Pack your imagination and sense of curiosity, and get ready to travel with CMOM to Southeast Asia. Join the museum for an exciting exploration of Indian culture—from puppetry to percussion instruments—to celebrate 75 years of India’s Independence.

Through storytelling, unique art projects, music, and more, children will immerse themselves in India and its people’s rich history and traditions.

CMOM India at 75 Celebration

Spring Break, April 18 - 24

Join CMOM and partner, The Culture Tree, to celebrate freedom, renewal, and culture. This year marks 75 years of India’s independence from British rule, reminding us of the sacrifices freedom fighters make to get free from colonial rule.

All week-long celebrate 75 years of India’s independence and the history of its people, culture, and achievements at CMOM.

Note: Specific events dates are included alongside each listing, below.


Monday & Tuesday, April 18 & 19
Fabric Prints and Textile Design - Find inspiration to create a textile design in traditional Indian symbols, colors, and fabrics. Carve your own stamp using foam and print your design on real fabric.


Wednesday & Friday, April 20 & 22
Eco Architecture - Explore the designs of architects Neelam Manjunath, Trupti Doshi, and Revathi Kamath as you draw, design, and build a solution to an environmental issue.


Thursday, April 21
Warli Painting - The wall paintings of the Warli people of Maharashtra are famous for their simplicity and liveliness. Warli painting is a type of art created mainly in Maharashtra, India. Create art inspired by Warli painting using crayons, markers, and chalk.


Thursday, April 21 | 2 pm - 4 pm
Warli Painting with Kavita Rajput - The art Warli painting sometimes resembles prehistoric cave paintings and usually depicts scenes of human figures hunting, dancing, sowing, and harvesting. Join guest artist Kavita Rajput as she shares tips for making art inspired by Warli painting, a type of art created mainly by the people of Maharashtra, India.


Friday, April 22 | 11:30 am
India at 75 Story Time: Dancing Devi - Devi, one of the best Bharatanatyam dancers in her dance school, is upset when she learns she's lost the big dance competition. Devi vows to practice until her dance is flawless but keeps making mistakes no matter how she practices. Come along with Devi and author Priya Parikh to learn that failure is an important part of learning and growing.


Friday, April 22 | 2 pm & 3 pm
Performance: The Tree Hugger - Celebrate Earth Day with The Tree Hugger, a performance and dance workshop. Using Indian classical dance, The Tree Hugger tells the true story from 1730 India of Amrita Devi. Amrita and her three daughters make the ultimate sacrifice to protect the trees in their community, which moves their village, and later the entire country, inspiring the 1970s environmental movement called CHIPKO. Aditi Dhruv from Thresh Dance will be performing this beautiful script written by author Mona Sehgal.


Saturday, April 23 | 10 am - 12:45 pm & 3 pm - 4:45 pm
Drum Making - Inspired by the Indian percussion instrument known as the tabla, build your own set of drums to create beautiful beats and playful percussion.


Saturday, April 23 | 2 pm & 3 pm
Explore Indian Classical Music - Beat a tabla, strum a sitar, groove to teen taal, and rock to a raga as we journey through the world of Indian classical music. Join Vanita Kothari from Little Ustaads for rhythmic tunes, rich vocals, mini-instruments, and vibrant visuals. Explore the sounds of Indian classical music and unleash the artist within yourself.


Sunday, April 24 | 10 am - 12:45 pm & 3 pm - 4:45 pm
Kathputli Puppet Making - Kathputli puppetry (derived from “kath,” meaning wood, and “putli,” meaning doll) is a string puppet theater, native to Rajasthan, India. Create a puppet inspired by Kathputli puppets using wood and fabric.


Sunday, April 24 | 11 am
India at 75 Story Time with Anu Sehgal of The Culture Tree - Founder and President of The Culture Tree Anu Sehgal shares some of her favorite children’s books. Explore Indian language, art, and culture by today’s leading Indian authors and illustrators.


Sunday, April 24 | 1 pm
India at 75 Story Time with author Shweta Ganesh Kumar - Author and storyteller Shweta Ganesh Kumar will read from her new book What House Shall I Build Today? This book is a cultural deep dive into the type of buildings and structures that are present in India. Did you know there are sandstone havelis in Jaisalmer and houses with roofs made of wild grass in Nagaland? Cities have skyscrapers and there are houses powered by solar energy. Join us for a special story time and build the house you would like to live in.


Sunday, April 24 | 2 pm
Holi Puppet Show: Colors of Krishna’s Love - Learn the story of Holi and how it is celebrated through an interactive show with dance, drama, puppetry, and songs. Meet Krishna and his friends as they throw colored powders and share in love and laughter. Colors of Krishna’s Love reinforces themes of friendship and love while teaching about India’s festival of colors.


Sunday, April 24 | 3 pm
India at 75 Story Time: Always Anjali - When Anjali gets the bike of her dreams on her birthday, she and her best friends look for matching license plates with their names, but Anjali can’t find her name. She gets so upset she vows to change her name. Join author Sheetal Sheth and hear how Anjali learns to celebrate who she is and carry her name with pride.


CMOM is open Wednesday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., with timed entry throughout the day. Visitors are encouraged to purchase timed-entry tickets online in advance. Admission is free for all members and $15 for non-members, and provides entry to all CMOM programs and exhibitions.

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