Ways To Celebrate MLK Day With Kids in Southeast Michigan

The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education. – MLK

Aren’t those words SO true? If we can all raise our little ones to be savvy, well-rounded, and kind, we will have succeeded, right?

There are few people in history as notable as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and since most schools are out to honor his birthday on January 16, 2017, I hope you all spend the day living out his legacy with kindness, service, and learning.

Lucky for us, there is no shortage of great things happening for the kids either, including several FREE admission museums. I love using days like this to teach kindness and history to my kids, and am already trying to plan something fun for our day together.

Get inspired to get those kiddos thinking intensively and critically at one of these great events:

Ways To Celebrate MLK Day With Kids in Southeast Michigan

Attend an MLK Concert at Ann Arbor Public Library {Ann Arbor} — Visit the downtown branch for the acclaimed percussion group Biakuye. Biakuye’s energetic performances bring together a wide range of African and Caribbean music and dance. FREE. Recommended for kindergarten age and up.

Take advantage of Discounted Admission to Ann Arbor Hands On Museum {Ann Arbor} — Special admission price of $6 to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Ron Loyd, The Bubble Man, will perform at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Enjoy FREE Admission to The Henry Ford for MLK Day {Dearborn} — Visit THF from 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. and celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The day includes free admission and free parking, activities and dramatic presentations.

Sitting inside the infamous Rosa Parks bus inside The Henry Ford is the perfect catalyst for discussing history and the Civil Rights era.

Visit the Charles H. Wright Museum for a celebration {Detroit} — The museum’s celebration includes children’s workshops, arts and crafts, musical performances, storytelling, video tributes, special displays of MLK and Coretta Scott King artifacts, and much, much more! All exhibits are included in museum admission, which is $8 for adults (ages 13 +), $5 for seniors (62 +) and youth (ages 3 – 12), and free for museum members and children under 3.

Check out FREE Admission to Michigan Science Center {Detroit} — Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day with free general admission, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., courtesy of the Ford Motor Company. Registration is required – click here. Public parking is $7.

Experience “Bring The Dream To Life” at Detroit Historical Museum {Detroit} — Celebrate Dr. King’s birthday with children’s activities, a dance performance by Alnur African Drum and Dance troupe, poetry and cupcakes at 3:30 p.m. Admission is always free although parking fees will apply. {Also – the Detroit Underground Railroad exhibit is a MUST!}

Enjoy MLK Day Gallery Games at the Detroit Institute of Arts {Detroit} — Celebrate MLK Day with games geared towards ages 3 to 12, with a few specifically tailored for 3 to 5-year-olds. They range from simple matching activities for the youngest visitors to word games that provide friendly competition for the entire family. Playing is free with museum admission, which is free for residents of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. Additionally, MLK Guided Tours will be available.

Visit Sloan Museum for FREE Admission {Flint} — In honor of Dr. King’s legacy, visitors will receive free admission to Sloan Museum and Buick Gallery. Visitors can play in Wisner’s Whizbang Emporium gallery and explore Flint history in our permanent galleries. The Buick Gallery’s exhibit Proof of Concept features four legendary Dream Cars, and also the production models they inspired. Parking is free too!

Visit the Flint Public Library for an  MLK Drop-In Craft {Flint} — Celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday by completing a craft that celebrates the legacy of Dr. King in the Children’s Learning Center. 1-3 p.m. FREE.

If you’d rather stay close to home, try these inexpensive random acts of kindness or hit up the library! There are so many amazing books highlighting Dr. King’s work. My favorite {Amazon affiliate link}:

Additionally, Amazon Prime Video is offering An American Girl Story – Melody 1963: Love Has to Win available free to stream outside the paywall Jan. 13 – 16, 2017. If you’re not familiar, Melody is an African-American gal from Civil Rights-era Detroit!

How do you celebrate MLK Day in your home?