Written by Molly Strehl, Marketing Assistant.
Goodbye summer, hello autumn!
Here at Thinkery, we love when families and caregivers are just as engaged as the kids. Our fun fall programming provides families with plenty of collaborative experiences to learn, play and make side by side. Take a look!
Sensory Friendly Hours presented by Variety
Join us Sunday, October 22 from 8–10 am for our next Sensory Friendly Hours!
At Thinkery, we are committed to providing an accessible and interactive experience for ALL. During Sensory Friendly Hours, we extend a special invitation to learners with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) or other special needs to explore, experience and discover Thinkery with their families.
Our October 22 program is extra amazing, thanks to our fantastic community partners! Joshua’s Stage will be back with theatre arts and improv games. Autism Society of Texas will be here with some helpful resources. We’ll also be joined by Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD), who will build fun towers with visitors. Oh, and our friends at Hat Creek Burger Company will be serving up FREE and delicious breakfast tacos!
After exploring Thinkery, head over to Alamo Drafthouse Mueller at 10:30 am for an Alamo For All sensory-friendly screening of “Trolls.”
Tickets for both events are FREE and generously donated by Variety – the Children’s Charity of Texas.
Family Night: Halloween Hootenanny
Y’all know which holiday is coming up (it’s probably the best one)—and we can’t wait to celebrate.
On Friday, October 27 from 6–9 pm, dress in your Halloween best and join us for our annual Family Night: Halloween Hootenanny! Sample edible insects from Little Herds, enjoy tasty Cornucopia Popcorn, snap a pic in Supercuts’ holiday photo booth, explore animal bones with Austin Nature & Science Center, check out Austin Toy Museum’s collection of spooky toys and more.
Visitors also get access to Thinkery’s exhibits and a cash bar with snacks, kid-friendly drinks, beer and wine. Activities for kids and adults make this fall celebration enchantingly fun for all. Complete all activity stations and receive a special prize!
Gingerbread
Our tried and true Gingerbread Workshops are coming up fast—but with a twist!
Build tradition while building together this season. Our Gingerbread Workshops are the perfect way to get creative and collaborate in a hands-on and festive environment. Each Gingerbread House Kit provides you with all the materials to build a yummy house—fresh gingerbread from La Mexicana Bakery, sweet treats and candies, and plenty of icing. Explore Thinkery while your house dries in our special Gingerbread Village (don’t forget to take a selfie with your house in our photobooth!).
Gingerbread Workshops
In addition to our festive Traditional Gingerbread Workshops and Tot Gingerbread Workshops, we’ve got a few fun Gingerbread Workshops for our older participant, too.
We’re taking our previous Gingerbread Tech Workshop and turning it on its head! In Space 8, channel your inner Antoni Gaudi or Frank Lloyd Wright and gain some fresh perspective in our 2.5-hour Gingerbread Architect Workshop. Will you make a gingerbread skyscraper, temple or a Victorian mansion? Whatever your preference, we want to see your building imagination SOAR. Ages 8+.
Let’s get scientific in Kitchen Lab! Our 2.5-hour Candy Chemistry Gingerbread Workshop explores the magical chemistry of candy. Put your special spin on sugar while making your own cotton candy. See the phases of matter first-hand while creating colorful lollipops. Build molecular sugar models (yum!) and construct your magnificent Gingerbread House with all your new candy. And then witness a display of sugar being converted to energy. It’s a real calorie burner! Ages 7+.
Have a large group but still want to be in on all theGingerbread Workshop fun? No need to fret, we also offer Private Gingerbread Workshops. Whether it’s for an ugly sweater party with your friends or for a corporate holiday event, we got you covered.
Gingerbread Fun Run 1K
BUT WAIT! Get in the “gingerbread” mood early and participate in our very first Gingerbread Fun Run 1K on Saturday, November 18. Chase a giant Gingerbread Man around Mueller Lake Park (across from Thinkery) in this special holiday kickoff event for families.
Thinkery is teaming up with Variety – the Children’s Charity of Texas to ensure this Fun Run is open and accessible to kids of all abilities. The mostly paved and mostly flat route around Mueller Lake is wheelchair- and walker-accessible, with one unpaved 30-foot section covered in decomposed granite.
For full event details, please click here.
Our first-ever Gingerbread Fun Run 1K is sponsored by Google Fiber and presented in partnership with Variety Texas.
Family Night and Gingerbread Workshops are supported in part by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department. Visit Austin at NowPlayingAustin.com.