Come PLAY with us! At CML, children can climb aboard a Lowcountry pirate ship, launch a paper airplane, or create inspired masterpieces every day in the Art Room. Play inspires creativity and encourages lifelong exploration of the world around us. PLAY Guides enhance the exhibit experience by monitoring safety and assisting visitors, but, most importantly, PLAY and facilitate positive learning experiences in the Museum interactives.

Volunteers in this role must desire to work with young children. They are reliable, independent, outgoing, comfortable speaking with children and their grown-ups. PLAY Guides represent the Museum and are expected to be professional and courteous.

PLAY Guides commit to two-hour shifts that occur during operation hours (currently Thursday- Saturday from 9:30am  – 5pm and Sunday from 12pm – 5pm), successful completion of a Volunteer Training Session, and a background check (if 16 or older).

The Children’s Museum is open from 10:00am – 12:00pm on the second and fourth Sundays of every month exclusively for children with special needs and their families to visit the Museum for FREE. Children are able to explore and play in the Museum without the crowds and over-stimulation.

Volunteers with experience working with children with special needs, as well as volunteers who have special needs themselves, are welcome. Super Helpers will serve as PLAY Guides and help facilitate play for our SuperStars! families.

Learn more about SuperStars! here: https://explorecml.org/happening-at-cml/programs/cml-superstars/

Be active, be green! Come explore the organic garden at CML. We have native plants to see, touch, smell and taste. Green Gurus can interact with children and their grown-ups or work behind the scenes keeping the Garden beautiful. Encourage children to pick herbs to taste, go on a bug hunt or pick some papyrus grass to use as a paintbrush. Green Gurus may challenge visitors to old-fashioned games such as hop-scotch or four-square or create structures with a giant set of wooden blocks in our outdoor garden exhibit!

Prefer helping to maintain the Garden? Green Gurus are also needed to water, trim and maintain the plants.

Volunteers in this role are reliable, independent and enjoy gardening. Green Gurus can be quiet and relaxed while maintaining the Garden or energetic, comfortable speaking with children and their grown-ups and willing to engage our visitors during PLAY. Green Gurus represent CML and are expected to be professional and courteous.

Green Gurus wanting to interact with visitors commit to two-hour shifts that occur during operating hours (Thursday- Saturday from 9:30am – 5pm; Sunday from 12pm – 5pm).  Green Gurus wanting to help maintain the Garden are needed on Mondays, Tuesdays, or Wednesdays.

Successful completion of a Volunteer Training Session and background check (if 16 or older) is required.

Not available during business operating hours, but still want to volunteer at CML? Join our Rock Stars of Special Events volunteers and assist with weekend and evening gatherings, fundraisers, outreach events and festivals throughout the year! We have so much fun at our annual events such as Free Family Fridays and Noon Year’s Eve! Rock Stars work directly with the event planning team to ensure smooth delivery of special events.

Volunteers in this role are reliable, independent, outgoing, comfortable speaking with children and their grown-ups and are willing to engage all families. General CML knowledge is helpful but not required. Rock Stars are expected to be professional and courteous. Special Events are scheduled in advance and are often on weekends or during evening hours.

Successful completion of a Volunteer Training Session and background check (if 16 or older) are required.

CML offers a variety of camps during school breaks. Junior Camp Counselors (ages 13-18) help make the camp experience special for our little campers (ages 3 – 10) by providing assistance with themed camp activities, arrival and dismissal of campers, lunch and PLAY throughout CML! A Senior Camp Counselor is always on-hand to offer guidance and support.

Volunteers in this role are reliable and outgoing and can handle multiple environments (CML interactives and the CML Camp Room) with ease. Patience and a desire to work with children are required. Junior Camp Counselors represent CML and are expected to be professional and courteous. Camps are typically offered during Thanksgiving, winter, spring and summer breaks. Summer Camps are week-long and Junior Camp Counselors commit to full weeks (Monday – Friday from 8:15am – 12:45pm or Monday – Friday from 12:15pm – 4:45pm).

Successful completion of a Volunteer Training Session and background check (if 16 or older) are required.

In 2021, we made over 14,000 bags and we need your help to make that happen! Groups or individuals can help make the components that go in the bag or assemble large quantities. An example can be one person cutting yarn, rolling tape, or dividing egg cartons or a group putting those pieces in 1000 brown bags so they are ready to go into local schools.

Learn more about Brown Bags here: https://explorecml.org/brown-bag-stem-challenge.