Family Fun in Southeast Michigan April 2017

So many events this month scream SPRING, and it makes my heart so incredibly happy. Hope you have a great month of getting outside, making memories, and taking in the beauty of everything starting to bloom. Enjoy planning some family fun in Southeast Michigan in April 2017 with this big list!

{FOR EASTER EVENTS –> GO HERE!}

Family Fun in Southeast Michigan April 2017

Through April 30 — Butterflies in the Garden at MSU {East Lansing} — Visit the MSU Children’s Gardens to learn all about butterflies. Parking is free on the weekend, but there is a $1.80/hour charge during the week. Learn more tips at this post from my archives. FREE.

April 1 — Boat Challenge at Sloan Museum {Flint} — Put your engineering skills to the test! Visit from 1-3 p.m. and plan, design, and build a boat that will float while carrying a heavy load of cargo. Program fee includes a visit to Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition at the 3 p.m. ticket time. Advance registration required. For ages 7+. Fee: Adults $10, Seniors (60+) $9, Youth age 2-11 $9.

April 1 — Families at The Broad {East Lansing} — Visit this East Lansing modern art museum from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. for hands-on activities and a family guided tour at 1 p.m. FREE thanks to Farm Bureau.

April 1 — Michaels Kid Club {Nationwide} — Drop into a Michael’s Craft Store and take home a completed project. $2 per child for 30 minutes of creative craft fun, including supplies. 10 a.m. – noon. Ages 3 and up. This day’s project is a Sprout® Easter Canvas.

April 1 — Home Depot Kids Workshop {Nationwide} — Visit Home Depot to build a bunny basket. Kids get to keep their craft, receive a certificate of achievement, a workshop apron, and a pin. 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. FREE.

April 1 — Nature Tales at Leslie Science and Nature Center {Ann Arbor} —Visit for nature-based activities that inspire preschoolers. Each session is centered around a specific theme and include a variety of hands-on activities, like live animal encounters, guided hikes, group games, and enticing stories. This program’s theme is Sensational Spring. $4 per child {$3 per member}, adults are free.

April 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 — FREE Day at the Flint Institute of Art {Flint} — This museum is FREE to visit every Saturday thanks to First Merit Bank.

April 3 — FREE Oral Cancer Screening from the Delta Dental Foundation {East Lansing} — Visit Michigan State University’s campus at the Union from noon to 1 p.m. for free oral cancer screenings, food, prizes and great info about oral and overall health.

April 4-5 — LEGO Monthly Build at Somerset Collection {Troy} — Build a LEGO® Baby Chicken model and take it home for FREE after! Must register in advance. This event is open to children ages 6-14 only.

April 6-9 — Detroit Shrine Circus {Novi} — A hometown circus, complete with the majesty of wild animals, the high wire, and Shrine clowns. Fun for young and old! Event will be at the Suburban Collection Showplace. Tickets range from $15-$25.

April 7 — FREE Admission to Cranbrook Institute of Science After 5 p.m. {Bloomfield Hills} — Thanks to the MASCO Corporation Foundation.

April 7 — DETROIT TIGER’S OPENING DAY!

April 7-23 — MSU Science Festival {East Lansing} — A multi-day celebration of science, with more than 150 presentations, demos, tours, open houses, discussion panels and hands-on activities for ALL ages. FREE.

April 8 — Michaels Kid Club {Nationwide} — Drop into a Michael’s Craft Store and take home a completed project. $2 per child for 30 minutes of creative craft fun, including supplies. 10 a.m. – noon. Ages 3 and up. This day’s project is a tissue paper stained glass.

April 8 — Lansing Lugnuts Home Opener {Lansing} – Grab some tickets and bring the family to watch the Lugnuts, Lansing’s minor league team. Tickets start at $8.

April 9 — Festifools Parade {Ann Arbor} — FestiFools is a public arts performance held in Ann Arbor every year that features papier-maché puppets. Sunday from 4-5 p.m. on Main, between William and Washington St. in downtown Ann Arbor. FREE.

April 9 — FREE Day at Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History {Detroit} — Visit this gem for FREE from 1 p.m. – 5p.m., thanks to DTE Energy Foundation.

April 9 — Kids Opening Day with the Detroit Tigers {Detroit} — Visit Comerica Park for this family-friendly day sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, which includes free rides for kids on the Fly Ball Ferris Wheel and Carousel, free face painting, and Kids Run the Bases following the game. Tickets range from $12-$100.

April 9 — My Turn: Sensory Friendly Sunday at Ann Arbor Hands On Museum {Ann Arbor} — Children with Autism and their families are invited to visit AAHOM to practice their observation skills and learning about chromatography, density, and buoyancy! FREE. Registration required.

April 10 — MSU Bug House Open House {East Lansing} — Visit MSU’s Bug House, where you can see, touch or even hold some real creepy crawlers. In addition to viewing the amazing pinned displays, you’ll have the opportunity to interact with a whole room of insects, including walking sticks and tarantulas! FREE.

April 11 — Little Critters at the Howell Nature Center {Howell} — Visit to learn about Dorsey the porcupine! Children explore wildlife biology through songs, stories, crafts and more. Two sessions available at 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Pre-registration is required — call 517-546-0249. $6 per child/adult pair.

April 15 — Michaels Kid Club {Nationwide} — Drop into a Michael’s Craft Store and take home a completed project. $2 per child for 30 minutes of creative craft fun, including supplies. 10 a.m. – noon. Ages 3 and up. This day’s project is a yarn bunny.

April 15 — Butterfly Day at MSU {East Lansing} — Visit for a fun family program celebrating butterflies! There will be numerous activities to engage kids of all ages in learning about our flying friends. Explore the Indoor Garden on a butterfly hunt and conduct a scientific investigation, make wings of your favorite butterfly and more. Cost: $5 per child, free parking.

April 15 — Greenfield Village Opening Day {Dearborn} — Visit the Village for glass blowing demonstrations, farm cooking demonstration, and more to make it the ultimate educational field trip! Buy online to save 10% off — adults are $24.25, youth $18.25 and children 2 and under are free.

April 18-30 — Motown The Musical at The Fisher Theatre {Detroit} — This show would make a great night out! Learn more here.

April 21 — Earth Day Celebration with West Bloomfield Parks and Rec {West Bloomfield} — Celebrate Mother Earth with many activities including a trail mix station, recycled craft, a tree seedling to the first 50 children, an MSU extension 4-H soil & sand activity station and more. FREE.

April 21-23 – MI Earth Day Fest {Rochester} – Visit one of the planet’s largest Earth Day celebrations on the banks of downtown Rochester’s Municipal City Park and the Paint Creek Trail. More than 100 exhibits, speakers, food vendors, kids’ activities, entertainment, and more highlighting the benefits and the how-to’s of “going green.” FREE.

April 22 — HAPPY EARTH DAY!

April 22 — Earth Day Festival at Fenner Nature Center {Lansing} — Honor the legacy of Earth Day by giving back to nature with a variety of volunteer projects available to restore habitat and maintain the park. 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. FREE.

April 22 — Downtown Flint ComiXcon {Flint} — The Eighth Annual Downtown Flint ComiXcon will take place at the Flint Farmer’s Market, and will have comics, books, posters, art, cosplay, gaming and more. Admission is $5, with children under 12 free with a paying adult.

April 23 — Touch-A-Truck {Royal Oak} — Explore vehicles including public service, emergency, utility, construction, and transportation! Other activities include food, crafts and entertainment. Tickets are $5 per family {up to 4 people}; additional tickets are $2.

April 23 — Ann Arbor Area 45th Annual Earth Day Festival {Ann Arbor} — The Ann Arbor Area Earth Day Festival is an annual celebration held at Leslie Science & Nature Center. This family-friendly event features displays from local organizations, live animal demonstrations, hands-on activities, and more. 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. FREE.

April 26 — Wild Over Wednesday at the DNR Outdoor Adventure Center {Detroit} — Visit the OAC The last Wednesday of each month for free admission from 6 to 8 p.m. There will be story time, hands-on experiences, games and more. FREE.

April 27-30 — The Little Mermaid Performance {South Lyon} — Visit South Lyon East High School to watch a live production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid. Tickets are $6/children under 12, $10 for students/seniors and $12/adultss

April 27-30 — Shell Eco-marathon Americas {Detroit} —  This multi-sensory experience features a variety of activities for families and more than 1,000 high school and university students from around North and South America pushing the limits of efficiency to see which team can drive the farthest distance using the least energy. 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. daily at Cobo Center. FREE. {More info coming soon!}

April 28-30 — Pinkalicious the Musical at City Theatre {Detroit} — Based on the popular children’s book by Elizabeth Kann and Victoria Kann, Vital Theatre Company’s Pinkalicious The Musical will perform six shows at the City Theatre. {We absolutely loved this show!} Tickets are $29.50.

April 29 — Party for the Planet at Potter Park Zoo {Lansing} – Celebrate the 46th Earth Day at the zoo. Enrichment items will be given to the animals from 1-3 p.m., and some of them are made by our BIG Zoo Lesson kids. Cost is general admission, which is free for 3 and under, $2 for children up to 16 years old, and $4-$10 for adults and seniors.

April 29-30, May 6-7, May 13-14 — Day Out With Thomas at Greenfield Village {Dearborn} — For the first time ever at Day Out With Thomas, Thomas the Tank Engine will be able to talk to his fans! This fun-filled event offers little engineers and their families the opportunity to take a ride with Thomas the Tank Engine, meet Sir Topham Hatt, and enjoy a day of activities including arts & crafts, storytelling and more. Advance tickets recommended. Greenfield Village admission is required for nonmembers to ride Thomas. Ticket prices: Seniors {62+}: $36.25, adults {age 13-61}: $38.75, youth {age 5-12}: $32, child {age 1-4}: $11.75. Parking is $6 per vehicle. {I wrote about our experience here!}

April 29-30 — Enchanted Princess Ball {Oakland} — The Enchanted Princess Ball is a theatrical performance that transports little princesses into a magical fairytale world! Classic stories are retold as favorite characters are brought to life from the pages of favorite books to the stage. Tickets are $22.50 for both adults and children and should be purchased in advance at the link above.

What events did I miss? Please share in the comments!