Celebrate Worldwide Day of Play at the Utica Children’s Museum!

The Utica Children's Museum is celebrating Worldwide Day of Play tomorrow, Saturday, September 26, with three hours of completely free family fun.

And when they say play, they mean everything from animals and STEM experiments to sports, art, ice cream and even a visit from a familiar Utica Comets face.

Free Worldwide Day of Play in Utica

Worldwide Day of Play will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 106 Memorial Parkway in Utica.

The event is free and open to the public.

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Don't let questionable weather ruin your plans either. The celebration is happening rain or shine, with activities planned for both the museum parking lot and ICAN's Community Room.

There Is A LOT for Kids to Do

The Utica Children's Museum's Mobile Museum will be there for kids to build, create and play, along with a long list of community organizations bringing their own activities.

Kids can get moving with Elevate CNY Sports Complex, try interactive STEM activities with Griffiss Institute and engineer something new with MVCC's Future Engineers Club.

The Utica Zoomobile will also be bringing along some animal friends, while ICAN's UCSD System of Care will offer a calming craft. Families can also make sidewalk chalk art, play lawn games and check out even more activities throughout the afternoon.

And yes, there will be food. SNUG Utica will provide free hot dogs and chips, and The Salvation Army will have free ice cream while supplies last.

Naudie Is Coming Too

Young Utica Comets fans will have another reason to stop by.

Naudie, the Utica Comets mascot, will be joining the celebration to meet families and get in on the fun.

Kids Can Create Art With Local Artists

There are also a couple of special art experiences planned.

Local artist Kelly Wander will lead a community art project where families can create individual pieces that will eventually become part of an interactive installation inside the museum. The finished project will also include a photo opportunity for families.

Supplies for the project were donated by Utica Creative Reuse.

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Joe Mandia, owner of Stronghold Animation, will also return for special drawing classes inside the Community Room.

Those classes will be held at 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., with only 15 openings available during each session. Unlike the rest of the day's activities, advance registration is required for the drawing classes.

An Easy Saturday Plan for Central New York Families

Between sports, animals, science experiments, art projects, games and free food, there's enough happening to keep kids busy for a while.

And perhaps the best part for parents? You don't have to pull out your wallet every five minutes.

Worldwide Day of Play
Saturday, September 26
11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
106 Memorial Parkway, Utica
Free and open to the public
Rain or shine