Activities

CROPS, the Collective Research Organization of Plant Scientists (sponsored by UNL PSI) will be holding a plant donation drive! The students are bringing a wide variety of plants including house plants, flowering plants, outdoor plants, annuals and so many more! Their goal is to get everyone excited about plants and raise awareness for plant science research here at UNL. They will also have care cards to go along with each plant so you can be the best plant parent possible! In addition to the plants, they'll have a few free giveaways too! Visit their booth to find out more and "Leaf" their booth with a plant!

In 4-H, we believe in the power of young people. We see that every child has valuable strengths and real influence to improve the world around us. Youth need opportunities to learn by doing, grow from failure, express their ideas, and use their influence to drive positive outcomes. That's why hands-on projects are an integral part of the 4-H experience. Please join us our our booth each month for a new experiential learning opportunity to participate in and find out more about how to get involved in Nebraska 4-H!

Backyard Farmer has been dedicated to helping gardeners find solutions to their landscape questions for 71 years. Visit the Backyard Farmer Garden on East Campus and ask the Nebraska Extension Master Gardener Volunteers (NE-EMGVs) your landscape questions. They can help with topics from insects, turf and weeds, rots and spots, vegetables, critters, landscape design, and general horticulture/landscape topics. Or wander the beautiful gardens and become inspired!

Come explore the Department of Biological Systems Engineering, where scientists will “bring engineering to life.”  They will showcase the many talents of their faculty, staff and students, with hands-on activities ranging from biomedical engineering to agricultural engineering, and with tractor, robotics and drones demonstrations.

Find out more about the diversity of food being grown and sold in Nebraska. From Kohlrabi to Honey, Raspberries to Beef, Nebraska boasts an amazing array of local food, fresh from the farm and ranch. Stop by the Buy Fresh By Local Nebraska booth for more information about local food, and to taste it for yourself!

Informational table about Campus Recreation and Wellness Center's offerings as well as an engaging activity for people to participate in.

Come to the CASNR Education Pathways booth in July and August to learn about the K-12 partners across the state, engage with Northeast High school students and start a seed in a pot to take home. Lastly, enjoy some of our student grown produce - tomatoes, peppers, peas, beans, zucchini, etc.

Learn about where your food comes from and what jobs you can have to help create that food.

At Color our Soil, Becky Young, assistant professor of practice, will guide participants through a soils station where it’s all about color and feature a coloring activity with soil crayons and a make-a-mini-profile activity.

Join the Counseling and School Psychology Clinic to learn more about our clinic and the different services we provide to UNL and the community at large. Visit our booth to participate in mental health activities, where you can decorate a journal and learn how to use a deep breathing technique with pinwheels. We will also have stickers and other fidgets available to support mental health!

The Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute and the Nebraska Water Center, both part of the University of Nebraska, aim to have a lasting and significant impact on achieving more food security with less pressure on our scarce water resources, and includes keeping our water clean and in good supply! Visit our booth to learn more about the water cycle, water quality and how it all relates to the food we eat. While you're here, grab a bottle of pure, chilled groundwater from the Nebraska Sandhills!

The UNL Bruner Club is a grad student club in the entomology department that aims to educate the public on insects. Their booth will have insect-related items and crafts for purchase, educational displays (including some live and framed insects!), games, and the chance to talk with some entomology students about all things bugs!

Face painting for all ages!

The Food Science and Technology department will have a booth with an interactive activity for kids and parents. Play with food while learning important science concepts!

Home of the eight-time National Championship Husker women’s bowling team, the newly renovated Husker Bowling Center is opening their doors for a free round of bowling for participates of this event! Stop in the Nebraska East Union to STRIKE up some fun!

The International Quilt Museum has the world's largest publicly held collection.   The diverse and expansive collection has quilts and related textiles that span five centuries of quilt making and document or showcase quilting styles from over 65 countries.   Take a self-guided tour of our six galleries and displays on three floors.   The Museum Store will also be open for one of a kind gifts and souvenirs of your visit.  Enjoy free admission to the world's largest publicly held quilt collection at the International Quilt Museum, 33rd and Holdrege streets. 

Visitors will be able to experience the history of tractor testing in Nebraska since 1920.  We have several tractors on display inside and out ranging from the early teens to 1960s.

Stop by the Lied Center booth on the East Campus Mall for information about their upcoming season, and grab a brochure and some free water.

Join us for a fun experience learning how to rope or showing your skills. We will have rodeo apparel and ropes for sale to support our program.

This booth will provide information in a fun and interactive manner about work being completed by the Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, including invasive species, bats, recreational fishing, and management of natural resources.

Stop by the educational booth and visit with a Master Gardener. Learn about pollinators and composting. Youth activities include making paper flowers and butterflies.

Join us at the Nutrition Education Program booth for an interactive and educational experience! Discover valuable tips to stay active, shop and eat healthier, and save money. Sample some of our delicious seasonal family-friendly recipes and learn how to make them at home. Don't miss this opportunity to improve your health and well-being while having a great time! Stop by and join the fun!

The Nebraska Forest Service enriches the lives of all Nebraskans by protecting, restoring, and utilizing Nebraska's tree and forest resources.

Stop by to learn more about how to garden with nature in mind. We can help you create purposeful beauty in your yard or garden by planting to support pollinators, insects, birds, and other wildlife. We also have information about how to convert your lawn to lower-input garden spaces and how to select and properly plant trees. While you're here, you can purchase plants and trees from our greenhouse here on campus!

Children’s / Families’ all acoustic sing along (ages 0-5, but all ages welcome); this is a sit-on-the-grass (and/or blankets/carpet provided) and kids shake shakers and bells and beat on drums and dance and be silly and laugh.  By the music we make together, we show our love & appreciation for young children. We share our mooing, singing, dancing, playing joking, clucking, ABCing, Itsy Bitsy Spidering, popcorning, noses and more….

While Jim King plays (banjo, uke, guitar, nose flute, kazoo, etc) parents, grandparents with kids sit and sing along, clap, dance, play instruments (fruit shakers, rain sticks, Thomas the Train, tambourines, and more)  for 5-10-15 minutes, and then (probably) move on; it is designed as a come and go musical activity, join-in-and-have-fun-sing-along-for-young-children. Rest, let the little ones play. No beginning, no ending. 

At the Pesticide Education station, Jennifer Weisbrod, assistant extension educator, will give out Mr. Yuk stickers and participating youth will get to match pesticide term definitions and identify the pest in a pesticide game.  

Try to hit the plastic golf balls into the Shark's mouth to show off your golf skills and a fun and entertaining environment. All are welcome...Moms and Dads too!

The Plant Pathology booth will be displaying plants infected with  various plant pathogens, cultures of various bacteria/fungi, and microscopic tools in order to view the world that is invisible to the naked eye.

At Plant Your Vegetables/Fruit booth, agronomy and horticulture students will split open fresh peppers and tomatoes for participating youth to observe and learn about seeds, characteristics of a plant and plant succession. Participants will plant seeds in a cup of soil to take home to grow in their own garden. They will also be given growing and harvesting tips for their plant.

Family and children will use nature materials to make a self portrait or a family portrait. Using a variety of loose parts from natural materials will be provided.

The School of Natural Resources is a national and international leader in addressing environmental issues through scientific discovery, creativity, and perseverance. Our School is preparing future leaders to manage the balance between people and the environment. Come learn more about the School of Natural Resources at the East Campus Disovery Days and Farmers Market this year!

Stop by and get creative with making activities and coloring pages. Learn more about upcoming exhibitions and programs at Sheldon Museum of Art, a free museum with a collection of more than 13,000 works of art, including more than 30 outdoor sculptures displayed year-round on the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s City and East Campuses.

Come explore the world of special education and communication disorders. Learn more about research opportunities and participate in some fun activities about life with disabilities.

We will organize simple and educational demos illustrating how our taste and smell senses work and how they may be affected in disease.

The UNL Learning Lab will host interactive activities like balloon making and face painting, give away swag-bag, and share fun information on their current research studies!

Play games and win prizes while you learn how to keep your smile healthy! Pick up free oral hygiene items and learn about the comprehensive dental services offered at the UNMC College of Dentistry.

Big Red Pawp-Up is a collaboration between UNL Entomology, Big Red Resilience and Well Being, UNL Libraries, and a number of local therapy dog organizations, including Domesti-PUPs, Healing Heart Therapy Dogs, and Uplifting Paws. This program provides certified therapy dog team visits to both City and East Campus once per month and offers students, faculty, and staff the opportunity to cuddle and shake paws with some furry friends between classes.  It also will be providing therapy dog visits at special events, such as the East Campus Discovery Days and Entomology’s annual Bugfest. Two to five dogs are available at each site for an hour and a half, and the dog’s calming nature can help anyone in the UNL community de-stress. Therapy dogs are available in a designated area (indoor library room in colder months and specified outdoor space in warmer months) the second Wed of each month on East Campus and the second Thursday of each month on City Campus. 

Come to this free Yoga class at UNL Discovery Days. This class will take place on East Campus. Limited equipment will be provided. Bring your own towel or mat if you would like. We look forward to seeing you at this beginner's Yoga class!

June 10th: Yoga in the Park - 11-11:45am
July 8th: Pilates in the Park - 11-11:45am