Special Event

421 Family Day is an open, public celebration of making, exploring, and being together, welcoming families and children of all ages across the campus for a day of creative play, artist-led activities, and shared experience.

The day runs as a series of concurrent, drop-in activations spread across campus. Families move between zones at their own pace, spending as much or as little time as they choose at each. Built around the current exhibition, Human in the Loop by Dr. Ahmad AlAttar, the day offers something meaningful for every age, from the very young to the almost grown, alongside food and the kind of unhurried time that lets families genuinely explore the space together.

Families leave with a creative takeaway for each child and a shared memory of the day. Together, families will create a that will remain in the space as a living record of everyone who participated.

Accessibility & Participation

Open to all ages 

Free admission 

About the Instructor

Early Starters

Yasmine is the owner of Early Starters. She grew up around books her life as her father was in the publishing business. Her lifelong dream was to open her own independent bookstore that would host the community in more than one way.

Program Agenda  

Studio Play (Ages 1 – 5) 

A calm sensory environment designed for early learners to explore through touch, movement, sound, and imaginative play.

Activities include:

1. Light and shadow exploration
2. Loose parts construction
3. Natural sensory trays
4. Texture discovery
5. Open-ended building materials
6. Collaborative drawing wall
7. Sound bottles and sensory objects

Studio Play encourages curiosity, experimentation, and independent discovery while supporting early childhood development.

String Pattern Art

Exhibition Hall 

Ages: 6+

Participants create abstract artworks by threading colourful strings through pre-punched geometric templates. Each connection gradually forms a unique composition inspired by systems, relationships, and emerging patterns.

Families will explore:

1. Pattern recognition
2. Creative problem-solving
3. Fine motor skills
4. Observation
5. Contemporary abstract art

Each participant leaves with their own artwork.

Woven Pathways

Studio 2 & 3 

Ages: 4+

Using paper strips, ribbons, or yarn, participants weave colourful compositions through pre-cut cards. As colours intersect and layers build, children experience repetition, rhythm, and interconnectedness through making.

Families will explore:

1. Texture
2. Pattern
3. Color
4. Repetition
5. Fine motor development

Each woven artwork becomes a unique keepsake to take home.

Optical Illusion Spinner (Thaumatrope)

The Meeting Room

Ages: 5+

Families create one of the earliest optical toys by illustrating two separate images on opposite sides of a spinning disc. As the spinner rotates, the brain combines both images into one, demonstrating how movement and perception shape our understanding.

Families will explore:

1. Visual perception
2. Observation
3. Cause and effect
4. Creative thinking

Each family leaves with an interactive artwork they can continue exploring at home.

Pixel Patterns (Perler Bead Art)

Studio 1

Ages: 5+

Participants create abstract artworks using colorful Perler beads arranged on pegboards to form unique geometric compositions. Inspired by the exhibition's exploration of systems, perception, and human interaction, children are encouraged to experiment with color, repetition, and pattern rather than follow a fixed design.

Each arrangement becomes a personal exploration of how individual elements combine to create something greater than the sum of their parts.

Families will explore:

1. Pattern and repetition
2. Color relationships
3. Spatial awareness
4. Creative experimentation
5. Contemporary abstract design

Finished artworks are fused by the facilitation team and packaged for participants to take home as a keepsake from Family Day.

Reflection Space

Exhibition Hall 

Open to All

Families are invited to contribute thoughts and observations through simple prompts such as:

1. What surprised you today?
2. What pattern did you notice?
3. What did you discover through making?
4. How did small choices create something bigger?

Throughout the day, these responses become a growing collaborative artwork that celebrates shared creativity and curiosity.

Reading Room

Lunch is served.