ROAR! A free storytime

ROAR!, short for Ringling Order of Arts Readers, is the museum's free storytime for toddlers and preschoolers, held in the MakerSpace of the Johnson-Blalock Education Center. Each session pairs a picture book with a single object from The Ringling's collection and an art-making activity keyed to both; themes change week to week, and the program has also been offered in Spanish. Tickets are free but required, released online roughly two weeks ahead, and they cover museum admission for the rest of the day, so a family can go from the story straight into the galleries or the Circus Museum. A traveling version, ROAR! On the Road, makes the rounds of Sarasota County libraries.