Washington, DC families can meet America’s national mammal up close on Saturday, November 7, when the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History celebrates National Bison Day with a free edition of its beloved family program, The World & Me. From 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., the Q?rius education center on the museum’s ground floor will fill with hands-on stations created especially for children from birth to age 8 and the grown-ups who explore alongside them.
The bison is a joyful starting point for learning: children can investigate how this mighty animal survives and thrives across North American landscapes, discover what makes an ecosystem healthy, and enjoy a story time that brings the prairie to life. Museum educators will be on hand to guide the play, answer curious questions and help young scientists connect the bison’s story to the natural world they can see on the National Mall and beyond.
The program is free, and while registration is recommended, it is not required; every child must be accompanied by an adult. Q?rius, billed as the Science and Education Center of the National Museum of Natural History, sits on the ground floor at 10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW — an easy stroll from the Federal Triangle and Smithsonian Metro stations.
Happy City News tip: arrive a little early, because The World & Me mornings are popular with local families, and leave time afterward to say hello to the museum’s famous elephants and dinosaurs. It is a warm, playful way to celebrate the nation’s largest land mammal — and one of the happiest family outings on the National Mall this fall.
Photo: Jack Dykinga / USDA Agricultural Research Service, via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
