Shepherd's Harvest Sheep & Wool Festival (Courtesy to Pioneer Press: Anthony Saucier)

HANDS-ON EVENTS / ARCHAEOLOGY

May 9-10: Dig into Minnesota's past at two archaeology events:

  • At Historic Fort Snelling, watch staff make pottery, arrowheads and tool points. Play artifact-identification games, take canoe rides, go on a scavenger hunt and tour the archaeology labs. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 9, noon to 5 p.m. May 10; 200 Tower Avenue, St. Paul; $10 adults, $8 seniors and college students, $5 children ages 6-17; 612-726-1171 or www.mnhs.org

  • Across the Mississippi River at the Sibley House Historic Site, kids can participate in a simulated dig and find and identify artifacts from the 19th century fur-trading post. You're encouraged to bring your own gloves, pail and shovel. 1 to 3 p.m.; 1357 Sibley Memorial Highway, Mendota; $2; 651-452-1596 or www.mnhs.org.

    EXHIBIT / BABY ANIMALS WEEKEND

    May 9-10: Meet baby chicks, lambs, calves, kittens and piglets and see how a farm was run 150 years ago at the Oliver H. Kelley Farm. Moms get in free with a paying child. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 9, noon to 5 p.m. May 10; 15788 Kelley Farm Road, Elk River; $8 adults, $6 seniors and college students, $5 children ages 6-17; free for children ages 5 and younger; 763-441-6896 or www.mnhs.org.

    EVENT / SHEPHERD'S HARVEST

    May 9-10: Watch sheep dogs at work, listen to live music, take

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    a llama for a walk and see demonstrations of sheep shearing, carding, felting and more at the Shepherd's Harvest Sheep & Wool Festival. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 9, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 10; Washington County Fairgrounds, Lake Elmo; free; shepherdsharvestfestival.org.

    ART / SPACES AND PLACES

    May 10: Travel to new places and spaces through art at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts free family day. Activities include sketching a live model, listening to harp music, playing drums from around the world, participating in a gallery hunt and an adult and child movement workshop. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Minneapolis Institute of Arts, 2400 Third Ave. S., Mpls.; free; 612-870-3131 or artsmia.org.

    STAGE / 'THE PAPER BAG PRINCESS'

    Through May 17: In this musical comedy adaptation of Robert Munsch's book, feisty Elizabeth sets off to rescue her prince from a fire-breathing dragon. Stages Theatre, Hopkins Center for the Arts, 1111 Main Street, Hopkins; $15 adults, $11 children, lap passes free for children younger than 2 and $5 for children ages 3-4, $5 seniors; 952-979-1111 or stagestheatre.org.

    FILM / FREE FAMILY FLICKS

    Ongoing: The Theatres at Mall of America shows free family flicks every Saturday at 10 a.m. Arrive early to get a seat. See www.theatresmoa.com. to find out what's showing.

    NATURE / BIRDING

    Ongoing: See songbirds up close and watch experts band birds as part of an ongoing effort to help scientists learn more about bird migrations and habits. All ages welcome. Carpenter Nature Center has been capturing, banding and releasing birds for 26 years. 9 a.m. to noon every fourth Friday of the month, Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center, 12805 St. Croix Trail, Hastings; free; please call ahead to let them know you're coming; 651-437-4359 or CarpenterNatureCenter.org.