Events & Programs

Bee Creative! PumpHouse Saturday PlayDays

PumpHouse Playday is back, bee edition!

Join us for four Saturdays of relaxed, family-friendly craft sessions inspired by the PumpHouse bee exhibit. Children and caregivers are invited to create a new bee-themed craft each week, from painted rocks and colourful suncatchers to paper flowers, masks and headbands.

Designed for children ages 0 to 7 and their caregivers, these sessions are self-guided, creative and welcoming. Museum staff will be on hand with examples and instructions, and families are invited to create at their own pace. Each Saturday hosts two sessions.

After crafting, be sure to explore the bee exhibit and discover what makes these tiny pollinators so important.

Dates and Crafts

Saturday, July 18: Bee Rock Painting

There’s a buzz at the Museum! Children will transform ordinary rocks into adorable bumble bee keepsakes using paint and simple decorating materials. Each bee can head home to a garden, flowerpot, bedroom shelf or wherever it feels most at home.

Register for 10 a.m. // Register here for 12 p.m.

Saturday, July 25: Tissue Paper Bee Suncatchers

Bring a little sunshine inside with a colourful bee-themed suncatcher. Using layers of bright tissue paper, children will create a cheerful bee that catches the light and can be displayed in a sunny window at home.

Register for 10 a.m. // Register here for 12 p.m.

Saturday, August 8: Folded Paper Flowers

Flowers and bees go hand in hand. Inspired by the colourful blooms that attract pollinators, children will fold and create paper flowers while discovering the important relationship between flowers and bees.

Register for 10 a.m. // Register here for 12 p.m.

Saturday, August 15: Bee Masks and Headbands

Get ready to become a bee for the day! Children can create a wearable bee mask, a fun bee headband with antennae, or both. These playful crafts are perfect for imaginative play and buzzing around the Museum.

Register for 10 a.m. // Register here for 12 p.m.

Admission

$5 per person All materials included.
Space is limited. Please note that all attendees require a ticket, including children and accompanying adults.
Come paint, fold, create and buzz your way through a summer Saturday at the PumpHouse.

 

The PumpHouse is grateful to TD Friends of the Environment Foundation for their support of the Education Hive. This hands-on learning space connected to the BEES! exhibition supports further learning through interactive exhibit elements, curriculum-linked school programming, and community programs. The Education Hive will help visitors of all ages explore pollinators, biodiversity, and environmental stewardship in meaningful and engaging ways.

Live Hive Experience with Oak & Willow

Sunday, July 26

10:00 AM–3:00 PM

PumpHouse Museum

Pre-register here

Included with regular museum admission. Pre-registration is encouraged, but visitors are welcome to drop in anytime.

Get an up-close look at the fascinating world of honeybees during a special drop-in pollinator education experience at the PumpHouse Museum.

Presented by Oak & Willow Honey Company, this immersive experience features a live observation hive, a fully enclosed and actively managed honeybee colony that allows visitors to safely watch real hive activity up close. See bees at work, learn how a colony functions and discover the important role pollinators play in our ecosystems and food supply.

Visitors can also explore an interactive hive exploration table featuring beeswax, honeycomb, propolis and beekeeping tools. This hands-on display invites participants to see, touch and connect with the materials and tools used in beekeeping.

 

Throughout the day, Oak & Willow Honey Company will lead short, engaging presentations on the hour, covering topics such as:

 

Bee-ology: The Biology of Bees
Explore honeybee anatomy, senses and life cycles.

The Mystery of Honey
Discover how nectar becomes honey, the role of beeswax and what makes honey so special.

Inside the Hive
Learn how bees communicate, build and work together as one colony.

A Beekeeper’s Day
Follow the rhythm of a season with bees and see what it takes to care for a colony.

 

Between presentations, visitors are invited to explore the live hive, ask questions and chat with the beekeeper in a relaxed, interactive setting. The final hour of the day will be open for live Q&A, hive viewing and hands-on exploration.

This is a drop-in experience, so visitors may arrive anytime between 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM.
Online pre-registration is encouraged to help us plan, but not required.

Pre-register here

The PumpHouse is grateful to TD Friends of the Environment Foundation for their support of the Education Hive. This hands-on learning space connected to the BEES! exhibition supports further learning through interactive exhibit elements, curriculum-linked school programming, and community programs. The Education Hive will help visitors of all ages explore pollinators, biodiversity, and environmental stewardship in meaningful and engaging ways.

 

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Early Learning Programs

 

Water Warriors

July 15 - August 19, 2026
At the PumpHouse, for Ages 4-7

Register for each session below

💧 Water Warriors is back at the PumpHouse Museum for a five-week summer adventure where fun meets water learning! Designed for children ages 4–7 (with younger siblings welcome alongside a caregiver), this weekly program invites kids to explore how water moves, how we keep it clean, how scientists study it, and how we can protect it. Each session includes a mix of hands-on activities, movement, story time, and simple experiments, using the PumpHouse’s real history and Lake Ontario right outside our doors to bring learning to life. Portions of the program take place outdoors, rain or shine, so please dress for the weather.

Lesson 1: Water on the Move (July 15, 2026)
Follow water’s journey from Lake Ontario to our taps and learn how pipes and pumps helped Kingston get running water.
Register Here

Lesson 2: Clean Water Keepers (July 22, 2026)
Explore why clean water matters, hear surprising PumpHouse history, and build a simple water filter to clean “lake water.”
Register Here

Lesson 3: Water Scientists at the Lake (July 29, 2026)
Join us for a special collaborative edition of Water Warriors in partnership with the Sovereignty Garden, Kahwá:tsire Indigenous-Led Child & Family Programs, All Our Relations Land Trust, and Two Sisters SUP. Explore Lake Ontario through hands-on water testing while learning about water stewardship from both scientific and Indigenous perspectives.
Register Here

Lesson 4: Water Is Life (August 12, 2026)
Discover how water supports plants, animals, and people through games, movement, and creative activities.
Register Here

Lesson 5: Protecting Our Water (August 19, 2026)
Wrap up by learning simple ways to protect water every day, then celebrate everything our Water Warriors learned.
Register Here

Program Details:

When: Wednesdays, 10:30–11:15 am | July 15 – August 19, 2026
Where: PumpHouse Museum, 23 Ontario Street
Ages: Designed for children 4–7 (younger siblings welcome with a caregiver)
Pre-registration: Recommended (limited spots)

What to Expect:

• Weekly themed sessions: A new water-focused topic each week, from how water moves through the city to lake science and everyday water protection. 
• Hands-on learning: Simple experiments and activities (like building a basic water filter and testing lake water) designed for ages 4–7. 
• Movement + story time: Active games and guided storytelling to keep learning playful and engaging. 
• Outdoor exploration: Some portions take place outdoors (often near Lake Ontario), rain or shine, so dress for the weather. 
• Caregivers stay on-site: Children must be accompanied by a caregiver who remains on-site for the full session. Younger siblings are welcome to attend alongside a caregiver. 
• Supportive, flexible environment: Kids can take breaks as needed, then jump back in when ready.
• Optional museum time after: Stay and explore the museum together after the program.

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Trains & Tots

June 2 - Aug 8, 2026
For ages 0-4 at the Pumphouse

Register for each session below

🚂 Trains & Tots is back at the PumpHouse Museum, and your little conductor is invited aboard! Designed for tots ages 0–4, this weekly early learning program turns the museum into a playful “discovery train” filled with songs, stories, crafts, movement games, and hands-on stations. Each week features a different theme (letters, numbers, shapes, emotions, fine motor fun, and more), built to support early development in a way that feels like pure fun. Caregivers stay on-site for the full session, and you’re welcome to keep exploring the museum after the program.

Trains & Tots: All Aboard (June 2)
Kick off the season with a train song, a train-themed read-aloud, model train exploration, and a paper conductor hat craft.
Register here

Trains & Tots: Sounds of the Railway (June 9)
Explore train sounds through story time, a listening/guessing game, and a hands-on train whistle craft.
Register here

Trains & Tots: Trainbow (June 16)
Celebrate colour and inclusivity with a read-aloud, matching colourful objects to train cars, and making friendship bracelets.
Register here

Trains & Tots: Locomotive Letters (June 23)
Learn letters with a song, alphabet story time, a playful obstacle course, and a “letter smokestack” craft to take home.
Register here

Trains & Tots: Shapes on the Tracks (July 7)
A shape-filled train ride with an interactive read-aloud, building train cars with magnet tiles, and Train Shape Twister.
Register here

Trains & Tots: Counting Train Cars (July 14)
Practice early numeracy with a themed read-aloud, train car art activity, and a movement-based train tracks game.
Register here

Trains & Tots: Emotions Express (July 21)
Explore feelings with a themed read-aloud, sticker faces activity, and guided meditation for little learners.
Register here

Trains & Tots: Choo-Choo Fine Motor Fun (July 28)
Build fine motor skills through story time, song, and stations like lacing, tracing, and playdough decoration.
Register here

Trains & Tots: Contrasting Caboose (Aug 11)
Learn “same and different” through songs, matching giant train cards, and a game of Train Conductor Says.
Register here

Trains & Tots: Animals on Board (Aug 18)
Animal-themed story time, helping mini animals board the train, and decorating animal masks to take home.
Register here

Program Details:

When: Tuesdays, 10:30–11:10 am | June 2 – August 18
Where: PumpHouse Museum, 23 Ontario Street
Ages: Designed for tots 0–4
Pre-registration: Recommended (limited spots)

What to Expect:

• 40-minute structured session: A mix of singing, story time, movement, and a themed craft or activity. 
• New theme each week: Early learning topics like shapes, counting, letters, emotions, colours, and fine motor skills. 
• Hands-on, developmentally appropriate activities: Stations and games designed for tiny hands and growing brains. 
• Caregiver-required: Children must be accompanied by a caregiver who remains on-site for the full session. 
• Flexible environment: Need a wiggle break? No problem. Step out, reset, and hop back in when ready. 
• Optional museum time after: Stay and explore the museum together after the program.

 

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PumpHouse Theme Days

Monthly Dress Up Days at the Museum

Dress up. Explore. Play. Repeat.

PumpHouse Theme Days are a new monthly tradition at the PumpHouse Museum, inviting families to add a little extra imagination to their museum visit.

Once a month, kids are encouraged to dress up according to a fun, easy theme, then head inside to explore the PumpHouse. Whether they’re padding around in pajamas, showing off their dino swag, or rocking the most gloriously mismatched outfit possible, Theme Days are all about playful self-expression and hands-on discovery.

There’s nothing formal to follow and no schedule to keep. Just come as you are (or as your theme-inspired alter ego), explore the museum at your own pace, and enjoy a visit that feels a little more special than usual.

A little extra fun

As a bonus, children who arrive dressed to match the monthly theme will receive one entry into a quarterly prize draw. Each Theme Day visit during the same quarter earns an additional entry, making repeat visits even more rewarding.

Prize bundles will vary and be inspired by current or upcoming exhibitions. Prizes may include PumpHouse swag items and free admission passes.

Upcoming Theme Days 

• Friday, May 29 – Crazy Hair / Crazy Hat (PD Day) 
• Friday, June 26 – Rainbow Day 
• Thursday, July 2 – Canadian Tuxedo 
• Thursday, August 20 – Backwards Day 
• Saturday, September 12 – Dress Like a Teacher Day 
• Friday, October 30 – Costume Day 
• Tuesday, November 17 – Mismatched Day 
• Wednesday, December 2 – Ugly Sweater Day  .

Why families love Theme Days

• A simple excuse to dress up and have fun
• A relaxed way to explore the museum together

Attendance is included with regular museum admission. Pre-register or simply drop in with your themed outfit and a sense of curiosity.

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School Programs

You can book any of our school and group programs through our online form 

We are currently offering the following programs at the PumpHouse Museum:

• Water Water Everywhere 
• Simple Machines 

Check out our City Hall program:

• Beards & Biases

Check out our MacLachlan Woodworking Museum Programs:

• Nailed It 
• Habitat Heroes

The PumpHouse is grateful to TD Friends of the Environment Foundation for their support of the Education Hive. This hands-on learning space connected to the BEES! exhibition supports further learning through interactive exhibit elements, curriculum-linked school programming, and community programs. The Education Hive will help visitors of all ages explore pollinators, biodiversity, and environmental stewardship in meaningful and engaging ways.