit in Houston” and one of “Houston’s Must-See Museums” by Travel Channel, Children’s Museum Houston isa Playground for Your Mind™.  It is dedicated to transforming communities through innovative, child-centered learning that improves the trajectories of all children.  Founded in 1980 and housed in a whimsical building designed by internationally acclaimed architect Robert Venturi, Children’s Museum Houston offers a multitude of innovative exhibits and bilingual learning programs for kids ages birth to 12 years. Celebrating 45years of play, the Museum is a 501(c)(3) organization. For more information, visit www.cmhouston.org or call (713) 522-1138. Can your mind come out to play?™}

_{ABOUT UTHEALTH HOUSTON}

_{Established in 1972 by The University of Texas System Board of Regents, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth Houston) is Houston’s Health University and Texas’ resource for health care education, innovation, scientific discovery and excellence in patient care. The most comprehensive academic health center in the UT System and the U.S. Gulf Coast region, UTHealth Houston is home to Jane and Robert Cizik School of Nursing, John P. and Kathrine G. McGovern Medical School, D. Bradley McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics, and schools of biomedical sciences, dentistry, behavioral sciences, and public health. UTHealth Houston includes the Dunn Behavioral Sciences Center and Harris County Psychiatric Center, as well as clinical practices UT Physicians, UT Dentists, and UT Health Services. The university’s primary teaching hospitals are Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, and Harris Health Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital. For more information, visit www.uth.edu.}‍