Move and Think Like an Animal in our Interactive Puppet Shows!

Please join us this Fall for a fun and active way to learn about animals, how they communicate, and how they move. Meet the HumAnimals, talented museum performers who transform into familiar animals using costumes and puppets made from recyclable materials. Hop, Slither and Stalk Programs rotate seasonally highlighting our exhibits and pavilions.

Starting in October: "Where Do You Live?," "Swamp Things" and "Buggin’ Out"! 
All ages will enjoy the Hop, Slither, and Stalk program, but most Hoppers and Slitherers are ages 3-9.

Buggin' Out!

A giant insect and arachnid puppet show with a cockroach, a scorpion, honey bees, and a jumping spider. Bugs are nothing to be afraid of: They have jobs, homes, and talk to their friends just like we do.

Swamp Things

Who lives in the swamp?  Do they live in the mud, the watrer, the trees or the rocks?  Learn about all the different neighborhoods of the swamp. Crawl, leap, catch flies and swim with the amphibians and reptiles who call the swamp home.

Where do YOU Live?

Explore all the different places that animals can live, and how they've adapted to live there. Featuring a squid, an orangatan, a frog and an ostrich, this presentation focuses on life cycles and adaptation.

The Metamorphosis Story

A giant butterfly puppet show all about a monarch butterfly’s life featuring our stiltwalking butterflies, our 25-foot caterpillar and…the audience!

For Teachers

Our interactive performance art programs satisfy many of the California Visual and Performance Arts (VAPA) Standards for grades Pre-K through 2.for details of how to make the most of your field trip to NHM by being sure to include a stop at Dinosaur Encounters or Hop, Slither, and Stalk presentation.
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Giant Butterflies

Two new puppets appeared at NHM this year! We are happy to add a stilt-walking 10-foot wingspan monarch butterfly and luna moth to our collection. You can catch these unique puppets at special museum events, and the Hop, Slither and Stalk presentation of “The Metamorphosis Story” along with a 25 foot caterpillar. Specially commissioned by the Museum in celebration of the Pavilion of Wings, the beautiful hand-painted wings and costumes were created by a husband and wife team Ann and Robi Mukherjee. See more of their work at www.aurasilks.com.