Homeschool Series at Blandford

Hands-on, outdoor learning in our beautiful forests and meadows!

Homeschool field trips at Blandford immerse students in nature while engaging their curiosity and connection to the natural world. All of our programs are taught by our highly experienced and educated staff and are designed with modern science education standards in mind.

This program is available for children ages 5-12. After registration, we will divide students into small groups based on age. You will receive information about your child's group approximately 1 week prior to the first program of the season. This is a drop-off program where you are not required to stay with your child. However, we welcome and need parent chaperones for each small group in order to assist our Educators to make this program successful, especailly for our youngest children who may need a little extra assistance. Chaperones will be admitted on a first-come, first-served basis. If you wish to chaperone, you must also register yourself for the program, but there is no additional fee. For parents with multiple children, we cannot guarantee your children will be in the same small group since we make up groups based on age, and if you wish to chaperone, we will likely place you with your youngest child. If you wish for your child to be placed in the same group as a friend, please email us at registrar@blandfordnaturecenter.org after registration to arrange this.  We cannot guarantee that friends will be placed together, but if they are close in age, this is usually possible. 

Each registration is sold as a package of three programs on the dates and times below.

Program Dates and Topics:

• September 17 | Pioneer Life - Daily life in rural Michigan in the 1870s comes alive as we explore Blandford’s Historic Village. Students will hop back in time to visit an historic log cabin, one-room schoolhouse and blacksmith shop and they explore the tools, machines, and toys of the era.

   

• October 15 | Nature Games - We can learn a lot about nature through games! We will explore the trails and play games that illustrate how animals interact and survive in the wild. Many of our games are ones which you can take home and play again with friends and family!

• November 19 | Predators & Prey - In an animal food chain, some animals eat, while others are eaten! We will learn about the physical and behavioral differences between predator and prey animals, and we’ll play a game to illustrate what happens when you throw a bunch of these animals together in the same forest.

All programs are scheduled from 1:00-2:30pm. Check-in takes place 10 minutes before the program starts in the Environmental Education Center on the main campus at 1715 Hillburn Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504.

Registration Information:

Registration is $38/student for Non-Members and $30.40/student (20% discount) for Members and includes all three programs for the dates listed. Because children may be dropped off for this program, health information must be submitted during registration. Missed sessions will not be refunded. Sessions cancelled due to weather will be rescheduled if possible or a partial refund will be issued. You are not required to chaperone, but adult chaperones are welcome! Chaperones who register are asked to attend all three session dates. Registration for the Spring 2025 Homeschool series begins August 20th for both Members and Non-Members and will close on September 15th. A minimum capacity (including minimum number of chaperones) must be reached for Homeschool programs to proceed. Follow the links below to register for this year's homeschool series.

Please Note: This program will take place mainly outdoors, even in rain and snow, but may also include indoor components.

Cancellation Policy: Cancellation requests received at least 7 days before the scheduled program are eligible for a 50% refund of the total registration cost, not including the credit card processing fee. Due to administration costs, full refunds are not available. Cancellation requests received within 7 days of a program are not eligible for a refund.