DIY kids activities
at the Museum and at home
Need something to do over the holidays? Download our activity packs for some ideas on how to explore the Museum, as well as activities you can do at home.
Welcome to Content for Connection - where you can explore the wonders of life on Earth from the safety of your home.
Have you ever wanted to come behind the scenes and delve into our exhibitions, collections, research and resources? If so, you've found the perfect place.
If you've got a special question not answered here, send it to our experts or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube to find a community of curious minds.
Collection Affection
New year, new content! Our Collection Managers are the wonderful people behind the scenes who ensure our state collections are cared for and maintained
We caught up with them to find out which object they love the most. As you can imagine this was not an easy question for them to answer... Keep an eye on our YouTube page for the release of the videos.
Young Explorers
What can you see?
We miss seeing you at the Museum, but you can still sing along at home with the Young Explorers team for many months to come.
Click on “Sing and learn” to see our collection of videos for younger learners.
South Australian Museum Podcast
Have you ever wondered why museums keep things, what types of things they collect, and how they are cared for?
The South Australian Museum podcast features stories about our collections, what we can learn from them, and how we share them with the public.
This podcast was made possible through the support of National Science Week and the Department for Energy and Mining.
Her Story: Inspiring Women in STEM
Her Story celebrates women, who have always made and continue to make significant contributions to science.
By sharing the stories of women scientists we present visible role models who can inspire, encourage and motivate the next generation of young women to follow their dreams and pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).
Take a tour with our Director
The South Australian Museum is full of wonders of the Earth, both cultural and scientific. It is a place of discovery, where everyone is truly welcome.
Come on a tour with Mr Brian Oldman, Director of the South Australian Museum, and find out more about his favourite items on display.
Learning and fun
From learning how to become a citizen scientist to knowing how to explore your #BackyardBiodiversity, there's plenty of fun that can still be had while at home.
In the mean time, you can visit some of our timeless displays, and download resources to ignite minds of all ages.
We're aiming to create more online educational content soon, and, as always, you can send questions about your backyard findings to discovery@samuseum.sa.gov.au
#STEMyourBoredom
Whenever you're stuck inside and searching for something new to do, #STEMyourBoredom is here to help. Learn from our community programs team, researchers and collection managers about what ignites their minds with wonder.
Learn how to create patterns on fabric from home, and how to make your very own stink bug!
Take a virtual tour
Have you ever wondered what it'd be like to explore the Museum out of hours?
In 2016 we opened our doors to the Google Cultural Institute during the early hours of the morning. The institute used Street View technology to provide interactive panoramas from positions throughout the South Australian Museum.
Google Cultural Institute features content from over 2,000 leading museums and archives institutions to bring the world's best cultural displays to life.
Use the floor buttons to the right of your screen to navigate across the Museum. You can find out which floors your favourite galleries are on by downloading our map at https://docs.samuseum.sa.gov.au/qk8oj85dke.
Sprigg Q&A: Prof. Andy Austin and Dr Steve Donnellan
Learn about the biology of parasitic wasps, the most diverse group of animals on the planet.
Parasitic wasps have evolved sophisticated methods of locating their hosts in the environment, and mechanisms for overcoming their hosts' defences. As such, they are important in regulating arthropod populations and are extensively used as biological control agents of insect pests. This talk explores these and other aspects of the life of parasitic wasps.
Collaborate with our online collections
From journeys to Antarctica, to spider fangs, to the earliest-known complex forms of life on Earth, we've got you covered.
Our researchers are fascinated about how life on Earth began and how some life-forms have survived extreme environmental conditions, while others have not.
Explore some of the collections we have online via the Google Cultural Institute here.
Explore our exhibitions
From dogs to yidaki (didjeridus), we've got the experience for you. Explore these exhibitions and more:
- Dogs: a story of our best friend
- Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year
- Her Story: Inspiring Women in STEM
- Opals
- Yidaki: Didjeridu and the Sound of Australia
- Parasites: Life under cover
Image: Cradle Mt possum (detail) by Charles Davis, New South Wales, as seen in Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year 2019
Continuous culture
Australian Aboriginal culture is the oldest continuous culture on Earth, and the South Australian Museum is the custodian of the largest and most comprehensive collection of Australian Aboriginal cultural material in the world.
The Museum collaborates with communities to bring Aboriginal voices and values into dialogue with mainstream narratives of Australian history, society and culture through this collection.
Most recently our team has worked with Kaurna, Ngarrindjeri, Adnyamathanha, Nukunu, Ngaanyatjarra and Yolngu people to bring the stories of this collection to life.
Research and collections
The Museum holds scientific and cultural collections of national and international significance and is a leader in scientific research.
Our researchers work with others across the globe to further understanding about how to protect all animals.
The South Australian Museum's collections allow researchers to achieve this goal. This is because our scientific collections provide historical data against which researchers can assess the impacts of environmental changes and evolution, and detect previously unidentified species.
We're working with communities to secure permissions to share the Australian Aboriginal cultural collection online, and in the meantime we welcome questions about this particular collection at humanities@samuseum.sa.gov.au
Careers in sciences
Have you ever wondered how to become a researcher of whales and dolphins, an engineer or an anthropologist?
The Museum holds an annual series of displays about women in science. Her Story: Inspiring Women in STEM celebrates amazing women who are blazing their own trails and encourages all girls and boys to do the same.
By sharing these stories we present visible role models who can inspire, encourage and motivate the next generation to follow their dreams and pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).
Support
The South Australian Museum's mission is to inspire in all people wonder and curiousity about life on Earth.
For the last three years we've placed a special focus on providing programs for people with autism, DeafBlind communities, and people living with dementia.
In 2019 you helped us fund a series of initiatives that bring the South Australian Museum alive for people with an autism spectrum diagnosis. Share in the delight with us!