All Month

Wicked Plants. Science Museum of Virginia. Wicked Plants unearths 75 poisonous, carnivorous and diabolical plants inside of a dilapidated, Victorian home. Guests traverse through each room to uncover the biochemical, physical and neurological processes between botanicals and the human body. Free with museum admission. Through Sunday, May 17th.

A Million Blooms, Butterflies LIVE! and WaterPlay. Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens. Fee with Garden Admission.  Enter our Giveaway to see it all for FREE.

Pick Your Own Strawberries!  Great Family Fun!

Tuesday, May 12th

Young @ Art: Artsy Animals.  11am-Noon.  Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Art Education Center.  For ages 2 ½ – 5.  Investigate animal characteristics and habitats while you paint, sculpt, and draw your way through the animal kingdom.  Fee.

Motivating the Unmotivated. 6:30pm. Delivered by Commonwealth Parenting. Fee.

MAD SCIENCE: FIRE AND ICE. 6:30pm. Dumbarton Library. Dazzling demonstrations of “fire and ice!” Mad Science of Central Virginia will perform amazing science experiments including bubbling potions, chemical reactions, and carbon dioxide gas frozen to 109 degrees below zero! Free.

Short Pump Pals Clubhouse Meeting.  11am.  Short Pump Mall Between Crate and Barrel & Pottery Barn.  Enjoy a complimentary ride on the Short Pump Express train, face painting, balloon creations and other treats and giveaways!

Wednesday, May 13th

Mommy and Me. 10am-11:30am. Willow Lawn – Outside on the Plaza. Join The Shops at Willow Lawn on the second Wednesday of every month as they host a free morning out with live entertainment and activities designed to enhance parents’ interaction with their children. This month –  Mister G. Free.

Young @ Art: Artsy Animals.  11am-Noon.  Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Art Education Center.  For ages 2 ½ – 5.  Investigate animal characteristics and habitats while you paint, sculpt, and draw your way through the animal kingdom.  Fee.

Drop-in and Dig! 2pm-3pm.  Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens.  Families with children are invited to drop-in and participate in simple, easy to learn gardening tasks under the guidance of Children’s Garden staff and volunteers. These family-oriented gardening experiences can easily be enjoyed at home. So join us to learn how much fun gardening with children can be!  Fee.

Thursday, May 14th

When Timeout Doesn’t Work.  6:30pm. Delivered by Commonwealth Parenting. Fee.

ALOHA! A HAWAIIAN LUAU. 6:30pm. Varina Library. Teens come and enjoy a laid back evening of Hawaiian fun. Sponsored by the Varina Library Friends and hosted by the Varina Library Teen Advisory Board. Don’t forget your lei and your grass skirt! Free.

Is it Art?  4:15pm–6 pm.  Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Art Education Center.  For ages 5 – 8.  Discover how art can serve a purpose. Check out the handcrafted buckles and brooches in the Art Nouveau collection and then return to the studio to create your own functional artworks!

Friday, May 15th

15 Cent Kids Days.  Children’s Museum of Richmond.  15¢ Kids Days will offer admission to children for 15¢ on the 15th of each month. Valid at all four locations (Central, Short Pump, Chesterfield, and Fredericksburg), the Museum will feature activities for the entire family – in addition to the play-filled, educational environment that families across Central Virginia have come to associate with CMoR.

Target $1 Family Night.  5pm-7:30pm.  Children’s Museum – Central.    Bring the whole family to enjoy what The Children’s Museum’s Central Location has to offer for just $1 per person.

Science After Dark: Honey, I Shrunk the Science! 6:30 pm and 7:30 pm and later. Science Museum of Virginia.

Saturday, May 16th

Superheroes Character Breakfast @CMoR Chesterfield.  8:45am-9:30am.  CMoR Chesterfield.  Patron Member Month – Special Event – Character Breakfast! Superheroes will abound from 8:30am-9:45pm.  For details on how to become a Patron member click here.  Fee.

Bark in the Park. 10am-1pm.  Deep Run Park, 9900 Ridgefield Pkwy.  A day of fun-filled family activities with local vendors providing various products and services for your pets.

Boot Camp for New Dads.  9am-Noon.  Locations vary.  Delivered by First Things First of Greater Richmond.  A unique father-to-father community-based workshop prepares and equips expectant dads to become confidently engaged with their infants, support their mates, and navigate their transformation into dads.  Fee.

Stories at the Museum. 11am-Noon. Virginia Historical Society. Special educator-led readings of children’s history books and a make-it-and-take-it craft activity related to the text.  Open to all ages. No pre-registration required.  Today – Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month – Nadia’s Hands by Karen English.  Free.

Still Life with Style.  1pm-4pm.  Virignia Musuem of Fine Arts, Art Education Center.  For ages 6 – 9.  Paint like a pro! Be inspired by techniques from the floral paintings of famous artists like Van Gogh, Manet, and Matisse to create a painting your way!  Fee.

TWEEN CRAFT CLUB. 2pm. North Park Library. Tweens, ages 10-14 join us for crafts made just for you. For Tweens (10-12 years), Middle Schoolers (11-14 years). Free.

TEEN VOLUNTEER FAIR. 2pm-3pm. Tuckahoe Library. Do you need volunteer hours for school? Come meet representatives from local organizations offering volunteer opportunities and fun programs to teens just like you. Enter to win cool door prizes and learn more about teen volunteer programs at the library. Sponsored by the Friends of the Tuckahoe Area Library. Free.

WARNER BROS. PRESENTS BUGS BUNNY AT THE SYMPHONY II. 6pm. Altria Theatre.  Bugs Bunny at the Symphony II celebrates the world’s favorite classic Looney Tunes, projected on the big screen, while the Richmond Symphony performs their exhilarating, original Carl Stalling scores LIVE! Conducted by Erik Ochsner and created by George Daugherty and David Ka Lik Wong, Bugs Bunny at the Symphony II spotlights such iconic classics as What’s Opera, Doc?, The Rabbit of Seville, Rhapsody Rabbit, Long-Haired Hare, Show Biz Bugs, Baton Bunny, Duck Amuck, and many others… plus two brand-new, critically-acclaimed 3D cartoons from Warner Bros.­­—I Tawt I Taw A Puddy Tat and Coyote Falls. And capping it all off are special guest appearances by Tom & Jerry in the Hollywood Bowl. TM & © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

Sunday, May 17th

Healthy Kids Running Series.  5pm.  Godwin High School and Pole Green Park. A five week running program in the spring and fall for kids from Pre-K to 8th grade. Each Race Series takes place once a week and offers age appropriate running events including the 50 yard dash, the 1/4 mile, the 1/2 mile and the one mile run.  Fee.