Join the National Zoo as we celebrate Head Start's 60th birthday with the help of Giant pandas and meerkats! Discover how not only the zoo celebrates birthdays but also how people across the world celebrate special moments!
Celebrations
Panda, Meerkats
National Air and Space Museum, National Museum of American History, National Postal Museum, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
IT-ATL 7; IT-ATL 8; IT-SE 13; IT-LC 11; IT-C 3; IT-PMP 6; IT-PMP 7; IT-PMP 8; P-ATL 11; P-ATL 13; P-SE 11; P-PMP 3
Lessons and Activities
Check out fun and easy activities and lesson plans to help kids, families, and teachers explore birthdays and other celebrations with the Smithsonian Institution.
How to Make a Panda Popsicle
Learn how to make a human-friendly popsicle modeled after the ice treats that we give our pandas!
| Resource Description | |
|---|---|
| Type: | E-Course |
| ELOF Standards: | IT-ATL 8; IT-PMP 6; IT-PMP 7; IT-PMP 8; P-ATL 13; P-PMP 3 |
| Course Project Time: | 10+ minutes |
| Activity Project Time: | 2-4 hours |
How Can Family Celebrations and Traditions be the Same and Different?
How can family celebrations and traditions be the same and different? To support this overarching question, the course guides parents, teachers, and children through activities that answer the following questions:
- What are my family celebrations and around where I live?
- What do other family celebrations look like around America?
- What do other family celebrations look like around the world?
- How are family celebration traditions different?
| Resource Description | |
|---|---|
| Type: | E-Course |
| ELOF Standards: | IT-SE 13; IT-LC 11; IT-C 3; P-SE 11; P-ATL 11 |
| Project Time: | 15+ |
| Best for Ages: | 4+ |
60-Year Treasure Hunt
Head Start is turning 60 — and the Smithsonian is celebrating with a special adventure! To mark this milestone, our friend Pinky is heading out on a mission across the Smithsonian to discover amazing objects that are 60 years old. From retro treasures to historic highlights, join Pinky as we explore what 60 years really looks like through the lens of Smithsonian collections.
| Resource Description | |
|---|---|
| Type: | Video |
| ELOF Standards: | IT-ATL 7; P-ATL 11 |
| Video Length: | 5:52 |
| Best for Ages: | 2+ |
Counting Birthday Years in Tree Rings at SERC
The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) is turning 60—and we’re celebrating with the help of trees! In this video, we count tree rings to show just how long 60 years really is. Join us as we explore how trees mark time and how SERC has been learning from and about nature for six amazing decades!
| Resource Description | |
|---|---|
| Type: | Video |
| ELOF Standards: | IT-ATL 7; P-ATL 11 |
| Video Length: | 3:42 |
| Best for Ages: | 2+ |
Meerkat Birthday Bash: Watch, Create, Celebrate!
First, watch meerkats at the National Zoo celebrate their birthday with a special train and treats. Next, learn about meerkat characteristics before creating your own meerkat puppet that can pop in and out of its own tunnel!
| Resource Description | |
|---|---|
| Type: | Video + E-course |
| ELOF Standards: | IT-ATL 8; IT-PMP 6; IT-PMP 7; IT-PMP 8; P-ATL 13; P-PMP 3 |
| Video Length: | 5:30 |
| Project Time: | 10+ |
| Best for Ages: | 2+ |
Nick's Music Playlist
Put on your dancing shoes! Find all the songs you loved from the program, plus more songs from Nick the Music Man and Pinky Jackalope!
Explore More Programs
Exploring Neighborhood Birds
Birds are everywhere! Learn about some of our neighborhood birds and the techniques used to study them from a migratory bird scientist.
2-8
Supports NGSS 2-PS1-2, 2-LS2-2, 2-LS4-1, 3-LS1-1, 3-LS3-1, 3-LS3-2, 3-LS4-3, 4-LS1-1, 5-LS2-1, MS-LS1-4, MS-LS1-5, MS-LS2-A
birds, migration, observation, tracking, bird banding
Patterns, Cause and Effect, Interdependence of science, engineering, and technology
Free