June 19 through Sept. 30
Monday: Closed
Tuesday–Saturday: 10:30 AM - 5 PM
Sunday: Closed
Oct. 1 through June 18
Monday: Closed
Tuesday–Friday: 12:30 PM - 5 PM
Saturday: 10:30 AM - 5 PM
Sunday: Closed
Explore Activities
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Q?rius jr. is a hands-on room featuring real museum objects and artifacts. During Public Hours, visitors explore activities representing exhibitions and behind-the-scenes research at the museum. Visitors of all ages can look at fossils, skulls, shells and minerals, use a microscope, try on traditional clothing from around the world, and much more! School groups in grades K-5 can take advantage of school programs during the school year.
What can I do in Q?rius jr.?
Search with binoculars for plants and animals on the biodiversity wall, an exhibit showcasing the diversity of species found locally.
Examine butterfly wings, rocks, minerals and more under a real microscope.
Read a story, color a turtle, or create your own bird.
Touch and explore collections of exciting objects from all over the world.
Shake hands with a full-size replica of a human skeleton.
We offer programs for school groups and for homeschool students.
Registration for the 2018-19 school year is now open.
Q?rius jr. School Programs
During the school year, Q?rius jr.: a discovery room offers programs for student groups in grades K-5 on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 10:15 and 11:30. All Q?rius jr. : a discovery room school programs are led by Museum staff, and designed to keep students on task for 45 minutes. Programs require a minimum of 15 students present to run, with a maximum of 30 students per program slot.
Explore dinosaurs through fossil remains: in this staff-led program, students will observe, handle, compare, and contrast dinosaur fossils, describe dinosaur characteristics, and predict why dinosaurs have different kinds of teeth and claws. Pair with a visit to Last American Dinosaurs.
Discover how animals adapt to their environment by handling specimens from the Museum’s collections and analyzing observations, in this staff-led program. Pair this program with a visit to the Hall of Mammals.
Challenge young budding zoologists to observe, describe, compare, and contrast, and sort a variety of shells to sharpen their classification skills and strategies in this staff-led program. Pair this program with a visit to the Sant Ocean Hall.
Classify a variety of minerals by testing their luster, streak, hardness, color, and magnetism, in this staff-led program. Pair this program with a visit to the Geology, Gems, and Minerals Hall.
Search for patterns in survival strategies of insects and practice the skills of entomology. Students will identify survival techniques such as camouflage, mimicry, biting, stinging and flying. Pair this program with a visit to the Insect Zoo or Butterfly Pavilion.
Identify objects from your own Egyptian dig site in this staff-led program. Craft hypotheses as budding anthropologists about why certain objects were found at the burial site and what they can tell us about Ancient Egyptian society. Pair this program with a visit to the Eternal Life in Ancient Egypt exhibition.
Spark students’ curiosity about the diversity of interactions that occur in the natural world. In this staff-led program students explore how living and non-living parts of an ecosystem depend on each other. Pair this program with a visit to the Hall of Mammals or Butterfly Pavilion.
How to Register
Registration for the 2018-19 school year is now open. Go to the school programs registrations page, choose your date and time, click the "Sign Up" button, and on the registration form select the program you want. Register Your Group
Please note:
You must register for a program that aligns with your student’s grade level in order for your program to run.
Programs require a minimum of 15 students present to run, with a maximum of 30 students per program slot.
1 chaperone required per 5 students.
Please contact us at nmnhschoolprograms@si.edu (link sends e-mail) or 202-633-4039 with additional questions about programs or logistics
Q?rius jr. Kits for Homeschool Students
Are you interested in a Q?rius jr. school program, but can’t get together a group of at least 15 students? Try out one of our self-guided Q?rius jr. Kits! Reserve a kit to explore with your children at your own pace; choose from Classifying Shells, Unearthing Egypt, Exploring Ecosystems, or Identifying Minerals. Each kit includes a detailed parent’s guide, kids’ handouts, and fascinating objects to discover. This is not a staff-led program, but there will be staff and volunteers on hand to help.
Kits are available during Q?rius jr. : a discovery room public hours all year, and for younger siblings of Q?rius Homeschool Days participants the first Monday of every month from October through June.
Reservations required. Contact us at nmnhschoolprograms@si.edu (link sends e-mail) or 202-633-4039 to reserve a kit, or with additional questions about programs or logistics. Please note that we require a week's notice for kit reservations.
Q?rius jr.: a discovery room Homeschool Days
Q?rius jr.: a discovery room Homeschool Days take place on the first Monday of every month, October through June, at 2:30 p.m. You must register for a program that aligns with your student’s grade level. For programs designated as K-2, participating students must be in kindergarten, first, or second grade and at least 5 years old by the date of the program. For programs designated as 3-5, students must be in third, fourth, or fifth grade and at least 8 years old by the date of the program.
Registration is now open for programs from October to February.
DATE - PROGRAM - GRADES - TIME SLOT (Click time to get info and register)
