Field Trips

KID Museum field trips feature maker activities geared towards PreKindergarten, Elementary, and Middle School students. Our hands-on STEM activities encourage creativity and critical thinking, and give students the opportunity to work collaboratively, take risks, and solve problems together. Our programming is differentiated by grade level and we maintain a small student to facilitator ratio.

KID Museum offers three distinct types of field trips – Explorer, Workshops and Invention Studio, all of which are facilitated by our Maker Educators. Our offerings below are organized by grade level and program type so that you can easily identify the most appropriate program for your group.

We have made some changes to our scheduling process for this school year. All field trip requests must now go through our online request form. Once you have submitted the form, you will receive a response within three business days.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Explorer Program

Our 90 minute Explorer Program is a sample or introduction to our programs. We can accommodate up to a maximum of 120 students with Kindergarten classes or older. Students rotate between three separate activities which are facilitated by our staff.

Pricing: $10 per student with a minimum payment of $250 which includes up to 25 students.

Pipe Dream

Students use large pipes and connectors to build an oversized ball run course. This activity relates to force and motion and encourages teamwork, collaboration, and problem-solving. Younger students will enjoy open-ended exploration, experimentation, and collaboration, while older students must work together to complete a team challenge.

Wind Tubes

Students experiment with lift and weight, two important forces of flight, as they build and test flying objects in our vertical wind tubes. Students use the engineering design process to prototype, test, and refine their designs. Younger students will enjoy the open-ended exploration of this highly engaging activity, while older students can design and perform experiments testing for different variables, such as weight or shape.

Circuits

Students learn the basics of electrical circuits through hands-on exploration and discovery. Students will build their own circuits and test different loads such as lights, motors, and buzzers. Younger students will explore fundamental concepts such as conductivity and series circuits, while older students will learn to build parallel circuits and control the flow of electricity using switches and other inputs.

Ping

Students use teamwork and problem solving to build ball-run pathways using clear tubes and pipe fittings on a magnetic wall. Ping pong balls are propelled through the tubes with air power from fans. Younger students will enjoy open-ended exploration, experimentation, and collaboration, while older students can attempt to complete an engineering challenge to send a ball from one side of the museum to the other.

Pipe Dream

Students use large pipes and connectors to build an oversized ball run course. This activity relates to force and motion and encourages teamwork, collaboration, and problem-solving. Younger students will enjoy open-ended exploration, experimentation, and collaboration, while older students must work together to complete a team challenge.

Race Car Track

Students assemble customizable wooden vehicles and make choices about wheel size, wheel position, weight, and shape. Students will practice collecting and analyzing data in this high-speed activity as they test their different designs on our 16-foot tracks. Younger students will test different designs as they try to optimize their cars for speed (fast or slow), while older students work together to design an experiment testing just one variable.

Wind Tubes

Students experiment with lift and weight, two important forces of flight, as they build and test flying objects in our vertical wind tubes. Students use the engineering design process to prototype, test, and refine their designs. Younger students will enjoy the open-ended exploration of this highly engaging activity, while older students can design and perform experiments testing for different variables, such as weight or shape.

Circuits

Students learn the basics of electrical circuits through hands-on exploration and discovery. Students will build their own circuits and test different loads such as lights, motors, and buzzers. Younger students will explore fundamental concepts such as conductivity and series circuits, while older students will learn to build parallel circuits and control the flow of electricity using switches and other inputs.

Drawbots

Students will use a vibrating motor circuit to complete this engineering challenge. Students must build a sturdy “body” for their robot out of recycled materials and use the motor’s vibration to make it move. Students can turn their wiggle bots into drawbots by attaching markers that scribble as the robot moves across the table.

Ping

Students use teamwork and problem solving to build ball-run pathways using clear tubes and pipe fittings on a magnetic wall. Ping pong balls are propelled through the tubes with air power from fans. Younger students will enjoy open-ended exploration, experimentation, and collaboration, while older students can attempt to complete an engineering challenge to send a ball from one side of the museum to the other.

Pipe Dream

Students use large pipes and connectors to build an oversized ball run course. This activity relates to force and motion and encourages teamwork, collaboration, and problem-solving. Younger students will enjoy open-ended exploration, experimentation, and collaboration, while older students must work together to complete a team challenge.

Race Car Track

Students assemble customizable wooden vehicles and make choices about wheel size, wheel position, weight, and shape. Students will practice collecting and analyzing data in this high-speed activity as they test their different designs on our 16-foot tracks. Younger students will test different designs as they try to optimize their cars for speed (fast or slow), while older students work together to design an experiment testing just one variable.

Wind Tubes

Students experiment with lift and weight, two important forces of flight, as they build and test flying objects in our vertical wind tubes. Students use the engineering design process to prototype, test, and refine their designs. Younger students will enjoy the open-ended exploration of this highly engaging activity, while older students can design and perform experiments testing for different variables, such as weight or shape.

Circuits

Students learn the basics of electrical circuits through hands-on exploration and discovery. Students will build their own circuits and test different loads such as lights, motors, and buzzers. Younger students will explore fundamental concepts such as conductivity and series circuits, while older students will learn to build parallel circuits and control the flow of electricity using switches and other inputs.

Drawbots

Students will use a vibrating motor circuit to complete this engineering challenge. Students must build a sturdy “body” for their robot out of recycled materials and use the motor’s vibration to make it move. Students can turn their wiggle bots into drawbots by attaching markers that scribble as the robot moves across the table.

Ping

Students use teamwork and problem solving to build ball-run pathways using clear tubes and pipe fittings on a magnetic wall. Ping pong balls are propelled through the tubes with air power from fans. Younger students will enjoy open-ended exploration, experimentation, and collaboration, while older students can attempt to complete an engineering challenge to send a ball from one side of the museum to the other.

Pipe Dream

Students use large pipes and connectors to build an oversized ball run course. This activity relates to force and motion and encourages teamwork, collaboration, and problem-solving. Younger students will enjoy open-ended exploration, experimentation, and collaboration, while older students must work together to complete a team challenge.

Race Car Track

Students assemble customizable wooden vehicles and make choices about wheel size, wheel position, weight, and shape. Students will practice collecting and analyzing data in this high-speed activity as they test their different designs on our 16-foot tracks. Younger students will test different designs as they try to optimize their cars for speed (fast or slow), while older students work together to design an experiment testing just one variable.

Workshops

Our 90 minute workshops focus on one activity during your visit and we have several topics for you to choose from. We can accommodate one or two classes at a time.

Pricing: $250 for up to 12 participants plus $20 for each additional participant.

KIBO Robotics

KIBO is a robot kit specifically created for young children aged 4-7 years old. Designed for open-ended play, kids can use KIBO to make almost anything they can imagine. Create a sequence of instructions (a program) using wooden blocks, and then scan the blocks with the KIBO to tell the robot what to do–teach your robot to dance the “Hokey Pokey”! Learn what it means to program a robot in a fun, creative way.

Kibo Hokey Pokey

Clay Animation

Create your own clay animation movie! Develop a story idea, then shape clay characters and bring them to life using stop-motion animation. You will also build a backdrop and work with a small team to record a video that you can share with family and friends.

KIBO Robotics

KIBO is a robot kit specifically created for young children aged 4-7 years old. Designed for open-ended play, kids can use KIBO to make almost anything they can imagine. Create a sequence of instructions (a program) using wooden blocks, and then scan the blocks with the KIBO to tell the robot what to do–teach your robot to dance the “Hokey Pokey”! Learn what it means to program a robot in a fun, creative way.

Kibo Hokey Pokey

Cardboard Construction with Motors

Construct a robot, boat, animal – anything – out of cardboard, hot glue and other materials. Then take it up a notch by adding a motor to make it move!

Clay Animation

Create your own clay animation movie! Develop a story idea, then shape clay characters and bring them to life using stop-motion animation. You will also build a backdrop and work with a small team to record a video that you can share with family and friends.

Propeller Engineered Car

Using craft sticks, straws, rubber bands, propellers and wheels, build your own propeller-powered car! Tinker to find the best design for speed and accuracy and then test it on our race course.

Scratch

With Scratch, you can design your own interactive animations, video games, and much more! Scratch is an accessible programming language designed to introduce kids to the important concepts of programming. Learn to make your characters move, add sound, keep score, and design interactive elements to your game or animation.

Scratch

Scratch & WeDo

Experiment with LEGO’s WeDo kits to move and manipulate objects. This simple robotics tool features gears, axles, pulleys, working motors, motion sensors, tilt sensor and more. Design your own interactive machine and program it with Scratch, an accessible programming language designed for kids!

Scratch & WeDo

Cardboard Construction with Motors

Construct a robot, boat, animal – anything – out of cardboard, hot glue and other materials. Then take it up a notch by adding a motor to make it move!

Arduino

Learn to use an Arduino board to control an LED display and develop programming skills. Arduino is a tool used for physical computing, developing interactive objects via a small circuit board with a micro-controller chip. Arduino takes inputs from sensors to control lights, motors and sounds.

Arduino

Clay Animation

Create your own clay animation movie! Develop a story idea, then shape clay characters and bring them to life using stop-motion animation. You will also build a backdrop and work with a small team to record a video that you can share with family and friends.

Propeller Engineered Car

Using craft sticks, straws, rubber bands, propellers and wheels, build your own propeller-powered car! Tinker to find the best design for speed and accuracy and then test it on our race course.

Scratch

With Scratch, you can design your own interactive animations, video games, and much more! Scratch is an accessible programming language designed to introduce kids to the important concepts of programming. Learn to make your characters move, add sound, keep score, and design interactive elements to your game or animation.

Scratch

Scratch & WeDo

Experiment with LEGO’s WeDo kits to move and manipulate objects. This simple robotics tool features gears, axles, pulleys, working motors, motion sensors, tilt sensor and more. Design your own interactive machine and program it with Scratch, an accessible programming language designed for kids!

Scratch & WeDo

Invention Studio

Our Invention Studio programs are our most intensive experience which involve multiple visits throughout the school year and each visit lasts two hours.

LEARN MORE

Education Partnerships

From a simple STEM day at your school to a deeper collaboration with teachers and students, our partnership program gives your organization the tools you need to grow effective maker learning experiences for school-aged youth.

LEARN MORE

Testimonials

“We had about 50 kids and there wasn't one that wasn't focused and engaged the whole time - when does that ever happen? We all left there amazed about the amount of fun and learning that took place in such a short window of time.”

Susan Eagle

“It made me cry to see our first graders so joyful and engaged from beginning to end. The activities were so brilliantly planned, materials were plentiful, and every single child appeared caught up as if by magic.”

Robin LoubeFirst Grade ESOL Teacher

“The place is amazing and I don't know if I have seen the girls so engaged and excited about anything we have done... It is our new favorite place!”

Liz WeirshouskyJunior Girl Scout Troop Leader

“You could see their faces light up with excitement as they did each activity!”

Martha Thomas WaugamanTroop Parent

FAQs

Program Options

What types of programs are available?

KID Museum offers three distinct types of field trips, all of which are facilitated by our educators. 

  • Explorer Program: 90 minute experience which provides a sample or introduction to our programs. You choose three Explorer activities from our list of options. Students spend about 25 minutes at each station.
  • Workshops: 90 minute experience which focuses on one topic. You choose one workshop from our list of options.
  • Invention Studio Programs: Our most intensive experience, which involves multiple visits throughout the school year and each visit lasts two hours. (Separate link here to IS.)

Can we spend the whole day at KID Museum?

When you visit, we only have the activities available which you have scheduled. We do not have self guided exhibits. If you would like to spend the whole day at KID Museum, you must schedule two different activities – one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Your group can take a lunch break in between programs. You can choose to combine an Explorer program and a Workshop program to make a full day of activities, or you can choose two Explorer programs (six activities) or two Workshops.

Group Size

How many students can you accommodate for a field trip?

The number of students we can accommodate depends on the program that you choose. For our Explorer program, we can accommodate up to a maximum of 120 students for visits with Kindergarten classes or older. For our workshops, we can accommodate one or two classes at a time.

Teachers & Chaperones

How many teachers and chaperones should I bring?

We recommend a ratio of 1 adult (teacher or chaperone) to every 10 students.  We do not charge admission for adults. Please let us know how many teachers and chaperones you plan to bring with you.

Reservations

How do I make and confirm a reservation?

All field trips are booked through our online reservation form. Completion of the online reservation form does not constitute a confirmation. Your field trip is confirmed when you receive the contract and send your deposit to hold the reservation.

Payment

How can I pay for our field trip?

You can mail payment to KID Museum, 6400 Democracy Blvd, Bethesda, MD 20817 or you can call 301-897-5437 to pay by credit card.

Is there a minimum payment or number of students required to run a program?

Our minimum payment to run a weekday program is $250. For our Explorer program, that price includes up to 25 students and for our Workshops, that price includes up to 12 students. You can bring fewer students, but the minimum payment of $250 remains the same.

When are the deposit and final balance due?

  • The deposit is due within three weeks after the contract has been sent.
  • The balance is due one month prior to your scheduled field trip.
  • If you book a visit less than one month before your scheduled field trip, full payment is due within one week of booking.

Do you offer reduced rates?

If your school is Title One or any other designation, please include that information on your request form.

Arrival & Departure

What should we do if we are running late for our scheduled field trip?

If you are running late for your program, please call the museum at 301-897-5437 to inform our staff. We understand that it is difficult to arrive exactly at your scheduled time due to traffic, weather, busing and other factors out of your control. If you arrive late, we will make our best effort to accommodate your group for the full program length but we cannot guarantee it.

After our program, can we visit other parts of the museum?

Due to our limited space, the only program(s) available during your visit are those reserved in advance and facilitated by our educators. We do not have exhibits for self-guided activities.

Transportation

Where can we park our school bus or cars?

KID Museum is located on the lower level of the Davis Library at 6400 Democracy Boulevard, Bethesda, MD 20817. Our entrance is on the back side of the building off of Bells Mill Road and it says KID Museum on the glass doors. There is a free parking lot for you to use if you arrive by car. If you arrive by bus, please inform your bus driver to drop off students at the doors of KID Museum then to park on the street. Note: please do not park too close to the corner of Bells Mill and Montauk Avenue because it blocks the stop sign at that intersection.

Food Options

Can we eat lunch at KID Museum?

  • Indoors – We have space to accommodate up to 50 students for lunch in our party room and cafe area. Please let us know if you plan to eat your lunch at  KID Museum so that we can reserve space for you.
  • Outdoors – We have a large shaded, grassy area next to our building. Any size group is  welcome to eat outside. There are no tables or chairs available.

Do you have food available to purchase?

We do not sell meals or beverages, but we do sell a limited amount of light snacks such as granola bars and chips at the front desk.

Are there restaurants nearby?

At the corner of Old Georgetown Road and Democracy Boulevard, less than ½ mile away, there are several restaurants. In addition, there is a food court at Montgomery Mall which is one mile away.

Policies

Inclement Weather

In the event of inclement weather, KID Museum follows Montgomery County’s snow and inclement weather policies, not Montgomery County Public Schools’ closures. We will be closed when the County is closed. Closure information will be posted on our website by 8am. Please email us at fieldtrips@kid-museum.org if you are uncertain about the status of your field trip.

If your school district is closed, has a delayed start or an early dismissal due to inclement weather and you are unable to attend your field trip, please contact us at fieldtrips@kid-museum.org as soon as possible. We will do our best to reschedule your field trip at no additional cost. If we are unable to find a suitable date to reschedule, your payment will be returned in full.

Invent the Future Challenge afternoon field trips – MCPS buses reserved as part of the Invent the Future Challenge are able to visit even when there is a two hour delay. Please call the bus lot to confirm that your bus will pick you up at the designated time.

Program Cancellations & Refunds

If you need to cancel your program for any reason other than inclement weather, we will follow the guidelines below:

  • Full refund up to three months prior to scheduled date (minus processing fee).
  • 50% refund up to two months prior to scheduled date (minus processing fee).
  • No refund if cancelled less than two months prior to scheduled date.

If you want to reschedule your visit for a different date, we can transfer your payment up to two months prior to your originally scheduled date without penalty. However, we cannot reschedule your visit for a different date if it is less than two months prior to your originally scheduled date.

KID Museum asks for full payment one month in advance of your field trip so that we can properly staff the visit and prepare the necessary materials. In the event that some of your students are unable to attend the field trip, we do not refund your school for those students.

Addtional questions? Call us at 301-897-5437 or email fieldtrips@kid-museum.org.