Family Fun

Fun Stuff

Childrens Birthday Parties
The Museum can host your next birthday party, for more informtion please download a the flyer Childrens Birthday Parties.

Open Cockpits
Visit the cockpit of an airplane at one of our scheduled Open Cockpit days (check Events for more information). Ride Dreamseeker - the Museum’s full-motion simulator (Sunday afternoons only). See your pre-schooler take flight in one of the Wright Flyer pedal pushers. Team up with family members and take a scavenger hunt through the Museum. The New England Air Museum offers all kinds of family fun throughout the year.

Summer 2010 at the Museum
The Museum will provide 7 weeks of themed activities beginning in July.
July 5-9 discover Blimps and Balloons
July 12-16 fun with Racers
July 19-23 meet Heroes of Aviation
July 26-30 fly Rockets
August 2-6 learn about Helicopters and Rescue
August 9-13 uncover the secrets of Space
August 16-20 understand Airplane and Gliders
Everyday there will be activities and/or craft projects and on Friday of each week there will be a special 1 hour workshop to support the theme. Details will be added at a later date.

Family Events
Special family events are scheduled during school vacation times including Open Cockpit days when aircraft are open to visitors, LEGO Competitions, modeling workshops, and scavenger hunts. Check Events for more information.

KidsPort is Here!!

KidsPort
Visit the Museum’s newest exhibit “KidsPort.” This is an educational, interactive exhibit that uses touch screen technology geared toward children ages 5-12.  KidsPort has been developed by CATAVIA, Inc. an international educational software company whose mission is to introduce children to aviation and aerospace technology.

Under the direction of CATAVIA, the Museum’s staff has built a kid-size airport complete with an air traffic control tower, passenger terminal, maintenance hangar, aerodynamics laboratory, cargo tug and more.  Each of the eight stations has 1-3 touch screens with animated children’s characters.  In a multimedia environment, these colorful characters host an exploration of aviation that is full of music and lively video clips.  Children will learn their way around the control tower, the airport terminal, the virtual airplane cockpit, the terminal, the ramp, the maintenance hangar and more.  All the programs are in both English and Spanish.

The KidsPort exhibit is permanent and will be available to visitors during the Museum’s regular hours which are 10am to 5pm every day of the week.

Fun at the Museum!!!
Are you looking for a unique way to entertain your children? At the Museum daily are special interactive activities designed for any ages special thanks to our Scientific Literacy Program.

The New England Air Museum is pleased to offer a new program for the benefit of its general admission visitors.  The program, formally called the “Scientific Literacy Program” employs educators who are on hand every Saturday and Sunday to greet visitors and invite them to participate in a number of activities and demonstrations that are entertaining and educational.

According to the Museum’s Director, Michael P. Speciale, “It is our intent to make the Museum’s collection of historic aircraft and related artifacts come to life, especially for our younger visitors.  The newly hired educators are doing a wonderful job in relating to our visitors and in helping them to discover the principles of aviation and aerospace in a fun and exciting way. Since the program started, the feedback from our visitors have been overwhelmingly positive.”

Much of the funding for this program has been made possible through a three year grant from the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.

Inquiring Minds Want to Know
Interact, watch, try out, ask questions...
Programs will vary daily
* Mechanics with Mike
* Aviation Art with Aaron
* Storytime Under a Wing
* Meet an Aviator
* LEGO Construction Days
* Share a story with a veteran
* Rainy Days are Fun!