Goldie's Kids Club
The State Historical Society of Iowa hatched a program called Goldie’s Kids Club to introduce children aged 12 and under to Iowa history – starting with Goldie the eastern goldfinch, the state bird. Goldie's Kids Club members have exclusive access to select museum programs and events. All programs are free for Goldie's Kids Club members.
| Free membership includes: |
Interested in Goldie’s Kids Club? Join Today! |
Family Museum Collections Tours
Sign up today to step inside the State Historical Museum of Iowa’s collections storage for a behind the scenes look at objects from Iowa’s past. The Family Museum Collections Tours takes young historians (ages 9 and up) and their families on a 30 minute guided tour through the museum collection vault as we explore a small sample of the museum’s 80,000 objects. Advance registration is requested to attend this program.
| Program Date | Time |
| Friday, June 14 | 10 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. |
| Friday, July 26 | 2 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. |
History Mystery Program
What is that?! Register to join museum staff for the popular Goldie's Kids Club's "History Mystery" program. Young historians (recommended for 8-12 years old) with their adults can examine objects from Iowa's past. This interactive program provides young historians unique access to artifacts from the State Historical Museum to determine how they were used and who might have used them. Help your young historian become a history super sleuth!
| Program Date | Time |
| Check back for future program dates | -- |
This program is free to attend and advanced registration is required. Program registration closes at 4 p.m. on the day before each program. While attending this program, each child (recommended for ages 8-12) must be accompanied by an adult for its duration
Innovative Iowans
Innovative Iowans is another digital "First Saturday" program for families to do together at home. Innovative Iowans involves interactive activities with easy-to-follow instructions that connect history with STEAM education – science, technology, engineering, art and math. A library of past programs and activity videos are available online.
This at-home program is recommended for young historians (ages 8-12).
Storytime Program
Iowa is full of colorful characters! Meet a few on the first Saturday of each month with Goldie's Kids Club's storytime program. Throughout the year, a new book recommendation with an Iowa connection and a fun activity will be digitally released. A library of past programs and activity videos are available online.
This at-home program is recommended for young historians (ages 3-7).
Day Camps & Student Workshops
Young historians can learn about Iowa history with unique educational experiences only available at the State Historical Museum of Iowa. Using the museum and exhibits as a unique classroom, participants in the museum's day camp programs and student workshops will explore the museum and the history of Iowa while examining historical artifacts, diving into historical research and learning special skills.
School Break & Special Programs
Join Goldie's Kids Club for seasonal break & special programs throughout the year. Plan ahead for future school breaks and register your young historian to attend a workshop and day camp at the museum. There are lots of fun (and educational) things to do at the museum throughout the year!
At-Home Expeditions
Explore the state's history together through curated collections of educational materials and activities to bring history alive from the comfort of your own home! With the At-Home collections, historians of all ages can learn more about State Historic Sites, National Historic Landmarks and Iowa history topics through Innovative Iowans activities, crosswords, coloring sheets and more!
Free, Downloadable Activities
The activities listed below can be downloaded and printed out at home for children to use immediately and independently.
| Goldie's Kids Club Activity Book | This illustrated activity book contains fun games and activities like connect-the-dots, word search, artifact mazes and more. |
| Goldie's Home Scavenger Hunt | Create your own museum collection by discovering artifacts like photographs, postcards, quilts and more from home. |
| Museum Exhibit Guide | Visit the State Historical Museum of Iowa from the comfort of your own home. Check out exhibits and artifacts that teach about Iowa history. |
| Visual Literacy with Goldie | You can read a book, but did you know you can also read a photo? Use these instructions to search for clues and better understand a historic photo. |
| Goldie's Movie Recommendations with an Iowa Connection | Looking for a movie to watch? This list includes recommendations from animated films, specific Iowa directors, and much more for your movie night. |
| Goldie's Movie Bingo | Can you get a movie BINGO? Using Goldie movie theme suggestions, try to fill all the squares with this fun Goldie activity. |
| Blank Goldie's Recipe Card | Use this blank recipe card to write favorte (and delicious) family recipes. |
| Spring Break Coloring Sheets | |
| Winter Break Coloring Sheets |
Help Us Improve Our Programs
The State Historical Museum of Iowa is always looking for ways to improve Goldie’s Kids Club programs. Please take a short survey and tell us how we are doing.