homeschool
days
nature is the classroom. discovery is the lesson!
Step outside and dive into science with our monthly homeschool days —an outdoor education series designed for curious minds of all ages. Each session offers hands-on experiences that bring science to life in the wild, inspiring exploration, creativity, and a deeper connection to the natural world.
Learn together. Explore together. Grow together—all year long.
upcoming programs
Check out our 2025-2026 school year program themes and activities below. We have a new registration system! If you encounter any issues please email programs@snco.org for assistance.
program details & logistics
Programs are geared toward homeschool students in kindergarten through fifth grade.
At least one adult chaperone is required per group. There is no fee for adult chaperones to attend.
All tools and materials for program activities are provided.
This program takes place both outdoors and indoors. Students should wear sturdy footwear such as boots or sneakers, and dress for the weather.
Please bring snacks and refillable water bottles.
Registration
$15/child; $10/additional child in family
Adult chaperones are free
If a desired program is sold out please email programs@snco.org or call 458-292-9995 to be added to the waitlist.
October 2025: Scales, Tails, & Claws
Tuesday October 14th; Wednesday October 15th | 10am – 12pm
Learn all about animal adaptations, survival strategies and habitats using reptiles and amphibians as model organisms. The program will combine focused study and illustration of live animals with outdoor exploration of their habitats. This lesson is NGSS aligned and addresses the following concepts:
Relationship between physical traits and survival strategies
Relationship between habitat and food web structure
Observation and categorization of animals based on appearance and behavior
Human impacts on habitat and organism survival
Ecosystem preservation and best practices for nature stewardship
November 2025: Wonderful Water
Tuesday November 18th, Wednesday November 19th | 10am – 12pm
Join Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory as we explore the awesome properties of water! This is an experimental based field trip focusing on the water cycle and buoyancy. Students will see the water cycle in action, join in a water walk as we discuss how water moves in our local environment, and explore buoyancy through experiments and an engineering design challenge. Can your student make over 100 pennies float and predict how buoyant different objects are? Join us and find out! This lesson is NGSS aligned and addresses the following concepts:
Cycles of matter and energy transfer in ecosystems: how water moves in an environment
Earth materials and systems: how water and rainfall influence the land
The roles of water in Earth’s surface processes
Weather and climate
Physical science: matter and its interactions: structure and properties of water
Engineering design: defining a problem, developing solutions, optimizing the design solution
December 2025: Space Science
Tuesday December 16th, Wednesday December 17th | 10am – 12pm
Let your student explore the wonders of Space with the Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory. Together we will create a scale model of our solar system, explore the life cycle of a star, see how black holes form, learn more about our own sun and moon, and meet with some space experts at the Observatory! This lesson is NGSS aligned and addresses the following concepts:
ESS1:A The Universe and Its Stars
Earth and the Solar System
Types of Interactions: Gravity
January 2026: Geology
Tuesday January 20th, Wednesday January 21st | 10am – 12pm
Join the Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory as we explore geology! Your student will learn all about rocks, volcanoes, and fossils. Together we will learn how rocks form and the different categories of rocks. Then we will learn about the explosive history of this area as we make our own volcanoes and see what rocks are formed from lava. Lastly, we will blast to the past and learn how fossils are made and start our own fossil experiment. This lesson is NGSS aligned and addresses the following concepts:
Evidence of common ancestry and diversity: fossils
Plate tectonics and Large-Scale System interactions
February 2026: Extreme Earth
Tuesday February 10th, Wednesday February 11th | 10am – 12pm
What causes a glacier to melt? Can you build an earthquake-proof structure? Can you create a cloud in a bottle? Your student will explore these questions and more as we explore how extreme earth can be. Together we will test hypotheses on how fast glaciers would melt, design and test earthquake-proof structures, and learn about earthquakes, tsunamis, air pressure, and more. This lesson is NGSS aligned and addresses the following concepts:
Weather and climate
Plate tectonics and large-scale system interactions
Physical science: matter and its interactions: structure and properties of gases
Engineering design: defining a problem, developing solutions, optimizing the design
March 2026: Science of Small Things
Tuesday March 10th, Wednesday March 11th | 10am – 12pm
Have you ever wondered what the building blocks of a plant look like? What lets plants breath? How do feathers work? Together we will dive into the microscopic world of small things! We will learn how to use a microscope, what plant, animal, and fungi cells look like, and go on a nature hike to take a closer look at the small things we miss everyday. This lesson is NGSS aligned and addresses the following concepts:
Structure and Function of organisms; introduction to cells
April 2026: Chemistry Craziness
Tuesday April 21st, Wednesday April 22nd | 10am – 12pm
Maybe you have seen what happens when you add mentos to coke, but why does that happen? Your student will have fun exploring chemical reactions in this hands-on experiment based Homeschool Day focusing on Chemistry! Join us as we learn about the pH scale, what a chemical reaction is, and explore acid-base reactions. This lesson is NGSS aligned and addresses the following concepts:
Structure and Properties of matter
Matter and its interactions: chemical reactions
Energy in Chemical Processes and everyday life
May 2026: Pond Study
Tuesday May 5th, Wednesday May 6th | 10am – 12pm
Join Sunriver Nature Center educators and fellow homeschoolers on the shore of Lake Aspen! The Pond Study is an outdoor, experiential field trip program focusing on habitat exploration with emphasis on ponds. Students will have a blast going on a nature walk, observing aquatic insects, and meeting live reptiles and amphibians. This lesson is NGSS aligned and addresses the following concepts:
Relationship between habitat and food web structure
Relationship between physical characteristics and survival strategies of animals and plants
Observation and categorization of pond organisms based on appearance and behavior pattern
Human impacts on aquatic ecosystems
Best practices for nature stewardship