Kid*Vention
Annual Family Science Festival
Strap on your goggles and slip into your lab coat for Kid*Vention, the Virginia Discovery Museum’s annual celebration of everything science! Every spring, this community event inspires children to explore the world around them with all their senses. Meet dozens of local exhibitors as you investigate biology, chemistry, environmental science, engineering, physics, zoology, and more through fun, hands-on demonstrations, experiments, and games.
Details | Sponsors | Featured Exhibitors | Event Policies | FAQs | Contact
Thank You to Our 2025 Sponsors
2025 Featured Exhibitors
Local exhibitors are at the heart of Kid*Vention, which is celebrating its 25th year, and the Museum is excited to welcome more than 45 diverse groups to this year’s festival. Meet our 9 featured exhibitors for 2025 below as we take a sneak peek at some of the things you’ll see at the event!
Alakazam Toys
Activity: Sun Printing
Harness the power of the Sun to create art! Kid*Ventors will learn about ultraviolet light as they create cyanotypes, camera-less, blue-and-white photographic image prints that are created by shielding parts of special light-sensitive paper before exposing the paper to the Sun’s UV rays.
Blue Ridge Boost
Activity: Meet the Robots
Ready, set … robots! Kid*Ventors will learn the fundamentals of robotics and coding as they discover how to program and drive robots using block coding, practice problem-solving, and explore how technology shapes the world around us.
Camp4Real
Activity: Label Detectives
Crack the case and find the healthy snack! Kid*Ventors will identify the sugar content and artificial ingredients found in popular cereals as they learn to read nutritional labels and discover what’s good (and not so good) for our bodies.
Free Union Country School
Activity: Unbound Science – The Power of Wind
Let’s go for a spin! Kid*Ventors will test different blade shapes, sizes, and angles to see which wind turbine design generates the most energy as they learn about wind power, explore how small design changes can make a big difference in energy efficiency, and discover why renewable energy is important for a cleaner, more sustainable future.
GA-i3
Activity: The Uncertainty Game
How certain are you? Kid*Ventors will throw soft, light-weight balls at a felt board, track their results, and compare their conclusions with others’ results as they learn about outcome variation, statistical uncertainty, and the importance of communicating data in an open, honest way.
Green Adventure Project School
Activity: Nature Detective
Can you solve the mystery of which local critter most recently stopped by the table? Kid*Ventors will investigate real animal tracks, fur, feathers, nests, and other natural clues to discover the secret stories of native Virginia wildlife as they learn how animals survive and thrive in their habitats.
UpLevel Martial Arts
Activity: Black Belt Leader Training
Connect your body and mind! Kid*Ventors will learn basic black belt moves like stances, exercises, and board-breaking as they discover how physical activity effects chemicals in our brains, including endorphins, dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine.
Rivanna Conservation Alliance
Activity: Explore the Rivanna Watershed
Splish-splash! Kid*Ventors will discover the critters that live in the Rivanna River watershed as they search a hands-on, simulated stream for bugs that live in local waterways; play a game to match preserved bugs to their adult forms; and discover how local scientists and volunteers monitor, protect, and improve stream and river health in our area through conservation and restoration efforts.
Rockfish Valley Foundation
Activity: I Spy Wildlife
Grab your binoculars! Kid*Ventors will search for animal silhouettes and use a guide to identify what local creatures they belong to as they learn about wildlife observation, biodiversity, adaptation, and conservation in Virginia.
General Policies
Event Participants
- Event participants with any of these symptoms are asked to refrain from attending Kid*Vention.
- Kid*Vention will take place indoors at Key Recreation Center.
- All event participants must Check-In before participating in any activities.
Check-In & Check-Out
- 9:30 a.m.: Event Starts
- Although activities start at 9:30 a.m., event participants may arrive and check in anytime during the event.
- Check-In takes place at Key Recreation Center’s main entrance.
- Kid*Vention will take place rain or shine.
- 9:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.: Festival Activities, Experiments & Games
- 1:00-1:10 p.m.: Event Ends
- Exhibitor tables close. The Virginia Discovery Museum, located just a short walk down the pedestrian mall from Key Recreation Center, will be open until 5:00 p.m. for playtime. Any event participants who visit the Museum are asked to pay general admission.
Frequently Asked Questions
Germ Concerns
How many people are expected to attend Kid*Vention?
Kid*Vention typically draws between 800-1,000 visitors throughout the day in addition to VDM staff, exhibitors, and event volunteers.
Event Admission
How much does it cost to attend Kid*Vention?
Event admission is a suggested donation of $15 per family. All donations directly support the Virginia Discovery Museum, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, including exhibit creation and maintenance, educational programs, and VDM’s Sponsored Admission Program.
Does my Virginia Discovery Museum membership grant me free admission to Kid*Vention?
No. Membership only applies to general admission visits to the Museum but does not include free admission to annual events hosted by the Museum.
Do I need to purchase or reserve tickets in advance?
No. Kid*Vention takes place indoors at Key Recreation Center, and there is no maximum capacity for the event. Families are welcome to show up anytime during the event from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Does my $15 entry donation include free admission to the Virginia Discovery Museum?
No. Due to limited capacity inside the Virginia Discovery Museum, we are not able to offer free admission to Kid*Vention attendees. Event participants are still welcome to visit the Museum, but they are asked to pay general admission.
Parking & Directions
Where can I park for Kid*Vention?
The Market Street Garage and Water Street Garage both provide the first hour of parking for free, then charge $1 per half hour or portion thereof before capping at $12 maximum. Key Recreation Center, where Kid*Vention takes place, is also located across the pedestrian mall from the Downtown Transit Station, and Charlottesville Area Transit offers a Free Trolly that stops at the station as it travels through Downtown and the University of Virginia. Click to learn more about parking downtown or more about public bus routes and fares.
Click the icon in the upper left corner for map legend and details.
Contact Us
Can’t find the answer you’re looking for? To learn more about VDM’s Kid*Vention family science festival, contact Director of Operations Lindsay Jones at operationsdirector@vadm.org or (434) 977-1025 x102.