The Ann Arbor Summer Festival takes over the University of Michigan campus June 14 – July 7 with over 175 events for all ages! Here’s your guide to the family-friendly events to check out.

The Summer Festival features a dedicated KidZone for the youngest festival-goers. the KidZone tent provides a fun and safe area for children and their parents to discover and explore a wide variety of hands-on activities with different community partners. The KidZone offers different nightly activities for families at Top of the Park (915 E Washington St) from 5pm to 8pm.

Light Up the Night Paper Lantern Craft

Friday, June 14 

Make fun paper lanterns that kids can light with a glow stick and carry with them into the summer night!

Connect with Nature

Saturday, June 15 

Come share space with members of the vibrant Summers-Knoll community as they nurture our connections to the natural world. They will be buzzing with hands-on crafts and activities that enable kids to express their creativity while building creations that have real-world, positive impacts on our planet. This is an opportunity for children to learn more about nature while showing their artistic sides!

U-M Museum of Natural History: The Real Frozen

Sunday, June 16 

U-M Museum of Natural History will be on hand to share with you the real-life story of animal survival in polar regions. Touch specimens and learn some neat facts before you transform into a Macaroni penguin or a Polar bear with our polar party hats!

Stay up late and watch Disney’s Frozen at Rackham Auditorium, the movie starts at 10pm.

Oragami, Calligraphy, Puppets, and More!

Tuesday, June 18 

FASCA will teach children how to do origami, write calligraphy, cut paper, make paper puppets, and more! And there will be a demonstration and lessons on how to use Chinese yo-yos.

Elephant and Piggie Series by Mo Willems

Wednesday, June 19

Activities from The Mary A. Rackham Institute (MARI): The University Center for Language and Literacy and the University Center for the Child and Family will include interactive/sing-a-longs with the Elephant and Piggie children’s books; Can I Play Too? and  My Friend is Sad. Also children will have the opportunity make Elephant and Piggie hand puppets.

Games from Around the World!

Thursday, June 20

Enjoy activities from around the world with CJS and II! Play parachute games to the tune of kids’ songs from many countries, and explore games such as Armenian Egg Jousting, Pass the Parcel, Wanage (ring toss), Yo-Yo-Tsuri (balloon fishing game), and origami fishing.

Around the World with American Field Service

Friday, June 21

Come play games and learn about different cultures with AFS high school exchange students from all over the world! Fill your AFS passports along with getting flags from the countries you learn about

Feel the Beat

Saturday, June 22 

Come feel the beat through fun, interactive music and rhythm activities for kids of all ages! Clap, stomp, snap, dance with GoNoodle, make paper drums, and discover the different sounds of the musical world!

Bubbles, Boats & Buried Treasure!

Sunday, June 23

Swing by to enjoy bubbles, boats, and buried treasure: a sensory friendly evening presented by Spectrum Therapy Center!

Stick around for more kid-friendly fun at the Rackham Stage:

• Children’s world music star and Latin GRAMMY Award winner Mister G performs @ 7pm
• Let the littles stay up late to watch Paddington @ 10pm

Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum: Science Festival

Tuesday, June 25 

The Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum’s Science Festival features a variety of fun, interactive tabletop projects including science experiments, make-and-take activities, and art creations. All activities are hands-on and great for kids (and grown-ups!) of all ages.

Kid’s Karate Class

Wednesday, June 26

Part participation, part demonstration, and an appearance by Leonard the Karate Lion, the school mascot!

Stained Glass Window Coloring Pages

Thursday, June 27 @ 5pm 

Kids of all ages are invited to create a stained glass window from transparency sheets with pre-printed designs and a rainbow of markers. Children can enhance their designs with a paper frame and stickers or attach a colorful ribbon or string to hang their finished projects.

Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra: Instrument Petting Zoo

Friday, June 28 

Bow a violin, pluck a cello, buzz a trumpet, blow through a flute, and play other instruments seen and heard in an orchestra. It’s hands-on fun for the whole family!

Adventures in Technology Through Optics & Robotics

Saturday, June 29

Learn how science and technology influence our lives through demonstrations that allow you to see first hand how some of today’s technologies function. The activities and crafts will help you understand how different scientific principles are used to solve real-world problems. Children of all ages will have a blast getting their hands dirty and learning about both science and engineering. Parents and adults may even learn a thing or two from the technical demos!

Band-Aid art, Airbrush Tattooing, Balloon Sculptures, a Bubble Machine and More!

Sunday, June 30 

Mott Children’s Hospital brings festival fun to Top of the Park.

Stick around for more kid-friendly fun at the Rackham Stage:

• Children’s world music star and South Asian vocalist Falu performs @ 7pm
• Let the littles stay up late to watch Field of Dreams @ 10pm

Fresh Farmers Market Fun

Tuesday, July 2

Come visit to partake in activities including coloring sheets, small crafts, veggie bean bag toss game, and full-size veggie costumes!

Korean Traditional Games and Clothes Booth

Wednesday, July 3

Enjoy a variety of Korean activities such as Jegichagi (Korean hacky sack), Yut Nori (iconic Korean board game) and Tuho (rubber arrow tossing). Kids will learn about Korean customs in a fun, interactive, and accessible manner. Families can also try on and take pictures in Hanboks (traditional Korean garments).

Independence Day Activities

Thursday, July 4 

Join an Independence Day-themed night for the Fourth of July with three stations of crafts, games, and an interactive group mural to celebrate the unified diversity of the United States of America!

Live Animal Exploration

Friday, July 5

Celebrate the diversity of wildlife with LSNC when they bring all types of live animals for visitors to explore. Discover the interesting ways different animals survive in the wild by observing them up close. Investigate and ask questions about your favorite animals: Why do frogs blink when they eat? How do owls turn their heads so far? What do turtles do in the winter? Insects, arachnids, amphibians, reptiles, birds…They’ll all be there…Will you?

Handcrafted Puppets and Story Boxes

Saturday, July 6 

Create simple puppets for storytelling and imaginative story boxes from everyday, upcycled materials!

Come Grow With Us!

Sunday, July 7

Create garden themed treasures to take home!

Photo Credit: Facebook 

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