Home School Classes

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Walle Jumping
Julia
Linguine

Nature Nuts

Tuesdays: Sept 8th - Oct 13th      Wednesdays: Sept 8th - Oct 14th         9:30-10:30         $145/session

Session 2: Silly Science

Tuesday: 10/27-12/22    No Class 11/24            Wednesdays: 11/4-1/6    No Class 11/25, 12/30    $190/session

Every week, Nature Nuts is a brand-new adventure! Each class features a unique nature-inspired theme packed with hands-on activities, live animal encounters, exciting experiments, creative crafts, and interactive challenges. Blending science, technology, engineering, art, and math—with a little history and plenty of curiosity along the way—Nature Nuts brings STEAM learning to life in unforgettable ways. No two classes are the same, so there's always something new to discover, create, and explore! 

Register online - Spaces available!!

Registration NOW OPEN CLICK HERE
Rocket

Boom, Bubble, BLAST!

Get ready to mix, fizz, and blast off! In this hands-on science class, students will explore the exciting world of chemical reactions by experimenting with baking soda and vinegar to create their very own bottle rockets. Along the way, they’ll discover how different substances react, create gases, and generate enough pressure to send a rocket soaring! It’s science that’s messy, exciting, and full of BOOM!

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Groovy Lava Lamps

Get ready to bubble, float, and glow! In this hands-on science lab, students will explore the fascinating world of density by creating their own colorful lava lamps using oil, water, and antacids. As the colorful bubbles rise and fall, students will discover why some liquids float while others sink—and see science come to life right before their eyes!

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Oil Spill Rescue

Uh-oh—there’s an oil spill! In this hands-on science lab, students will learn about the environmental impact of oil spills and how they can affect water, wildlife, and ecosystems. Then, students will become environmental scientists as they test different cleanup methods and discover how dish soap can help break up and remove oil. It’s a messy, hands-on way to explore pollution, problem-solving, and the science behind environmental cleanup!

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Microbe Mania

 Get ready to discover the tiny world hiding all around us! In this hands-on science lab, students will use Petri dishes to collect and observe microbes from different surfaces around Eco Adventures. As their samples grow, students will become science detectives, comparing what they find and learning how microorganisms are a natural and important part of our environment. It’s a fascinating way to explore the invisible world all around us!

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Slithering Sugar

Get ready for a sweet experiment with a fiery twist! In this hands-on science lab, students will explore combustion and discover what happens when sugar undergoes a chemical reaction with heat. As the sugar transforms into a growing, snake-like structure, students will observe the signs of combustion and learn how heat, fuel, and oxygen work together to produce a chemical change. It’s a sizzling science experience that brings chemistry to life!

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"Cool" Chemistry

Get ready to shake, scoop, and chill! In this hands-on science lab, students will make their very own ice cream using a bag, ice, and rock salt. Along the way, they’ll discover how salt lowers the freezing point of ice, allowing the mixture to get cold enough to turn liquid ingredients into a delicious frozen treat. It’s a tasty way to explore the science of freezing while enjoying a sweet reward!

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Lemon Power!

Get ready to power up with a little citrus! In this hands-on science lab, students will turn an ordinary lemon into a simple battery and explore how chemical energy can be converted into electrical energy. By using different metals and connecting a circuit, students will discover how electricity flows and see whether their lemon can generate enough power to get something buzzing, glowing, or moving. It’s a zesty experiment that proves science is full of surprises!

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Rampage Racers

Get ready to build, race, and launch! In this hands-on engineering challenge, students will use recyclable materials to design and build their own ramps and tracks for toy cars. They’ll experiment with ramp height, angles, and track designs to see how far their cars can jump while exploring the science of motion, speed, force, and energy. It’s a high-flying challenge where creativity and engineering come together!

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Eco Explorers

MSB Turtle Tacular

Thursday: 10/29-1/7   No Class 11/26, 12/24, 12/31

10:30-11:30

$190/Session

Ages: 7+

 

In this hands-on population ecology homeschool class, kids will discover how animal populations grow, change, compete, and survive through exciting games, animal interactions, and fun experiments. They’ll become predators and prey, investigate what happens when animals compete for food and space, explore how environmental changes can affect populations, and see how scientists study animal populations in the real world. This class turns ecology into an interactive adventure where kids learn by doing, discovering, and having fun!

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Jr. ZooKeeper Class

Kaya Bath

Session 2: Animal Caretakers 101

Tuesday: 10/27-12/22    No Class 11/24

Wednesdays: 11/4-1/6    No Class 11/25, 12/30    

11:00 - Noon

$190/session

Ages: 7+

Step into the world of animal care and discover what it takes to keep animals happy, healthy, and thriving! In this hands-on homeschool session, students will explore the five senses and how different animals experience the world around them. Each week will focus on a different sense and show students how animal caretakers use what they know about an animal’s unique abilities to design enriching enclosures, choose appropriate habitats, and provide the best possible care. From what an animal sees and hears to how it smells, tastes, and feels, students will learn to look at the world through an animal’s eyes—and senses!

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Registration NOW open click here

Wizarding World School of Arts and Science

dragon head

TBA

4 weeks $90

Ages 5-14

10-11am    

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.

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Mini Explorer's Classes

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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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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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In-Depth Animal Keeper Apprentice Program

Herc Eating

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: ecoadventuresmd@gmail.com

Click Here For More Info
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A woman is looking at two lizards on the ground.
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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: 5% sibling discount (automatically applied at checkout)
  • 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)