Homeschool Outdoor Education
Join us for a 90-minute, hands-on learning session, aimed at engaging your students through themed activities that teach the science of the natural world. Teaching science through a faith perspective, these classes will get students outside and will use principles of inquiry-based learning and drawing connections across subject matter.
Open to ages 8-18; age-appropriate activities will be provided.
Class runs from 1:00 pm-2:30 pm on Tuesdays throughout the winter.
Registration closes 1 week before each class date. If you choose to register for all 6 sessions, please only select the “All 6 Winter Sessions” option, not individual dates.
Winter 2025 Dates and Themes
January 7 - Animal Tracks and Scat
Use your detective skills to discover who’s been here as we explore signs of life in the middle of winter. We’ll learn about the clues animals leave behind, practice finding and making molds of tracks, and study different kinds of scat and how they help us know who lives in our woods. We will have some tracking stations/scent stations set up in advance, so hopefully there will be some real tracks to make castings from.
January 21 - Science of Snow
How do snowflakes form? What makes them all unique? What do they look like under a microscope? What’s the difference between snow and ice? Learn about the complex crystal structure of ice, and the fractal-like patterns found in snowflakes. Investigate the density of snow versus ice versus water, and the unique weather patterns that cause winter weather events. Use the freezing point of water and the interactions between salt and ice to make your own homemade ice cream.
February 4 - Winter Treasures
The winter landscape may look bleak, but there is beauty (and fun) to be found everywhere! Compete on a scavenger hunt to find as much treasure as you can. Learn and use clues about Camp Hebron’s ecology to locate each treasure and learn more about winter plants, animals, and fungi. Learn how to read identification keys and use all five senses to explore both a zoomed-in and zoomed-out view of the forest.
February 11 - Animal Survival Strategies
Want to learn how to survive in the cold? Study nature’s best teachers, the animals that live in Pennsylvania year-round. We’ll build animal dens, practice camouflaging from predators, and learn how different insulating strategies keep mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians warm through freezing temperatures. We’ll hypothesize which kinds of insulation are best, then test each hypothesis throughout the class. We’ll also talk about how animals hunt in the winter and how to find food.
March 4 - Studying Season Changes
As March arrives, the forest is waking up! Warmer weather and longer days are just around the corner. Sap begins flowing, and animals and plants start to emerge from hibernation. Learn how to observe and ask good questions and practice nature journaling skills to record changes in tree buds, plant growth, and migrating birds returning from their winter abroad. Journals and art supplies will be provided.
March 18 - Salamander Swamp Walk
Why did the salamander cross the road? To get to the vernal pool! Come out to explore Camp Hebron’s Swamp Oak and search for the Pokémon-like salamanders and frogs that lay their eggs in swamps and vernal pools. Learn the science of why these seemingly random puddles of water are safe havens for our amphibian friends. We may even be able to watch some frog eggs hatch or interact with the hundreds of tadpoles they produce! We will do our best to stay dry, but please wear shoes that are waterproof or that you don’t mind getting wet.
Contact Us
If you’d like more information, or a reminder when registration opens, please fill out the form below, and we’ll be in touch.