GIVEAWAY: Family Pass to Discovery Gateway Children’s Museum

We were privileged to attend a Night At The Museum a few nights ago at Discovery Gateway Children’s Museum, and had a ton of fun! My kids are eight and ten years old, and have just as much fun there as they did when they were toddlers. That’s the great thing about Discovery Gateway; you’re never too old to enjoy something there!

My kids’ very favorite thing at Night At The Museum was the Haunted House making class they took. The educator grabbed the kids’ attention by singing a spooky song from her childhood, and telling the fun story behind it. She then showed the kids an amazing haunted house that she was working on made out of cardboard, then let the kids use their imagination to create their own haunted houses. This project lasted three days at our house; my kids were so excited about it that they kept adding to it and coming up with more fun props to add. 

All classes are free with paid museum admission, and each month has a different theme. All of the educators at Discovery Gateway have a degree in early childhood education.  You can find a complete schedule and what age groups the classes are geared towards on their website.

  

Of course we enjoyed roaming the museum, and had to test our reporter skills out at the KSL news desk and weather station. The helicopter landing pad and newly added mock Primary Children’s Medical Center was also a big hit!

Their new Sensory Room and Social Story Corner is amazing! It was designed to help families with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, but made for all families to enjoy. It is only one of two specially designed play areas like it in the country, and was designed by a women whose son has autism. Explore the senses through lights, water bubbles, touch boxes, vibrations and plasma balls. Learn about visual story making, a family life-planning tool that helps children understand and plan for life events.

Below are some upcoming events you need to check out:

You can find a complete schedule of classes and special events on the Discovery Gateway website.

• Discovery Fun Days
  Enjoy $6 admission after 5 pm on Friday and Saturday, and all day on Sunday
  with a coupon from DiscoveryGateway.org.
  
• Halloween Spooktacular
  Friday, October 31, 2014 | 11 am - 7 pm
  $5 Member Tickets | $10 Non-Member Tickets
  Join Discovery Gateway: The Children's Museum of Utah, for its annual SUPER FUN Halloween celebration – Spooktacular. This special fundraising event will feature more scare-free fun than ever before including trick-or-treating in the Front Door Maze, Marvelous Moments princesses, Kipper Brothers’ puppet shows, a Mike Hamilton magic show, STEM programming, art experiences and special activities for preschoolers! Tickets available online at DiscoveryGateway.org, in advance at the museum or on the day of the event
  
• Día de los Muertos
  Day of the Dead
  Saturday, Nov. 1 | 12 - 4 pm
  Join Discovery Gateway in honoring Hispanic culture during Día de los Muertos celebration. See beautiful Mexican folk art on loan from Artes de México en Utah, as well as live singing and music with Rocio del Valle and dance performances from Quetzalcoatl Cultural Club. Learn more about traditions through activities such as calavera de azúcar (sugar skull) decorating, puppets, masks and zempazuchtl (tissue paper flower) making.

Please celebrate your loved ones who have passed by bringing in photos of them to place on the Community Altar created with local artist Sonia Pentz.

• Živio Ethnic Arts Dance Performance
  Saturday, Nov. 8 | 2 pm
  Živio Ethnic Arts will present Eastern European dances accompanied by live music. During breaks between performances, children will be invited to participate in dance lessons. In addition to the dance and children’s participatory session, the performers will showcase different items of significance used in their dances, and will provide brief information on the history and culture of the countries represented.
  
• Tour of India
  Saturday, Nov. 15 | 12 - 4 pm
  Use your imagination to journey around the world to India with Discovery Gateway! Discover the arts and traditions of India through Kargi Kala Kendra musical and dance performances, hands-on activities, and an Indian marketplace with authentic merchandise, henna tattoos and food by Ganesh Indian Cuisine for sale.
  
• Veterans Day
  Tuesday, November 11
  Discovery Gateway is grateful to all military families for their dedicated and loyal service to our country. Active and Retired military families with proper ID receive free admission for up to four people on Veterans Day.

• Discovery Gateway's Holiday Food Drive
  Wednesday, November 26
  Make it a family tradition to give back to the community on the day before Thanksgiving at Discovery Gateway! Bring in a donation for the Utah Food and receive 1 FREE admission for every 2 non-perishable food items donated at the museum during this one-day-only event!
  All annual family memberships will be $10 off during the Holiday Food Drive.
  
• Breakfast with Santa
  Saturdays, December 6, 13 & 20
  8-10 am
  Sundays, December 14 & 21
  10 am - 12 pm

Members: $22 Per Child/$27 Per Adult
Nonmembers: $27 Per Child/$32 Per Adult

Because we keep our event small, each child will be able to spend one-on-one time with Santa for pictures and holiday wishes. As a special treat, we will open the Museum early for Breakfast/Brunch guests only and children will enjoy exclusive play time with Santa! Each family member will receive a special stocking gift. There will also be ornament making and a Santa craft in the Curiosity Shop.

Menu includes: Pancakes, bacon, sausage, eggs, pastries, yogurt, fruit, juice, coffee, and hot cocoa

• Zaniac Robotics: LEGO® Workshop
  Saturday, December 27
  12 – 2 pm & 3 – 5 pm
  Zaniac's LEGO robotics gets children excited about STEM by teaching them real world applications for math and science. Your child will have a blast learning everything
  from the scientific method to mechanics to physics principles to innovation and design and a lot in between.

• Super Kids Save the World
  New traveling Exhibit
  May 16 - August 23, 2015.
  Super Kids Save the World interactive exhibit teaches kids how to save the world,
  one action at a time. Super Kids Save the World gives kids (and their parents) the power to go green! Designed with “green” materials and practices, this super exhibit gives kids real super hero training starting with the four Rs:
  Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Recycle!

GIVEAWAY:

Because we love Discovery Gateway Children’s Museum, we want to give you the chance to love it as much as we do! Enter the Rafflecopter below to win one of two family passes to the Museum.

Deadline to enter is Wednesday October 29th 2014 at 11:59pm. Winner must respond to notification email within 24 hours, or a new winner will be chosen. Enjoy Utah and Discovery Gateway will not be held responsible for any reason email is not received after it is sent. This includes, but is not limited to, lack of internet, spam email filtering, etc.

Winners will be mailed a family pass that’s good for up to six visitors to Discovery Gateway Children’s Museum. Pass expires on October 31, 2015. We will also not be held responsible for passes lost in the mail after we drop them in the mailbox.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I was provided with complimentary admission for me and my family to the Museum, along with two family passes to give away, in exchange for my write-up and review. The views and opinions expressed in this write-up are all my own. I was not compensated financially, nor was I required or persuaded to write any specific type of review.