Winter Family Day Schedule
Featured Activities
The Science of Marshmallow, 10:00am + 11:00am, Workshop (1 hour)
Welcome Center Auditorium
Join the Kitchen Matters team for a live cooking show, packed with interactive experiments and demonstrations, about the science of marshmallow.
Dance Recess, 11:30 AM + 12:30pm, Short Workshop
Kendall/MIT Open Space
Join dance educator Lonnie Stanton for an engaging, site-responsive movement workshop for kids and families. Activate the senses and connect with scale and texture in outdoor space. This program is recommended for ages 3+, but all are welcome to breathe and play together! Presented in collaboration with The Click.
Robot Dog Demo, 12:00pm + 1:00pm + 2:00pm, Demonstration (30 minutes)
MIT Museum Lobby
Meet a robotic dog with our friends from the NSF Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Fundamental Interactions (IAIFI). IAIFI Fellow Ge Yang and MIT undergraduates demonstrate how they’ve trained their robotic dog using reinforcement learning, which trains machines to take action without explicit instructions or corrections.
Paper Circuit Snowpeople, 12:00pm - 2:00pm, Drop-in activity
Welcome Center Lobby
Make your snowperson shine bright! Join Science Club for Girls and the stars of SCFGLive! to create fantastic paper circuit snowpeople. This activity is great for scientists of all ages (some adult supervision may be required for younger children). Stop by for a free backpack and STEM kit!
Build a Phytoplankter, 1:00 - 3:00pm, Drop-in activity
Welcome Center Auditorium
Phytoplankton form the base of marine and freshwater food webs, supporting a wide range of sea creatures, and float at the water’s surface. Participants will use beads, pipe cleaners, foam, and other materials to build a model phytoplankter, and will get to test its sinking speed in a water tank. This activity is geared towards ages 10-14, but young scientists are welcome to come observe too. Presented in collaboration with the Civil and Environmental Engineering department at MIT and Lemelson-MIT.
MIT Lion Dance, 1:30pm + 2:30pm, Performance (15 minutes)
MIT Museum Lobby
The MIT Lion Dance Team has been bringing the traditional art of lion dancing to the greater Boston area since 1994. Traditionally, lion dancing is believed to bring fortune, prosperity, and longevity. During the performance, please feel free to interact with the lions!
All Day
Family Photobooth with Cambridge Community Television
Welcome Center, 2nd Floor
Take a family photo at the CCTV Photobooth, and get it by email later as a keepsake from winter 2023!
Explore and Play with MathTalk
Kendall/MIT Open Space
Math is Everywhere! Come explore math concepts by engaging with MathTalk's playful math activities and public art installations.
Beats by MITDMC
Welcome Center Lobby
Get moving with tunes from the MIT Dance Mix Coalition.
Food and Drink
Cocoa and coffee (free)
Snacks (free)
Food Trucks (food for purchase). Food trucks are available between 11am-2pm.