Families
The Art & Nature Center closed July 8 for renovations. An interim space, the Pop-Up Art & Nature Center, opened July 14, 2012. The Art & Nature Center is scheduled to reopen fall 2013 with the special exhibition Artist–Animal Collaborations.
Where else can you fold an origami penguin, meet a live wolf and make your own finger puppets? At PEM, we’ve got plenty of ways for you to discover new adventures in art with your family and friends. Pick up a family-friendly Gallery Discovery Kit and search for animals or explore life at sea. Get swept up in the excitement of an Atrium Alive weekend festival and make new friends in our PEM Pals and Story Trails programs. Come experience PEM — together.
Drop-in Art Activities
Saturdays and Sundays, 1-3 pm.
Pop-Up Art & Nature Center
Included with museum admission
Come create! Explore art, nature and more. Monthly schedule available in the Pop-Up Art & Nature Center.
Art Investigations
Saturdays and Sundays, 1-3 pm, ask for cart's location at the information desk.
Get hands-on in the galleries! Each month, look for our interactive Art Cart and explore more. Touch objects, experiment with art-making techniques and discover the stories about the art around you.
Family-friendly Resources
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Ships Ahoy!: Gallery Discovery Kit
Download this family-friendly Gallery Discovery Kit and explore life at sea. PDF Format.
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Support for Family Programs provided in part by the Lowell Institute, American Dental Partners and Target.
Related events For families
Included with museum admission
Drop by the exhibition Fish, Silk, Tea, Bamboo: Cultivating an Image of China where a museum educator will explore hidden symbols in an incredible silk robe.
This event will be located on the second floor near the Japanese Art Gallery.
Included with museum admission
Silk Paper Making
museum admission
Stitch your own winter wonderland.
Made possible by American Dental Partners.
Meet author/illustrator Joe McKendry, author of the new book One Times Square, and hear the stories he uncovered while writing Beneath the Streets of Boston, then draw with the artist.
For children ages 5 to 8 with adult
Tickets available on day of program
Made possible by Target
museum admission
Stitch your own winter wonderland.
Made possible by American Dental Partners.
museum admission
Decorate a real silk cocoon.
Made possible by American Dental Partners.
museum admission
Decorate a real silk cocoon.
Made possible by American Dental Partners.
museum admission
Decorate a real silk cocoon.
Made possible by American Dental Partners.
museum admission
Create an abstract landscape or quilt square with silk.
Made possible by American Dental Partners.
museum admission
Create an abstract landscape or quilt square with silk.
Made possible by American Dental Partners.
museum admission
Decorate a set of dice to inspire your future art-making.
Made possible by American Dental Partners.
The people of Rani's village are hungry. But when she is rewarded for a good deed she first asks for only a single grain of rice. Will her clever plan save her people? Find out as we read The Rajah's Rice by David Barry, and then create a colored rice mosiac to take home.
Tickets available on day of program.
Made possible by Target
museum admission
Decorate a set of dice to inspire your future art-making.
Made possible by American Dental Partners.
Join us as we celebrate the Year of The Snake, the most cunning and sly of all Chinese Zodiac creatures .
10-11 am
DROP-IN GALLERY EXPLORATION
Gallery Spot: Silk
second floor near Japanese Art Gallery
Drop by the exhibition Fish, Silk, Tea, Bamboo: Cultivating an Image of China where a museum educator will explore hidden symbols in an incredible silk robe.
10 am–1 pm and 2:30-4:30 pm
DROP-IN ART ACTIVITIES
Springy Snakes
East India Marine Hall
Snake Train!
East India Marine Hall
Don't miss the chance to collaborate on the creation of a large snake sculpture using silk fabric and ribbons.
11-11:30 am
PERFORMANCES
Lion Dance
Atrium | For all ages
Gund Kwok Asian Women Lion and Dragon Dance Troupe return to PEM to kick off the celebration.
11:30 am-12:30 pm
PERFORMANCES
Diabolo, Drumming & Folk Dances
Atrium | For all ages
The Chinese Folk Art Workshop presents traditional dances to celebrate the New Year, and performs tricks with the diabolo, the traditional Chinese yo-yo.
1-1:30 pm and 3:30-4 pm
STORYTELLING
Tales of the New Year
Morse Auditorium | For children ages 3 and up with adult
Tickets available at admissions desk on day of program
Join award-winning educator Li Min Mo as she tells lively stories of the Lunar New Year zodiac and sings traditional Chinese rhymes and songs.
1:30-2:15 pm
DEMONSTRATION
Snakes!
East India Marine Hall
Come see a demonstration of live snakes big and small with our friends from Curious Creatures.
2:30–3:30 pm
PERFORMANCE
New! Cubs Lion Dance
East India Marine Hall
Part of the Gund Kwok Dance Troupe, the Cubs are ages 6-9 and have mastered the Lion Dance.
Made possible by the Lowell Institute
museum admission
Create a reusable set of tangram puzzle pieces.
Made possible by American Dental Partners.
museum admission
Use one of our blank board game templates to create your own nature-inspired game.
Made possible by American Dental Partners.
museum admission
Use one of our blank board game templates to create your own nature-inspired game.
Made possible by American Dental Partners.
Included with museum admission
Join us for a weeklong celebration of the many ways that people play around the world.
DROP-IN ART AND ACTIVITIES
Giant Games
10 am–4 pm | Atrium and East India Marine Hall
Stack a Jenga tower as tall as you are, dance on giant piano keys and create some big words on our oversized Scrabble board.
Games Around the World
10 am–4 pm | assorted galleries
Abstract Magnetic Puzzles
10:30 am–1 pm | Atrium
PERFORMANCES
Yo-Yo Show
11–11:45 am and 1:30-2:15 pm
Morse Auditorium
For families with children ages 5 and up
Reservations by February 15
Reserve tickets for the 11:00 Show
Reserve tickets for the 1:30 Show
DROP-IN ACTIVITY
Indoor Hopscotch Design
1-4 pm | Bartlett Gallery
FILM
Alice in Wonderland
2:30-3:45 pm | Morse Auditorium
Reservations by February 15
Reserve Tickets for the Film Now
Made possible by the Lowell Institute
Included with museum admission
Join us for a weeklong celebration of the many ways that people play around the world.
DROP-IN ART AND ACTIVITIES
Giant Games
10 am–4 pm | Atrium and East India Marine Hall
Games Around the World
10 am–4 pm | assorted galleries
Abstract Magnetic Puzzles
10:30 am–1 pm | Atrium
PERFORMANCES
Yo-Yo Show
11–11:45 am and 1:30-2:15 pm
Morse Auditorium
For families with children ages 5 and up
Reservations by February 15
Reserve tickets for the 11:00 Show
Reserve tickets for the 1:30 Show
DROP-IN ACTIVITY
Make Your Own Marble Machine
1-4 pm | Bartlett Gallery
For families with children ages 6 and up
Made possible by American Dental Partners
Local artist and educator James Eric Rogers constructs large, interactive artwork with tubes, funnels, rubber bands, marbles and anything else you can imagine!
Made possible by the Lowell Institute
Included with museum admission
Join us for a weeklong celebration of the many ways that people play around the world.
DROP-IN ART AND ACTIVITIES
Giant Games
10 am–4 pm | Atrium and East India Marine Hall
Games Around the World
10 am–4 pm | assorted galleries
Abstract Magnetic Puzzles
10:30 am–1 pm | Atrium
PERFORMANCES
Sumo Mice and Power Rice
11–11:45 am and 1-1:45 pm
Morse Auditorium
Reservations by February 19
Award-winning storyteller Motoko returns to PEM with Japanese game-focused, origami-filled storytelling.
Reserve tickets for the 11:00 Show
Reserve tickets for the 1:00 Show
DROP-IN ACTIVITY
Indoor Hopscotch Design
1-4 pm | Bartlett Gallery
FILM
JUMANJI
2:15-3:45 PM | Morse Auditorium
Reservations by February 19
Rated PG
Reserve Tickets for the Film Now
Made possible by the Lowell Institute
Included with museum admission
Join us for a weeklong celebration of the many ways that people play around the world.
DROP-IN ART AND ACTIVITIES
Giant Games
10 am–4 pm | Atrium and East India Marine Hall
Games Around the World
10 am–4 pm | assorted galleries
Abstract Magnetic Puzzles
10:30 am–1 pm | Atrium
PERFORMANCES
Sumo Mice and Power Rice
11–11:45 am and 1-1:45 pm
Morse Auditorium
Reservations by February 19
Award-winning storyteller Motoko returns to PEM with Japanese game-focused, origami-filled storytelling.
Reserve tickets for the 11:00 Show
Reserve tickets for the 1:00 Show
DROP-IN ACTIVITY
Indoor Hopscotch Design
1-4 pm | Bartlett Gallery
EVENING PARTY PEM/PM
Café Samovar: Indian Fusion
6:30-9:30 PM
Members and Salem Residents free.
nonmembers $10
Experience street food, music and a fresh serving of the hottest Indian-American writers, as PEM's Atrium is transformed into Café Samovar, Bombay's artistic and intellectual hotspot. Join this fascinating conversation about art, books, America and global India, with Pulitzer-Prize finalist Suketu Mehta, along with authors Rajesh Parameswaran and Rishi Reddi. Chef demonstration and tasting provided by TAJ Boston. We are pleased to partner for this event with The Tannery Series, an effort to bring well-known authors to the North Shore. Cash bar. Refreshments available for purchase in the Atrium Café.
Made possible by the Lowell Institute
Included with museum admission
Join us for a weeklong celebration of the many ways that people play around the world.
DROP-IN ART AND ACTIVITIES
Giant Games
10 am–4 pm | Atrium and East India Marine Hall
Games Around the World
10 am–4 pm | assorted galleries
Abstract Magnetic Puzzles
10:30 am–1 pm | Atrium
PERFORMANCES
High-Energy Juggling
11–11:45 am and 1-1:45 pm
Morse Auditorium
Reservations by February 21
Juggling "rock stars" Matthew and Jason Tardy deliver an energetic performance full of humor, music and flying objects.
Reserve tickets for the 11:00 show
Reserve tickets for the 1:00 show
DROP-IN ACTIVITY
Indoor Hopscotch Design
1-4 pm | Bartlett Gallery
Made possible by the Lowell Institute
museum admission
What surprise will you place inside your clothespin puppet?
Made possible by American Dental Partners.
museum admission
What surprise will you place inside your clothespin puppet?
Made possible by American Dental Partners.
museum admission
Create a lanyard or bracelet with this easy finger knitting technique.
Made possible by American Dental Partners.
museum admission
Create a lanyard or bracelet with this easy finger knitting technique.
Made possible by American Dental Partners.
Included with museum admission
Celebrate the creativity and dynamism of contemporary India during this annual weekend-long festival. We'll present pioneering artists, electrifying performances, provocative ideas and creative family-friendly experiences. Inspired by the modern and contemporary Indian art in Midnight to the Boom, explore today's India through dance, food, musical performances, visual art and storytelling.
