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Campers will explore and gain a better understanding about history through engaging hands on discoveries. Interactive activi-ties will use the museum’s historic collections and resources to foster camper’s understanding of our past. Campers will try out a bow drill, throw a spear, play with old toys, print on an early letter press, write with a […]
Visit the pond, hike in the woods with binoculars in hand, view the sun, examine Maine minerals, learn about fossils, discover the life cycle of insects, make new friends and much more. Come have fun exploring the museum and its collections. For ages 6-11. Camp runs June 26 – 30, 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. […]
Let your imagination run wild as we invent fantastic new creatures by combining parts of existing animals in the museum — using colored pencils, of course! This fun activity helps kids think about adaptations and the “creativity” we observe in some animals’ naturally selected traits. Can you invent a chimera stranger than the duck-billed platypus? […]
Come learn about some of the techniques used by NASA scientists to explore and understand our universe, through a series of fun and informative hands-on activities, including: Stomp Rockets • Mars Rover Game • Discovering Distant Planets • Moon Craters • and more! Plus, discover the construction and principles behind a working refractor telescope with […]
What do humans, bears, whales, and bats have in common? Quite a lot, it turns out! We will talk about what makes a mammal a mammal, and the adaptations we can observe in a mammal’s fur, teeth, and feet to find out who they are, and what they’re good at! Skulls and pelts will be […]
The L.C. Bates Museum’s summer 2023 exhibition, In Balance/Imbalance, features over 20 artists from Maine or with ties to the state and is the result of a collaborative effort between the L.C. Bates Museum staff and two Colby College students, Zehra Gundogdu ’25 and Anna Jaubert ’25, under the supervision of Professor Véronique Plesch. Opening […]
As part of Jane’s Walk take a walking tour of the museum’s architecture and the GWH campus near the museum including buildings, the road and pond behind the museum. We will talk about the Maine architect William Miller of Lewiston, who designed the museum and four other buildings on campus and Parker of Olmsted Firm's […]
March 4,* Mammal Skulls, Teeth and Claws: Examine mammal skulls, teeth and claws to determine how they help each mammal. Learn how some skulls and their teeth are designed well for hunting, chewing wood or grazing. Count how many teeth a beaver has and touch sharp bobcat teeth. Make a paper skull craft to take […]
February 4: Birds That Fish Tour Tour the museum gallery’s birds that fish. With Maine’s wetlands and ocean frontage, there are many Maine birds that fish for their food. Look at their different adaptations such as bills nd feet that help them fish. Draw your favorite bird fisherman. February 11: Make a Sailors Valentines or […]
Come enjoy children's activities on Saturday mornings at L.C. Bates! Jan. 7 — Mammal Skulls, Teeth and Claws — Examine mammal skulls, teeth and claws to determine how they help each mammal. Learn how some skulls and their teeth are designed well for hunting, chewing wood or grazing. Count how many teeth a bear has and touch […]
Put on your wildlife biologist cap, and hone your observational skills, as we follow the clues find in various birds’ beaks to learn about their lifestyles and behavior. Why do hummingbirds have long, skinny beaks, while the Red Crossbill has a unique, asymmetrical beak? Admission: $4 for adults, $1 for children.
In this guided tour, we will highlight some of the endangered, threatened and extinct species found in the museum’s collection. We also, happily, will talk about some species that have made remarkable recoveries thanks to recent conservation efforts! Admission: $4 for adults, $1 for children.
Come tour the Audubon Gallery to find the birds you will see in the winter landscape. Admission: $4 for adults, $1 for children.
Color a wooden top and make a game sheet. Then have fun playing the game. Admission: $4 for adults, $1 for children
Animals in Winter (Nov. 5): What do animals do during winter? How have they prepared for winter? Come on a tour of Maine animals in winter! What are all the animals out there doing to survive? Not many of them are truly hibernators, so what ingenious methods do they have to help them thrive in […]
October 1: Enjoy and learn about the beautiful trees in our forest on a guided tree walk. Children will receive “tree cookies” to use along the trailsand then take home. October 8: Roll a hoop, spin a top, and enjoy other outdoor old-time toys and games. October 15: Tour Maine birds and make a watercolor […]
See glacier scratch marks and an erratic. Check out the local soils and break a geode.
Blowing bubbles through a red oak twig is amazing and fun! It proves that moisture/water can move through the roots, trunk, and limb of the tree and all the way to the leaves. Come try blowing tree bubbles and other activities on September 10 at the Fall Tree Walk.
August 6, 10 a.m. — Geology Tour of the Campus: Learn about our local landforms and Maine Minerals. August 13, 10 a.m. — Earth and Space/NASA CAMP Activities: Earth and Solar System Activities and games. August 20, 10 a.m. — Tree Identification Walk: Learn to use leaves and bark to identify trees and make a […]
Study the common regional insects and go on walk to discover the many insects found along the trails. For children, make an insect diorama and finger puppet.
Come explore the pond with nets in hand and celebrate all the lovely amphibians.
Children can explore a bird kit and make a small hummingbird feeder to take home. (This activity will take place outdoors. It is weather-dependent.)
Explore earth and space with NISE Activity Kits and games. Learn about the James Webb telescope and send up a stomp rocket.
Come try old time toys like hoops, graces, and tops.
Launching in mid-December, the James Webb Telescope will provide better images of the universe. Explore some earth and space activities including packing the James Webb for transport into space. All outdoor programs are dependent on the weather. Programs will be canceled, if it is rainy.