Let Us Bring the Museum to You With Van Go!
The mobile Sacramento Children’s Museum is a school outreach program where Museum educators come to your school and transform your classroom or multipurpose room into a mini museum. Each session begins with a brief introductory lesson followed by exploration and play time at several hands-on activity stations. Please see each program description for the recommended grade level.
Reservation Information
Van Gos are scheduled on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Each session is approximately 1 hour long, and we can accommodate up to 28 students per session.
- Building & Engineering and Mission: Imagination Challenge can accommodate extra students.
- A fee of $10 per student will apply for any additional students, up to a maximum of 10.
We allow up to 4 sessions in one day with these policies:
- We are legally required to take a 30-minute lunch break after the second session (this is only required if you are scheduling 3-4 sessions). No exceptions.
- We prefer to be set up in one classroom, the Multi-Purpose room, or the Library for all sessions to decrease set-up and take-down times. However, if those options are not possible, please let us know.
- If you are scheduling for any time after 10 am, we ask that there is a parking spot reserved for us to make unloading easier
Pricing
- $375 per session for Building & Engineering, Color Lab, Emotions at Play, Mission: Imagination Challenge, and Tap Into Sound.
- $450 per session of Reactions in Action (includes materials fee).
- Travel fee of $1 per mile for organizations more than 20 miles away from the museum.
- Scholarships are available.
Payment
- Payment is required to secure your reservation. Please contact vango@sackids.org if payment must be made on the day of the visit or after services rendered.
- If you schedule more than one visit, payment is due before the second visit.
- Check, debit and credit card, or cash payments are accepted.
Cancellation & Refund Policy
Refund requests made up to 7 days prior to the reservation date will be subject to a $25 processing fee. Refund requests made less than 7 days prior to the reservation will be subject to a $50 processing fee. No refunds will be issued for requests made less than 48 hours prior to the reservation date. You may request that the original reservation be rescheduled to a future available date at no charge.
Reservations for the 2026/2027 school year are now open!
Click the link below to submit your request for a Van Go visit during the 2026/2027 school year. Please allow up to 7 for a member of our team to reach out with next steps.
Questions? Email vango@sackids.org.
Programs for Kids TK-2nd Grade
Click on each section below for additional program details!
Building & Engineering
Recommended for Kinder-2nd Grade
Design, build, test, and tinker! Students will immerse themselves in the engineering design process while working with various large- and small-scale building materials. The program activities include:
- Take-home Parachute Craft
- Giant Magnet Panels
- Rigamajig Building Kit
- Tower Challenge
Color Lab
Recommended for TK-Kinder
Play with color! Students will explore primary and secondary colors through play, experimentation, and art. The program activities include:
- Test Tube Color Mixing
- Take-home Color Wheel Collage
- Pom Pom Sort Sensory Bin
- Light Tables
- Colors in Motion Wind Tunnel
Emotions at Play
Recommended for TK-2nd Grade during the Fall
Come on an epic SEL journey as an emotion explorer! Students will practice skills to identify different emotions through interactive activities curated for specific grade levels. The program activities include:
- All grade levels
- Mood music
- Emotional Baggage Jenga
- Wind Tunnel
- TK-Kinder
- Kindness chain
- Take-home Create a Scribble
- 1st-2nd
- Zones of Regulation Match Game
- Take-home Pom Pom Scribble
Mission: Imagination Challenge
Recommended for 1st-2nd Grade
Your mission, if you choose to accept…is to work with a team to solve a challenge using the supplies in a mystery box.
Students collaborate with teammates and use the engineering design process to create an invention from recycled materials. Once they are finished, the teams present their creation to the rest of their class. Depending on the teacher’s preference, the inventions can stay in the classroom or be returned and reused at the museum.
Reactions in Action
Recommended for 1st-2nd Grade
Become a scientist and observe reactions in action! Students will use the scientific method to
learn about physical and chemical reactions through hands-on STEM activities. The program
activities include:
- A Guided Elephant Toothpaste Demo
- Catapult Launchers
- Magic with Magnets
- Take-home Flying Machines
- Mix-it-up Lab
Tap Into Sound
Recommended for TK-1st Grade
Get ready for a boisterous session of hands-on exploration of sound and music! Students will learn introductory musical terms such as tempo and dynamics by playing a variety of instruments. The program activities include:
- A Guided 30-minute Percussion Instrument Sing-along
- Instrument Exploration
- Take-home Sound Bracelets
- Wind Tunnel with Bell Scarves
- Draw the Beat