As the final school bells prepare to ring and summer vacation stretches out ahead, parents face a familiar annual puzzle: how to keep children engaged, active, and learning during the long break without burning through the family budget.

Educators call it the "summer slide"—the tendency for students to lose some of the academic progress they made during the school year. Fortunately, preventing that slide doesn't require a classroom desk or expensive tutoring. Instead, some of our area’s premier cultural institutions are offering hands-on learning disguised as pure summer fun.

From the depths of the ocean to the far reaches of outer space, local venues are packed with interactive exhibits designed to spark curiosity. Children can dig for dinosaur bones at the Natural History Museum of Utah, explore critical STEM concepts at the Clark Planetarium, get up close with wildlife at the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium, or dive into hands-on creativity at the Discovery Gateway Children’s Museum.

While these world-class experiences offer the perfect antidote to summer boredom, admission costs for an entire family can quickly add up. Recognizing that financial barriers shouldn't limit a child’s curiosity, many of these organizations are actively participating in a national initiative called Museums for All.

Through this program, families receiving food assistance (SNAP benefits) can gain free or deeply reduced admission—typically $5 or less per person for up to four people—simply by presenting their EBT card and a photo ID at the ticket counter.

Participating local spots include:

• Discovery Gateway Children’s Museum & Loveland Living Planet Aquarium

• Natural History Museum of Utah & Red Butte Garden

• Salt Lake County Clark Planetarium

• Thanksgiving Point

• Tracy Aviary

• Utah Museum of Fine Arts

By lowering financial hurdles, these institutions ensure that every child in our community has a gateway to exploration.

Whether it is through unique, donor-backed tools inside our local classrooms or accessible programs out in the wider community, keeping children engaged requires a supportive ecosystem. In a community like Murray, where education is viewed as a year-round, collaborative effort, these resources provide a vital tool for families.

This summer, the best classroom might just be a museum, a garden, or an aquarium. By taking advantage of these community partnerships, parents can ensure their children return to school in the fall sharp, inspired, and ready to thrive.

To find a full, current list of participating venues and planning resources, families can visit Museums 4 All.