Oregon Center for Creative Learning

09/30/2026

⚡💚 Investing in learning, play and our Southern Oregon community!

We’re excited to share that the Oregon Center for Creative Learning has been awarded a $5,000 grant from the Pacific Power Foundation!

OCCL was one of 13 Southern Oregon organizations selected to receive funding through the Foundation’s Community Enhancement and Environmental Respect grant cycle, with a total of $56,000 invested in organizations working to strengthen communities across our region.

Support like this helps us continue creating meaningful opportunities for children and families to learn, explore, create and grow through play. Every investment in our work is an investment in the young minds who will shape the future of Southern Oregon.

A huge thank you to the Pacific Power Foundation for believing in the power of community and supporting organizations making a difference throughout our region. 💚

We’re also proud to be included alongside so many incredible Southern Oregon organizations doing important work in the communities we call home.

📰 Read more about the announcement from the Rogue Valley Times.

The Pacific Power Foundation has announced grants that support 13 Southern Oregon organizations working to protect the environment and strengthen their communities. Funding will help provide hands-on outdoor education for […]

09/23/2026

🎉 Looking for a venue that’s anything but ordinary?

The Children’s Museum of Southern Oregon isn’t just a place to play—it’s a one-of-a-kind setting for birthday parties, celebrations, workshops, private gatherings, nonprofit events, team activities and more!

Whether you’re planning something small and hands-on or a larger gathering, we have spaces to fit a spectrum of events:

🍳 Culinary Studio
A creative private space for up to 20 guests, with the option to add a hands-on culinary or bisqueware workshop. Studio rental starts at $250/hour, with optional workshops available for an additional flat fee.

🎨 Clay Studio
Make your gathering an experience! Host a private clay workshop or bisqueware painting session for up to 20 people. Rentals start at $30/person, with minimum group sizes depending on whether you book during or after Museum hours.

🏛️ Entire Museum
Yes—you can have the Museum to yourself! After-hours rentals accommodate up to 150 guests and include the Grand Hall and STEAM Forest. Rentals are $1,200 for three hours, with a 10% discount available for Museum members and nonprofits.

🌿 The Pavilion
A flexible covered space for gatherings of up to 100 guests, complete with heat, lights, fans and bathrooms. Rentals are $200/hour during Museum hours.

🌳 Pavilion + Outdoor Adventure
Go even bigger with access to both the Pavilion and Outdoor Adventure area! This after-hours option accommodates up to 160 guests and rents for $300/hour.

📅 All private-event reservations must be made at least 30 days in advance, and availability is subject to special-event and holiday blackout dates.

From creative workshops and birthday celebrations to company gatherings and community events, make your next gathering a little more playful, memorable and uniquely Southern Oregon. 💚

👉 Explore all the options, policies and rental details and submit an inquiry here: www.tcmso.org/private-events

09/21/2026

FREE Day at The Children’s Museum! 💛

📅 Tuesday, September 29, 2026
⏰ 10 AM–5 PM
📍 The Children’s Museum of Southern Oregon
🎟️ FREE Museum Admission

A full day of play, discovery, creativity, and connection—completely FREE!

Join us Tuesday, September 29 for a special Free Day at the Museum in honor of Lyn Hennion, whose commitment to our region continues to help create opportunities for local children and families.

Presented by the Oregon Community Foundation, this special day helps ensure that every family has the opportunity to experience the power of play—regardless of financial barriers.

Come explore your favorite exhibits, learn through hands-on experiences, make memories together, and enjoy everything the Museum has to offer with FREE admission from 10 AM–5 PM.

💛 No admission fee
🧠 Hands-on learning
🎨 Creative exploration
🧒 Play for the whole family
✨ A day designed to make the Museum accessible to everyone

Invite your friends, share the event, and make a playdate—we can’t wait to welcome you!

09/16/2026

Childcare is one of the biggest expenses facing Oregon families—and your experience can help inform the conversation.

Jefferson Regional Health and the Gordon Elwood Foundation are helping spread the word about a statewide childcare survey designed to gather local data about the real experiences families are having with childcare access, availability and affordability.

If you’re an Oregon parent or guardian of a child under 13, please take a few minutes to share your experience. The survey takes approximately 10–15 minutes, is confidential and anonymous, and is available in English and Spanish.

📅 Survey closes September 17 — tomorrow!

The more families who participate, the stronger the local data will be. Please take the survey and share it with other parents and caregivers in your community.

🔗 Take the survey: ovbc.info/childcare

09/09/2026

🍎 Celebrate Hispanic Heritage & Culture With Us!🎨🎶

Throughout September, The Oregon Center for Creative Learning and the Children’s Museum of Southern Oregon is celebrating Hispanic culture, creativity, traditions, and community with special programs and themed provocations throughout the Museum!

Families are invited to explore, create, cook, sculpt, listen, and learn together through hands-on experiences inspired by Hispanic cultures.

✨ Throughout the month, you can:

🎨 Create themed crafts during Museum Programs
🏺 Sculpt unique creations in Clay Programs
🍴 Cook fun foods in Culinary Programs
🎶 Listen to music from Hispanic communities while you play

These experiences are designed to encourage curiosity, creativity, and meaningful opportunities for children to learn about the cultures and traditions represented within our community.

Stop by throughout September and join us as we learn, play, create, and celebrate together! ❤️

09/08/2026

🛍️ COME JOIN US FOR A YARD SALE! ⭐

Love finding a great deal? Come treasure hunt with us at The Children’s Museum of Southern Oregon Yard Sale!

📅 Saturday, September 12
⏰ 8 AM–2 PM
📍 111 North Fir St., Medford
💵 Cash preferred

Stop by, browse the sale, find something new-to-you, and spend your Saturday morning with us. Bring a friend and come see what treasures are waiting! 🌟

Questions? Contact [email protected]

09/01/2026

🍂 September is full of opportunities to learn, create, explore, and PLAY at The Children’s Museum of Southern Oregon!

As we head into fall, we have a month packed with special programs and experiences designed to help children build new skills through hands-on learning.

September highlights include:

🍯 Animal Encounters — Saturday, September 5 at 11 AM
Meet Bee Educator Leslie Lungren and her traveling beehive! Children can get an up-close look at bees and discover the important role these tiny pollinators play in our food supply. FREE with Museum admission.

🎨 Hispanic Heritage Cultural Month
Throughout September, we’ll celebrate Hispanic culture with special activities woven into Museum programming. Children can create themed crafts, sculpt unique pieces during Clay Programs, cook delicious foods in Culinary Programs, and listen to music from Hispanic communities while they play.

💛 FREE Day at the Museum — Tuesday, September 29
In honor of Lyn Hennion’s commitment to our region, Museum admission will be FREE for the entire day—helping ensure every family has an opportunity to experience the power of play.

Plus, enjoy our regular Museum Programs, Clay Workshops, Culinary Programs, Mini-Wheel Sessions, and plenty of opportunities to explore, imagine, and learn together.

📍 413 W. Main St., Medford
📞 541-772-9922
🌐 TCMSO.org

From S.T.E.A.M. and literacy to creativity, motor development, communication, and social-emotional learning, play is serious learning—and September is a great month to come experience it!🍁

08/25/2026

📚 A Legacy of Imagination, One Book at a Time

Today, we join so many around the world in remembering the extraordinary life and legacy of Dolly Parton.

Dolly gave the world countless songs and stories, but one of her most meaningful legacies will always be the millions of stories she helped place into the hands of children.

Through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, she turned her deep belief in the power of literacy into action—providing free books to young children and helping families build home libraries, foster a love of reading, and discover the joy of learning together.

At the Oregon Center for Creative Learning, we believe that curiosity, creativity, play, and stories can shape a child’s entire future. Dolly understood that, too. Her commitment to making books accessible to children—regardless of their family’s circumstances—was a remarkable investment in generations of young learners.

Her music will continue to be heard, but her impact can also be found in bedtime stories, favorite picture books, first words read aloud, and the imaginations of millions of children who received a book with their name on it.

Thank you, Dolly, for reminding the world that giving a child a book is also giving them a place to dream. ❤️📖

Your legacy will live on in every little reader who turns the page. https://imaginationlibrary.com/

08/25/2026

🎨 THANK YOU for making The Art of Play unforgettable! ❤️💛💙

What a beautiful celebration of creativity, connection, and the power of play! We are incredibly grateful to everyone who joined us for The Art of Play and helped make the evening such a special one.

From the colorful details and playful touches to the generosity and energy that filled the room, this event was a wonderful reminder of what happens when a community comes together to support children.

To our guests, sponsors, donors, volunteers, community partners, and everyone who helped bring this event to life — THANK YOU. Your support helps us continue creating spaces where children can explore, imagine, learn, and grow through play.

We’re still smiling as we look back on such an incredible evening. Thank you for believing in our mission and for being part of The Art of Play!

Here’s to more curiosity, more creativity, and a whole lot more PLAY. 🎨✨

08/24/2026

Thank you City of Grants Pass, Local Government ❤️