Patty Foster has volunteered with the Kansas Children's Discovery Center since the museum opened in 2011! Patty has done it all at the museum, from front desk to special projects. Her favorite part of volunteering is having the opportunity to see her friends and their grandchildren, particularly the fathers and grandfathers who come to the museum. Thank you, Patty!

Kansas Children’s Discovery Center offers high-quality, interactive experiences to inspire a lifelong love of learning for every child. Volunteers support our mission by creating these memorable experiences for every family who walks through our doors. Volunteers engage children in fun educational activities, pitch in at special events, maintain our outdoor space, and keep exhibit areas ready for play. If you are interested in volunteering or setting up a group volunteer day at the Kansas Children's Discovery Center, call our volunteer coordinator at (785) 783-8300 or complete an online application. 

We were happy to host a group of volunteers from the Washburn University Big Event this weekend! According to the Washburn University website, "The Big Event is a day of community service. It is an opportunity for the members of the Washburn University community to spend a day helping local nonprofits and community organizations. It’s a chance for Washburn to give back to the local community."

This group of students were fantastic volunteers! They worked together in our outdoor areas to mulch, weed, trim tree limbs and clean pond areas. The students also took a quick break to ride bikes and show kids the basics of disc golf! With4.5 acres of Certified Outdoor Exploration Classroom, the volunteers stay busy!

Kansas Children’s Discovery Center offers high-quality, interactive experiences to inspire a lifelong love of learning for every child. Volunteers support our mission by creating these memorable experiences for every family who walks through our doors. Volunteers engage children in fun educational activities, pitch in at special events, maintain our outdoor space, and keep exhibit areas ready for play.

If your organization is interested in a fun volunteer day at the Kansas Children's Discovery Center, call our volunteer coordinator at (785) 783-8300. We have indoor and outdoor projects for any size group.

Thank You, Washburn University Big Event Volunteers!

We were happy to host a group of students from the Washburn University chapter of Alpha Phi for a fun evening of volunteering this week! According to their website, "Alpha Phi Upsilon Chapter is full of passionate, hardworking, caring women who are leaders, scholars, and contributors to their community." We agree!

This group of students were fantastic volunteers! They worked together to sanitize high-touch surfaces and props, including giant blocks and Keva planks, both critical tools for child-led, educational play. With 15,000 square feet of indoor exhibits and 4.5 acres of Certified Outdoor Exploration Classroom, the volunteers stay busy! They also took a short play break!

Kansas Children’s Discovery Center offers high-quality, interactive experiences to inspire a lifelong love of learning for every child. Volunteers support our mission by creating these memorable experiences for every family who walks through our doors. Volunteers engage children in fun educational activities, pitch in at special events, maintain our outdoor space, and keep exhibit areas ready for play.

If your organization is interested in a fun volunteer day at the Kansas Children's Discovery Center, call our volunteer coordinator at (785) 783-8300. We have indoor and outdoor projects for any size group.

Thank You, Washburn University Alpha Phi!

We were happy to host a group of students from the Washburn University Leadership Institute for a fun evening of volunteering last week! The mission of the Washburn Leadership Institute is to further develop students into ethical and intentional leaders who value diversity and are prepared to immediately exercise effective leadership in today's changing society by cultivating the study of leadership and facilitating transformational learning experiences designed to challenge, motivate, and inspire.

This group of students were fantastic volunteers! They worked together to clean a few of our most important play experiences: the art pavilion and Imagination Playground big blocks, both critical tools for child-led, educational play.

Washburn University Leadership Institute has done multiple volunteer days at the museum. With 15,000 square feet of indoor exhibits and 4.5 acres of Certified Outdoor Exploration Classroom, the volunteers stay busy!

Kansas Children’s Discovery Center offers high-quality, interactive experiences to inspire a lifelong love of learning for every child. Volunteers support our mission by creating these memorable experiences for every family who walks through our doors. Volunteers engage children in fun educational activities, pitch in at special events, maintain our outdoor space, and keep exhibit areas ready for play.

If your organization is interested in a fun volunteer day at the Kansas Children's Discovery Center, call our volunteer coordinator at (785) 783-8300. We have indoor and outdoor projects for any size group.

Thank You, Thank You, Washburn University Leadership Institute!

Molly Wiseman has volunteered with the Kansas Children's Discovery Center since 2013, making her one of our longest-serving volunteers. Molly volunteers at the front desk where she helps guests with admission, memberships, and general questions. Her favorite part of volunteering is having the opportunity to be around young families. She loves it because it keeps her young! Thank you, Molly!

Kansas Children’s Discovery Center offers high-quality, interactive experiences to inspire a lifelong love of learning for every child. Volunteers support our mission by creating these memorable experiences for every family who walks through our doors. Volunteers engage children in fun educational activities, pitch in at special events, maintain our outdoor space, and keep exhibit areas ready for play. If you are interested in volunteering or setting up a group volunteer day at the Kansas Children's Discovery Center, call our volunteer coordinator at (785) 783-8300 or complete an online application. 

The Kansas Children's Discovery Center hosted a great group of volunteers this week from the Washburn University football and baseball teams! A very hard-working group of young men helped us pack and prepare in-house exhibits for offsite storage to make room for our upcoming Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood: A Grr-ific Exhibit arriving next week! These volunteers helped create a magical experience for local children.

The Ichabods helped out as a part of the larger Bods Care program. As explained on their website: "Bods Care was founded in August of 2018 as the community outreach arm of Washburn Athletics. Since it's inception, Washburn student-athletes and coaches have visited more than 6,000 youth in the greater Topeka area. The program consists of pep rallies and bi-weekly visits with local elementary schools. Bods Care is also champions our involvement in the community - including partnerships with the Kansas Discovery Center, Topeka Zoo, Topeka Police Department, and many more."

Bods Cares volunteers have supported the museum many times. Their athletic team programs for children, in which players played sports with visitors, have been particularly popular with future Ichabod athletes. We've found we can call on them for critical support when we need a hand with large and small projects. They are a wonderful resource!

Kansas Children’s Discovery Center offers high-quality, interactive experiences to inspire a lifelong love of learning for every child. Volunteers support our mission by creating these memorable experiences for every family who walks through our doors. Volunteers engage children in fun educational activities, pitch in at special events, maintain our outdoor space, and keep exhibit areas ready for play.

If your organization is interested in a fun volunteer day at the Kansas Children's Discovery Center, call our volunteer coordinator at (785) 783-8300. We have indoor and outdoor projects for any size group.

Thank You, Washburn University Athletes with Bods Care!

The Kansas Children's Discovery Center hosted a great group of volunteers today from Advisors Excel! A hard-working group of volunteers painted and prepped our gallery space for the upcoming Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood: A Grr-ific Exhibit, cleaned Imagination Playground sets, and prepared art supplies for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Advisors Excel Big Day volunteer groups also supply donations for their projects! The Advisors Excel team brought along construction paper for the art project, glue sticks, paint brushes and cleaning supplies, helping support the nonprofit children's museum.

This project was one of many ways Advisors Excel supports the Discovery Center. The organization has also sponsored 22 free admission events at the museum since 2019. Advisors Excel has sponsored admission for nearly 5,000 people during those events, which included free outdoor discovery days in 2020 when the inside of the museum was closed. The organization has also supported field trips, mobile museum events, and other educational experiences for local children.

Kansas Children’s Discovery Center offers high-quality, interactive experiences to inspire a lifelong love of learning for every child. Volunteers support our mission by creating these memorable experiences for every family who walks through our doors. Volunteers engage children in fun educational activities, pitch in at special events, maintain our outdoor space, and keep exhibit areas ready for play.

If your organization is interested in a fun volunteer day at the Kansas Children's Discovery Center, call our volunteer coordinator at (785) 783-8300. We have indoor and outdoor projects for any size group.

Thank You, Advisors Excel Volunteers!

The Kansas Children's Discovery Center hosted a great group of volunteers today from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas. The volunteers came to the museum bright and early ready to get to work!

Volunteers prepared learning kits, organized art supplies, helped set up a new exhibit and cleaned windows. With 4.5 acres of Certified Outdoor Exploration Classroom, the volunteers stayed busy. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas has a long history of support for the Discovery Center. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas foundation has sponsored some of the museum's most popular physical fitness exhibits including the outdoor zipline and indoor Lift Yourself experience.

Kansas Children’s Discovery Center offers high-quality, interactive experiences to inspire a lifelong love of learning for every child. Volunteers support our mission by creating these memorable experiences for every family who walks through our doors. Volunteers engage children in fun educational activities, pitch in at special events, maintain our outdoor space, and keep exhibit areas ready for play.

If your organization is interested in a fun volunteer day at the Kansas Children's Discovery Center, call our volunteer coordinator at (785) 783-8300. We have indoor and outdoor projects for any size group.

Thank You, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas!

The Kansas Children's Discovery Center hosted a great group of volunteers today from Advisors Excel! A hard-working group of six volunteers assembled nearly 500 learning kits in only a few hours. They absolutely rocked it!

This project was one of many ways Advisors Excel supports the Discovery Center. The organization has also sponsored 20 free admission events at the museum since 2019, with two more scheduled before the end of this year. Advisors Excel has sponsored admission for over 4,000 people during those events, which included free outdoor discovery days in 2020 when the inside of the museum was closed. The organization has also supported field trips, mobile museum events, and other educational experiences for local children.

Kansas Children’s Discovery Center offers high-quality, interactive experiences to inspire a lifelong love of learning for every child. Volunteers support our mission by creating these memorable experiences for every family who walks through our doors. Volunteers engage children in fun educational activities, pitch in at special events, maintain our outdoor space, and keep exhibit areas ready for play.

If your organization is interested in a fun volunteer day at the Kansas Children's Discovery Center, call our volunteer coordinator at (785) 783-8300. We have indoor and outdoor projects for any size group.

Thank You, Advisors Excel Volunteers!

The Kansas Children's Discovery Center hosted a great group of volunteers tonight from Fairlawn Nazarene Church. The church chose the Discovery Center as the site of one of their summer experience events. More than 20 volunteers showed up with tools, ready to clear trails!

Fairlawn Nazarene Church volunteers trimmed overgrowth, cleared trails, weeded, hauled brush, assembled learning kits, and more. With 4.5 acres of Certified Outdoor Exploration Classroom, the volunteers stayed busy!

Kansas Children’s Discovery Center offers high-quality, interactive experiences to inspire a lifelong love of learning for every child. Volunteers support our mission by creating these memorable experiences for every family who walks through our doors. Volunteers engage children in fun educational activities, pitch in at special events, maintain our outdoor space, and keep exhibit areas ready for play.

If your organization is interested in a fun volunteer day at the Kansas Children's Discovery Center, call our volunteer coordinator at (785) 783-8300. We have indoor and outdoor projects for any size group.

Thank You, Fairlawn Nazarene Church!