Home School Classes

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Homeschool Classes Winter 2024/2025

Tuesday and Wednesday Nature Nuts Series  (Ages 5-14)  10am-11am 

Tues (8 weeks):  Feb 4th-March 25th (8 weeks) $175

Welcome back  ECO Explorers!  Each Nature Nuts class will be a different theme each week until March that will focus on a variety of themes. These are hands-on activities that incorporate live animal interactions, experiments, activities, and crafts.  It's STEAM at it's best!  From all the sciences, to history, art, math and more- these classes are one of a kind!

Register online - Spaces available!!

We customize to your needs. If you have a group of 6-14 students, we can form your own one-time class or session. Please inquire at [email protected]

Registration NOW OPEN CLICK HERE

Session 3 Themes

Jungle

Week 1: Ravishing Rainforests

Step into the world of rainforests in Eco’s very own Rainforest Room! Learn what makes the Amazon Rainforest the most important ecosystem in the world and explore what tricks rainforest animals have up their sleeve to survive in this unique habitat.

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savannah

Week 2: Sensational Savannahs

Grab your safari gear, we’re exploring the Savannahs! What makes a savannah different from a desert? Explore the vast, grassy plains of the savannah and discover how animals as big as giraffes to as small as lizards adapt to the heat and scarce water.

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Mei Len and Turtle

Week 3: The Great Barrier Reef

Dive with us into the biodiverse habitat of the Great Barrier Reef! What makes this habitat so appealing to sea creatures small and large? Discover how coral reefs are formed by studying real pieces of a reef and participating in a fun game show version of marine biology!

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a beautiful shot of grassy hills covered in trees near mountains in Dolomites Italy

Week 4: Magnificent Mountains

Climb on up to discover the rocky habitat mountain animals endure! From freezing temperatures to steep cliffs, find out how animals like mountain goats use unique feet to climb or how yak use their large size to their advantage for a high-altitude lifestyle!

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Wilbur

Week 5: Delightful Deserts

Excited for summer? The wait is over! Get a taste of summer with the hot, dry habitat of the desert! How do animals live in the desert without fans, sunscreen, or air conditioning? Discover the amazing things desert animals are capable of, from specialized diets to their unique skin!

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Week 6: Terrific Tundras

The cold, windy weather of the tundra is tough, but life in the tundra still thrives! Bundle up as we learn how animals can use the cold snow and ice to their advantage all while staying warm with their thick fur!

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Grizzly bear on Alaska

Week 7: Trusty Taigas 

Venture into the taiga with us and discover why it’s called a snow forest! What are the differences between the tropical habitat of a rainforest to a taiga with long, cold winters and lukewarm summers? What do animals do when it’s time for the weather to change? Explore the unique ways these animals survive, from changing their colors or moving completely!

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Alligator on the smaller size moving through the swamp.

Week 8: Wise Wetlands

Splash into the large world of wetlands! From swamps to bogs to marshes, what is a wetland and what are they for? Learn the importance of wetlands and the biodiversity that lives within it! Find out how animals live in such a wet environment by creating your own wetland home!

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Wizarding World School of Arts and Science

A woman sitting on top of a tree with a man.

Wizarding World: School of Arts and Sciences (ages 6-13)

Thurs, Feb 6th -Mar 27th **No Class Mar 20th**  10-11am    

$155 for 7 week session 

 

Calling all first-years, wizards, witches and muggles!! Eco’s School of Wizarding is SUPER excited to announce a 8-week class full of science: physics, chemistry, biology history, and arts. Wizards in training will be sorted with our talking sorting hat into working groups or houses. Classes consist of Introduction/make your own wand, care of magical creatures, herbology, potions, creations, dueling and more! Where else can you combine the magic of Harry Potter books and real-life science experiments, art projects, history lessons, and animal interactions with your favorite creatures? We encourage creativity, fun, and imagination while providing real science and arts topics. Each class, you will meet some favorite creatures like "Trevor the Toad to Nagini the snake, train a dragon, meet alligators, tarantulas, and more. And of course, along with all that learning we celebrate in the last class in the Great Hall with some magical snacks, like butterbeer, Bertie Botts every flavor beans including ear wax and snot!

Students are welcomed to wear their cloaks and bring their wands.

Theme: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

This session we will explore different magical biomes and the beasts that lay within. Travel across the world to learn all about magical creatures and their abilities! 

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In-Depth Animal Keeper Apprentice Program

A child is playing with a sword in the room.

Email to Schedule M-F

10am-12:00pm
Ages 7+
$60 per class

*Max number 2 students

Wonder what it is like to be a zookeeper? Who hasn’t, right? This highly personal program is led by one of our credentialed animal keepers, to pull back the curtain on all involved in animal husbandry. This in-depth experience is for the older students who are serious about learning animal husbandry and medical care of animals. Students will tour the facility and learn specific information and needs of our special animal collection. Students will get to not only encounter animals in our behind-the-scenes animal room, but assist with animal care, food prep, training, & cleaning. This is a very hands-on experience like no other, with interactions with numerous endangered species! Whoever gets to interact with an endangered species in this day and age? YOU DO, in this extremely elite camp, the ultimate insider experience. **Space is very limited, with only one to three select participants per day!! Perfect for aspiring Jr. Assistants.

EMAIL TO REGISTER: [email protected]

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Jr. ZooKeeper Class

A child looking at a lizard in an enclosure.

Ages 6+

Tuesday & Wednesday  11:30-12:30 pm

Wed (8 weeks): Feb 5th-Mar 26th $175

Learn what it is like to take care of over 80 of ECO's animals. Assist with animal care chores and learn about husbandry and the welfare of animals. Help make diets and feed and train animals. What do they eat, what do they need to survive and thrive? What happens if they get sick? What do I need to do to be a keeper in the future? What makes a good pet...and what does not. These are all questions we will answer in this in -depth class all about ANIMALS!!

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Registration NOW open click here

Mini Explorer's Classes

A woman and child looking at something on the ground.

Tuesdays  9:30am-11:30 

Ages 3-6    $120

DROP OFF ONLY

* Need min of 5 kids to run

(Must be potty trained)

*Class can be outdoor/indoor in small groups. 

Discover! Create! Explore! Use all your senses in this class to learn about the wonderful world of nature, art, and science! Classes may consist of a storybook, meet and interact with animals, and a hands-on activity such as a game/craft/music/experiment/fossil dig/nature scavenger hunt. Each week is a different theme. * Must have a min number for the class to run.

Themes (not necessarily in this order)

All Aboard the Animal Train…..Get your tickets NOW, and head to the Eco Adventures station.  The conductor is waiting for you to climb aboard our animal train. We’re traveling the globe and meeting some amazing animals along the way.  Visit Australia, matey.  Go on an African safari.  Asia awaits.   Make a craft to take home and play around the world games….All aboard.  You don’t want to miss this train!!

Shiver Me’ Timbers… Ahoy mateys!  I hear there is hidden treasure at Eco Adventures.  All we need is a crew, a map and animals to help us solve the clues.  Pirate Blackbeard has plundered our loot and we need to get it back.  Maybe we can ask the talking parrotHarley if she saw him do it.  One way or another, our crew will set sail on adventure and find the hidden “x” marks the spot.   Shiver Me’ Timbers it’s going to be a GOOD TIME on the high seas!

Myths, Fables and Fairy Tails… Let’s step into stories of long ago and learn about the animals that are so popular in legends, myths and fairy “tails”.   Why are animals so popular in stories throughout time?  Learn about the legends and myths of mermaids,  unicorns, Fairies, Trolls,  and more.  Go on a scavenger hunt to find our fairies in Pixie Hollow and find their home!   “Once Upon Time” is about to come to life at Eco Adventures.

Hide and Go Seek…Sounds like a simple game of hide and go seek, but trust us, finding a hiding animal is not so easy.  This is because many animals have to ability to CAMOUFLAGE.  Finding them is very hard to do.  But that won’t stop us.  We will search high and low and see what we can find.  Come join us as we play hide and go seek with the animals.  READY OR NOT, HERE WE COME!

Backyard Boogie - What's that lurking in your backyard? Does it JUMP, LEAP, SLITHER or CREEP? Learn about our local wildlife and why they find your backyard a prime spot to settle down. Under that rock, in a pond, hidden in the leaves, these animals are masters at hiding but now that we know where they are, we WILL find them!

Dino Dig Calling all paleontologists.. it's time to DIG deep and unearth ancient fossils! We've heard that giant dinosaurs once roamed the woods right outside Eco Adventures. There's only one way to be sure!! We'll get to the bottom of this, with a real life fossil dig. Stegosaurus, Pterodactyl, T-Rex.. OH MY...let's get dirty and give it a TRY!

Gold Rush

We’re heading to the wild, wild West.. to strike it rich! Grab your grub and pack up the mules.. we’ll be panning for gold, gems, and fossils. Get wet at the sluice. Find out what kinds of animals the miners encountered. Trade your gold for merchandise at the good ol’ EcoAdventure Trading Post. It’s going to be a hoot, hollerin’ good time folks!

Colorful Creatures

Leaves are changing colors and so are some animals!....Learn and SEE how colors are important to our world!  From Camouflage to warning predators “I am dangerous”,  create colorful art masterpieces, meet colorful animals,  and play the color flashing game.

Story book comes to life!

Read a story about a hedgehog and watch it come to life! Play and feed with some cute and cuddlies...Then make some cute prickly crafts!

Nature's Rhythm 

Listen to the sounds of the rainforests then make music of your own!  Meet animals that croak, growl, hiss, and screech!  Use some of our native instruments and create a rainstick to take home. 

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Eco-Explorers Field Class

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Wednesdays: TBA

10am-noon (Meet at location)

$185 for a 6 week session (includes reg fee)  

*Bring water bottle, snack, apply sunscreen and bug repellent.

*Rain or Shine

*Need a min 5 participants to run

Meet at:

Location 1: Patapsco State Park Visitor Center

  • Nature Survivors

This week it is all about survival. Air, water, shelter, food. How do animals find it all? How can we find it? Join us at Patapsco to learn how to build shelters, purify water, and navigate with a compass. Discover what is most important and what it is we just can’t live without

  • Neighborhood Naturalists
    • There’s so much nature all around us. How can we develop a deeper understanding and appreciation for it? Go on a scavenger hunt. Make a nature journal and observe, learn, and CONNECT with nature!

 

Location 2: Kinder Farm

  • Farming and animals
      • Join us at Kinderfarm Park as we meet sweet farm animals and learn about how people have cared for them for 300 years. Visit historic buildings and explore with us in a place both wild and domestic animals call home.
      • (Ask Jessica if she still has her llama)
  • Turtle-tacular
    • This camp is for serious turtle lovers! Help naturalists find Painted turtles,  Snapping turtles, Mud turtles, and maybe even Box turtles while netting the water to see what other animals share their habitats.  Learn about threats to all turtles, and the aquatic ecosystems they call home. 

Location 3: Sandy point

  •  Day at the Bay
    • Meet at Sandy Point State Park where students will participate in activities including hiking through the forest in a scavenger hunt to find toads, insects, lizards, and more.  Then do a trash pick up to the beach and sein for Bay creatures such as minnows, crabs, rockfish, shrimp, and even pipefish!

Location 4: Patuxent Wildlife Refuge

  • Wild plants
      • Buckle up botanists, it's time to explore the wonderful world of plants! In our expedition, we will venture through meadows and into the forests in search of useful wild plants. From helpful medicines to tasty treats, there is so much to discover from plants and flowers. Learn what animals need them to survive such as monarchs, bees and more!
  • Nature Scavenger hunt
    • Join Detective Squirrel-lock Holmes on a hike through the woods but not just an ordinary hike! There is a mystery afoot! What animals live here? What signs do they leave behind? Put on your detective hats and be ready for a scavenger hunt as we solve the mysteries of their secret lives.
  • More information when you register
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Investi-Gators Class

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ECO Investigators:  TBA  9:30-11am

 Sept 19th-Oct 24th  4 class session $130

no class Oct 3rd

Science and  field ecology for ages 8+

*Bring water bottle

*Need a min 5 participants to run

 Is your student curious about the world around them? Or interested in pursuing a career in science? Our cooperative, project focused program develops key skills in the scientific method, and effective communication while providing students hands-on learning with the help of our live animals. In this class, students will gain hands-on experience with data collection and working in the field with projects such as: water quality, macroinvertebrates, stream restoration & camera trapping. Additionally each class will cover different topics in biology while students meet relevant animals.  Many classes will spend time outside so dress appropriately.  Materials will be provided. 

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A young girl wearing a face mask holding an alligator.
A woman is looking at two lizards on the ground.
A woman wearing a mask is handing something to a child.

Eco Adventures and the Home School Community:

"My 10 year old son and I attended the open house before the grand opening of Eco Adventures in Millersville a year ago. I knew right away that this was a place I wanted my son to attend and I knew it would be wonderful for our family and for the home school community. The staff was willing to work with me and set up a home school class and from the very first adventure we were hooked! 

Each class includes hands on animal experiences and this is the only place I have ever been that always seems to say yes in some fashion to the children — Yes, you can touch this way. Yes, we can do that. Yes, we can bring an animal out to look at and learn about. The atmosphere is relaxed and the children are always engaged and excited to learn. They cover so many topics and always in a way that is fascinating. My son enjoyed the program so much that he started working towards the Junior Assistant program and just this July, after 9 months of preparing, he passed the interview and reached his goal. This will be an excellent addition to his home school transcript and we hope to have a working/school relationship with Eco Adventures for many years to come."

*Please help us spread the word and share with your home school groups. You can get $10 off for a NEW participant registration (max of $30 discount) if they mention your name (You must be an existing customer to receive the discount)

Home School Policies

  • Special Needs – We welcome special needs students to learn and thrive in our hands on learning style at Eco Adventures. In order to maintain the quality of our programs and for your children's and animals' safety, we require that special needs students have adult supervision to assist. Failure to do so, may result in cancellation of registration .
  • COVID UPDATE: Masks optional.
  • Please do not bring any toys/ or use of electronics is prohibited
  • Absences: Please notify us when you child will be absent
  • Whenever possible, students will be given different activities/challenges according to their age.
  • Vacation & Sick Policy: You may make up to 1 days of missed home school class anytime during the same session. You must give advance notice to make up class & it will be dependent on availability. If that does not work out you may get one pass to a Jungle Express. No refunds or credits.
  • Snow/Inclement Weather Policy: We will try our best to reschedule for "snow days", or you can make them up on the other day. but if not possible we will give a Jungle Express pass.
  • Discounts: 10% sibling discount or 5% military discount with ID (can only use one discount per child)
  • Must have a minimum number of students to run the class.
  • Please note that some of our animals may eat peanuts and other varieties of nuts.
  • Request a certificate at the end of the class if needed. Daily Class outlines will be emailed after each class (except prek)