What’s New This Month

March Playtime

March is Women’s History Month  

We will have special story times in which we read books that describe the accomplishments of women in our community and beyond. We will also read some that celebrate girl power! Visit our library in our Make Your Mark Gallery for our engaging selection.

March & April Spring Artist in Residence

Emma Raynor (she/her) is a printmaker, photographer and ceramic artist based in New Orleans with over 14 years of experience as an early childhood educator. As LCM’s Spring 2025 Artist in Residence, Emma will invite children to dive into the awe-inspiring natural world of City Park with a hands-on printmaking project. Families will explore the outdoors, gathering natural treasures from the park or the museum grounds, and Emma will guide them through a creative journey using a variety of exciting printmaking techniques, including cyanotypes, ink prints, and prints in clay. Together, they will explore and celebrate the beauty of City Park through art.

Spring Season Nature Observation Table  – Studio in the Park (2nd week of March – April)

Visit our Studio in the Park as we bring the outdoors inside to our Nature Observation table! The Spring Equinox (the official start to the season) falls this year on March 20th, so join us as we look for signs of spring in the natural world around us and in our cultural traditions. Take some time to record observations of live plants and springtime elements in our Studio Journals and try your hand at painting botanical artwork with watercolor pencils.

April Playtime

Arab American Heritage Month

April is a time to celebrate and highlight the contributions and talents of Arab Americans. Come enjoy our selection of books that recognize Arab American authors and illustrators.

National Poetry Month

Reading and writing poetry help children to have fun with language. When reading poems of others’ experiences, children can experience an increase in empathy and learn about someone else’s life. When writing their own, children can express themselves and have fun with this creative outlet. Join us at LCM to learn about and read haikus, free verse, cinquains, and more. You will also have an opportunity to add your poem to the LCM Poet-Tree near our Studio in the Park.

Thursday, April 3 and 17, 4:30 p.m.—6:30 p.m.: Sensory-Friendly Playtime 

At LCM, we are committed to building stronger, more connected communities through active engagement. We welcome all families and children of all backgrounds and circumstances. We offer a playtime for families that provides a low-sensory experience where children with sensory-specific needs can explore the Museum without the noise, crowds, and stimulation of typical open hours. We limit the number of families who can attend, turn down sounds and lights, and provide adaptive equipment such as noise-reducing headphones and weighted vests. When available, specialists will be on hand to help facilitate activities and provide resources. If you would like to participate in this event, please register here.

Friday, April 4 & 11, 3:00 p.m.—4 p.m.: Food Science Friday

Join us in Follow That Food for fun kitchen experiments. These projects will teach you concepts in various learning areas like science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and art. You’ll get to engage with food in an all-new way.

Saturday, April 5, 10 a.m.—4 p.m.: Mud Fest

Mud Fest is a one-day festival that focuses on playing with one of nature’s messiest resources: mud! New Orleans and coastal Louisiana’s ecosystems demonstrate the ultimate blend of earth and water. We are surrounded by wetland habitats, interact with water regularly, and are impacted by unique regional hazards associated with water. This celebration for families promotes positive associations with our regional realities, while fostering resilience and critical thinking skills for the next generation of engineers, educators, urban planners, fishermen, farmers, conservationists, and wetland stewards.

Mud Fest’s main feature is an enormous pile of mud! Five trucks’ worth of soil, a Mud-ucation station featuring a dozen STEM activities hosted by community partners, RicRACK’s Studio in the Mud, two stages of entertainment, a Kid Wash, a Mudder run, and much more give guests of all ages the opportunity to explore the magic of mud. Come get muddy with us!

Performance and Interactive Q & A with Mahmoud Chouki, Moroccan Musician, Composer, Curator and Teacher.

April 5-11: NAEYC Week of the Young Child
Each week is the week of the young child here at the Museum, but we want to take time to recognize the official celebration spearheaded by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Each day of this special week, we will find new ways to celebrate children, and we will highlight the play and learning of our young guests in different activities around the Museum.

Sunday, April 6 at 2:00 p.m.: Special Performance and Interactive Q & A with Mahmoud Chouki, Moroccan Musician, Composer, Curator and Teacher

Join us for a special performance and presentation by local Moroccan musician Mahmoud Chouki as he shares with us his culture and inspires us with the sounds of traditional Arabic music.

Wednesday, April 9: Work Together Wednesday

Throughout the day, children, grown-ups, and play facilitators are invited to explore blocks of all different sizes with our popular Imagination Playground Blocks, KEVA planks, Magna-Tiles, and more!

Thursday, April 10: Artsy Thursday

Stop by our Studio in the Park for a deep dive into our springtime nature observations or visit our Artist in Residence for a fun collaborative art project.

Friday, April 11 at 11:30 a.m.: Animal Family Friday

Join us in our Dig Into Nature Gallery for Animal Family Friday as we learn about how local animals protect and care for their young. There will be fun nesting and weaving activities, too!

Saturday, April 12 11:30 a.m.—2:30 p.m.: Xavier University Chinese Program presents – explore the flavors and fun of the Taiwanese “Night Market” Experience!
Enjoy authentic Taiwanese snacks like bubble tea, popcorn chicken, and dumplings,
and have fun playing classic night market games like pinball, mahjong matching, goldfish scooping, ring toss, and baseball toss. Join us to learn, play, eat, and try your luck to win fun prizes!

Saturday, April 12 at 2:00 p.m.: April Sock Hop Wiggle Party

Guests are invited to dance, play instruments, and chase bubbles at our monthly Wiggle Party. We invite you to wear silly socks or just your favorite pair!

Saturday April 12, 2:30 p.m.—3:30 p.m.: Wicked Weeds

Join us in the Edible Garden as children enter the world of weeds! Guests will explore and differentiate weeds, grasses, and flowers, all while learning weed control strategies to help your garden flourish.
Tuesday April 15 12:00pm LCM In Dialogue Series Online Session: Choosing an Early Learning Childcare Center.

Tuesday April 15 at 12:00 p.m.: In Dialogue: Choosing an Early Learning Childcare Center with Holly Dalferes and Terri Baquet

This show is dedicated to connecting with families and educators through discussing important topics that impact the health and wellness of children. This month, join our LCM Early Learning Director Terri Baquet and LCM In Dialogue Director Holly Dalferes, who have both worked extensively over their careers in early childhood education You can register to attend this event at this link, and we will send you a Zoom link.  The sessions are also recorded and can be found at lcm.org, where we have a curated library of resources for our community.

April 17, 18 & 21: Spring Break Camp

“Our Own Backyard” Spring Break Camp is designed for children ages 4-8. Campers will dig, plant, and investigate soil and learn about native plants and flowers of New Orleans. Featured activities include creating a landscape design and planting in our Edible Garden.  Register now.

Saturday, April 19: LCM Celebrates Earth Weekend

Tuesday, April 22 is the 55th annual Earth Day! Join LCM in celebrating on Saturday,
April 19 with a full day of activities:

• Bring your aluminum cans and use our can crushers to crush away with us.
• Go on a scavenger hunt to search for common plants and wildlife species in our
  Big Backyard.
• 12:30 p.m. – Learn about and observe beneficial bugs in our Edible Garden.
• 2:00 p.m. – Join us for a special Earth Day Story Time in our Edible Garden.
• 2:30 p.m. – Help the LCM Edible Garden grow during our Wild Wonderers program.
• 12:30 p.m.– 3:00 p.m. – Write a wish, hope, or dream for our planet in a fun outdoor writing activity.

Tuesday April 15, 5:30 p.m.—6:30 p.m.: Virtual Caregiver Connection Peer Support
Group

Parents and caregivers of children with sensory needs are invited to join our virtual Sensory-friendly Playtime peer support group that will take place the fourth Thursday of each month via Zoom. Please contact dcampo@lcm.org with questions.

Saturday, April 19: LCM Hours 12:00 p.m.—4:30 p.m.

LCM will open at 12:00 due to traffic and parking issues that are anticipated on the day of the Crescent City Classic.

Sunday, April 20: LCM Closed

Saturday April 26, 12:00 p.m.—2:30 p.m. and Sunday April 27, 11:30 a.m.—1:30 p.m.: Spring Flower Fest in the Edible Garden

Join us to explore spring and flowers at our first Spring Flower Fest. We will plant seeds and learn about all that grows in our Edible Garden. Create a flower, design floral chalk art, and enjoy refreshments. This event is a culminating project for two LCM interns, and we couldn’t be more excited to share their ideas, creativity, and dedication to you, our LCM families.