Camps and Educational Programs
Hands On Children's Museum, 414 Jefferson Street NE, Olympia, WA 98501
About
Camps and Educational Programs at the Hands On Children’s Museum include Summer Day Camps, special activities such as Meet Raptors with The Falconer, and visits from the Huey Medic Helicopter. Children can also take part in Native Storytelling & Coloring with Flo Sigo and Mushroom, Flower & Animal Mosaics with Kathleen McHugh. The program space is also used for birthday parties, baby showers, after-hours events, and field trips.
• Ages: 0–10 years old
• Schedule: Seasonal and monthly options including Summer Splash! Festival (June 17–Sept. 7), Summer Day Camps through Aug. 27, and First Friday Night on the first Friday of every month from 4–8 pm
• Price: First Friday Night $3 admission; Save $125 on an After Hours Party for a limited time.
The program is part of a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that was founded in 1987 and later constructed its permanent home on Olympia’s East Bay waterfront in late 2012. The organization states that its mission is to stimulate curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking through fun, interactive, and engaging exhibits and learning experiences for children, families, and the community. It operates a museum school (2026–2027 Preschool) located in a museum and focuses on early STEAM learning and healthy lifestyles as overarching initiatives, and it is known as a national leader and innovator in using the Maker Movement to engage children in early STEAM learning, including gardening and cooking.
Camps and Educational Programs are part of an interactive children’s museum with 150 exhibits, outdoor play areas, and a half-acre Outdoor Discovery Center that was one of only three national “Going Wild!” pilot sites designed to connect young children with nature in the museum setting. The museum is described as a true destination museum serving more than 300,000 visitors annually and has been the most visited children’s museum in the Pacific Northwest since 2012. It has been recognized with awards including South Sound Magazine's Best Kids' Play Area 2026, “Best Family-Friendly Destination” in King5 TV’s Evening Magazine’s Best of Western Washington contest, regular selection as Best Family Entertainment, Best Museum, and Best Kid’s Birthday Party Venue in the Best of South Sound awards, a Traveler’s Choice Award from TripAdvisor in 2020, and recognition as a Bright Light Museum by the Noyce Foundation.
The organization is a 501(c)(3) non-profit serving families across Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, and the South Sound region and partners with schools, social service agencies, Tribes, medical professionals, nonprofits, and regional artists and educators to enrich its programming. First Friday Night is supported by Foundry10 and Inspire Olympia. Leadership for the museum includes CEO Patty Belmonte and a team that spans finance, visitor engagement, development, exhibits and facilities, marketing and communications, preschool, afterschool programs, and education, including roles such as CFO, Assistant Directors, Senior Managers, Coordinators, and Lead Preschool Teachers. One visitor described the museum in a social media post by saying, “What a magnificent place to bring the family! Science, imagination, nature, gardening, art—this place has it all!”
Last updated July 14, 2026.
• Ages: 0–10 years old
• Schedule: Seasonal and monthly options including Summer Splash! Festival (June 17–Sept. 7), Summer Day Camps through Aug. 27, and First Friday Night on the first Friday of every month from 4–8 pm
• Price: First Friday Night $3 admission; Save $125 on an After Hours Party for a limited time.
The program is part of a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that was founded in 1987 and later constructed its permanent home on Olympia’s East Bay waterfront in late 2012. The organization states that its mission is to stimulate curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking through fun, interactive, and engaging exhibits and learning experiences for children, families, and the community. It operates a museum school (2026–2027 Preschool) located in a museum and focuses on early STEAM learning and healthy lifestyles as overarching initiatives, and it is known as a national leader and innovator in using the Maker Movement to engage children in early STEAM learning, including gardening and cooking.
Camps and Educational Programs are part of an interactive children’s museum with 150 exhibits, outdoor play areas, and a half-acre Outdoor Discovery Center that was one of only three national “Going Wild!” pilot sites designed to connect young children with nature in the museum setting. The museum is described as a true destination museum serving more than 300,000 visitors annually and has been the most visited children’s museum in the Pacific Northwest since 2012. It has been recognized with awards including South Sound Magazine's Best Kids' Play Area 2026, “Best Family-Friendly Destination” in King5 TV’s Evening Magazine’s Best of Western Washington contest, regular selection as Best Family Entertainment, Best Museum, and Best Kid’s Birthday Party Venue in the Best of South Sound awards, a Traveler’s Choice Award from TripAdvisor in 2020, and recognition as a Bright Light Museum by the Noyce Foundation.
The organization is a 501(c)(3) non-profit serving families across Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, and the South Sound region and partners with schools, social service agencies, Tribes, medical professionals, nonprofits, and regional artists and educators to enrich its programming. First Friday Night is supported by Foundry10 and Inspire Olympia. Leadership for the museum includes CEO Patty Belmonte and a team that spans finance, visitor engagement, development, exhibits and facilities, marketing and communications, preschool, afterschool programs, and education, including roles such as CFO, Assistant Directors, Senior Managers, Coordinators, and Lead Preschool Teachers. One visitor described the museum in a social media post by saying, “What a magnificent place to bring the family! Science, imagination, nature, gardening, art—this place has it all!”
Last updated July 14, 2026.
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