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Coati Kids Club 2026 Events

Mark your calendars now for these fun events! And as always, we'll send you an invitation and program links before each one.

Bonus Event: Noon Years Eve, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, 10:00 a.m. — 1:00 p.m.

Ring in the ‘Noon Year!’ with all of your favorite animal friends! Ditch the midnight ball drop and watch our giant Spadefoot toad leap into 2026 with the Desert Museum at noon!

Bonus Event: Rockin’ Minerals – Family Fun Fair and Mineral Sale: Saturday and Sunday, January 17 & 18 from 10:00 a.m. — 4:00 p.m. daily on grounds.

Start your own mineral collection at stations around grounds and enjoy our mineral sale to add more! Coati Kids Club members (and two accompanying adults/siblings 5 and younger) get free admission to the events either day. Just show your member card or tell your name at the Ticket Window.

Saving Species: Saturday, February 7, 9:30 — 11:30 a.m. in the Ed. Annex Classrooms 1–2 and around grounds.

The Desert Museum has worked to protect species of plants and animals in the Sonoran Desert region for decades. We will meet some of these and talk with a keeper about how their work makes a difference for wildlife. We will also get a sneak peek of our soon-to-be-open exhibit, Spadefoot Splash.

Bonus Event: Nature Fest — Leap into Spring! Saturday, March 21, 10:00 a.m. — 2:00 p.m. around grounds.

Join us for a celebration of springtime and the diverse plants, animals, and people of the Sonoran Desert! Look for desert dwellers as you bioblitz, dance to desert tunes, make art, get your face painted, and meet community conservation organizations. Coati Kids Club members (and two accompanying adults/siblings 5 and younger) get free admission today. Just show your member card or tell your name at the Ticket Window.

Cienega Creek Adventure: Saturday, April 18, 9:30 — 11:30 a.m., at Cienega Creek Natural Preserve.

Riparian areas are rare jewels in the desert, winding like a wet ribbon of green through the dry land that surrounds them. We’ll meet at the trailhead to hike this lush streamside forest and search for some of the critters that call it home. Roundtrip ~ 3 miles.

Who Dung It?: Saturday, May 9, 9:30 — 11:30 a.m. in the Ed. Annex Classrooms 1–2 and around grounds.

Although it may be difficult to see some desert animals, they do leave many clues behind. The challenge is to figure out who left those clues. From tracks to scat, we’ll learn to read these clues and become desert detectives to help solve the mystery of just who “dung it” in the desert.

Saguaro Harvest: Saturday, June 27, 8:00 — 10:00 a.m. in the Ed. Annex Classrooms 1–2

Happy New Year! That’s right. The saguaro fruit harvest marks the beginning of the new year for the Tohono O’odham, the Desert People. We will harvest the fruit with their expert guidance and discover (*note earlier start time—it’s best to be active in the cooler hours!)

Nocturnal Toxins: Saturday, August 15 or 22, 4:30 — 6:00 p.m. in the Ed. Annex Classrooms 1–2

Discover how plants and animals use toxic substances for self-defense, capturing prey, and more. Then stay and enjoy the Museum for our Cool Summer Night events.

Pollinator Party: Saturday, September 19, 9:30 — 11:30 a.m. in the Ed. Annex Classrooms 1– 2 and around grounds.

Flowers and pollinators—what an important partnership! Uncover the inner workings of flowers and the importance of the creatures they attract.

Mt Lemmon Sky School Overnight Adventure: Saturday day to Sunday morning in October or November, date to be determined.

The sky’s the limit on this exploration of sky island mountain ecology and the night sky. We’ll make a series of stops along the Mt. Lemmon highway to see how plant and animal communities change as we ascend from desert scrub to pine forests. At the top, we’ll check into dorms, enjoy dinner, and Sky School staff will share the wonders of the night sky with their telescopes. The next morning will bring breakfast and more fun before descending to the desert. Recommended for children 8 years old and up. $125/per person fee required to secure availability by April 20. Own transportation needed.

Totally Trees: Saturday in October or November, date to be determined, 9:30—11:30 a.m. in the Ed. Annex Classrooms 1– 2 and around grounds.

When you think of a desert, trees don’t often come to mind. But the Sonoran Desert is different. Besides our famous saguaro cacti, our signature plants are our different types of legume trees. Meet these trees and discover the important products they provide for humans and other animals.

More Events of Interest:

• Save Our Saguaros, February through March. Get involved in activities to protect our desert from buffelgrass, learn about this threat, and what we can do to help. Participate in a buffelgrass pull! Find out more
• Summer Museum Explorers kids’ camps. Coati Kids Club members receive a discount!