Children ages 1-5 and their parents/guardians are invited to join us Monday mornings at 10:00 a.m. in the library for educational play, games, stories, crafts and more! No registration required.

Learn more about all of the important pollinators in our area, specifically the painted lady and monarch butterflies.

Join us at CMSM to learn more out the importance of pollinators, the lifecycle of the Monarch and Painted Lady, and about the Minnesota native nectar and host plants that feed and home our butterfly friends!

Participants will experience all aspects of a school day in a one room school much like children did during the 19th century.

Join us in the loft for a hands-on STEAM activity facilitated by a CMSM Play professional! Each week, we will explore a different area of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, or Math that will stimulate innovation, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving in young minds. We will start the month off with the first letter of the […]

Join Miss Michelle at the Spring Lake Park Swim Facility before Toddler Time each Tuesday this summer for stories and tons of fun! All families welcome for these free storytimes. Meet outside the front gate!

With a goal to support first-time parents or those who are caring for an infant, the Museum staff, and several early childhood expert volunteers will team up to offer content specific to our birth-two age range. Although topics such as sleep, development, feeding, and parent-child bonding will be selected and promoted for each session, parent […]

Students will have several different "critter" styles to choose from, and if time allows, they can make more than one!

Join us in Cecil’s Imagineering Loft for a make-and-take art experience. We will explore and create with different art mediums each month. June is Gross Motor Art.

Young Explorers is a weekly program open to all guests but specifically geared toward 2-5 year old toddlers and preschoolers. Children and their grown-ups will explore learning new skills through play in a multi-sensory Museum experience which will be a child-led learning time. We will be exploring different areas of our awe-inspiring environment each week. […]

Summer Storytime is for preschool and elementary age kids. Storytime will include community leaders, authors, teachers, and more!

The North Mankato Taylor Library Bookmobile makes weekly stops at the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota on Wednesday afternoons from 2-3 p.m. Join us for story time on the Lauri Kuch Memorial Stage each week!

Participants will experience all aspects of a school day in a one room school much like children did during the 19th century.

Join us in Cecil’s Imagineering Loft for a make-and-take art experience. We will explore and create with different art mediums each month. June is Gross Motor Art.

Kids ages 6-8 are invited to join us for our Mercy Watson Book Club on Thursdays at 1:00pm in the library conference room. Listen to the adventures of Mercy Watson and join in on some activities based on the very special "Porcine Wonder"! Registration required and opens Monday, May 22nd at 10:00 a.m. Register online, […]

Preschool, Elementary Age and Families. Bring your children in their pajamas to the Library for a snuggly storytime and a snack with their bedtime buddies! After snack time, children will tuck their bedtime buddies in for a sleepover at the Library. When you come to pick up your buddy on Friday, June 23, check out […]

Join us on Friday mornings for some outdoor STEAM in the Dotson Back 40! This come and go program will feature all your favorite ways to explore Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math.

Kids ages 6-12 are invited to join us every Friday at 1pm this summer in the library conference room for craft zone! Different crafts each week! This week we will be making DIY Craft Stick Folding Cards! Registration is required and opens Monday, May 22nd at 10:00 a.m. Register online, by calling the library at […]

Kids will be doing several hands-on experiments using household items to create a volcano and more!