Browse through the class and activity options below for grades K-2. Availability is dependent on group size, weather and season, and requests from additional groups. Click the button below to check availability or for assistance in customizing your experience
Enjoy a trip to our nature center to discover different kinds of animals native and non-native to Ohio. We will learn about animal parts, adaptations, and simple similarities as well as differences between reptiles and amphibians. Students will use their senses to observe these creatures hands-on for an experience they will never forget!
Archery class provides fun for all ages as an introduction to the basic form and shooting techniques of the sport of archery! The class also develops student motor skills and safety awareness while promoting positive group encouragement and interactions.
In this class, students will spend time observing and exploring Ohio’s native birds! They will identify the unique adaptations birds possess and describe why those adaptations help birds survive. Students will learn to attract birds to their own backyard by making a pine cone bird feeder.
Watch students “climb to new heights” as they challenge themselves on our multi-pitch climbing wall. Located indoors, this class is offered year-round with one-on-one instruction from our trained and experienced staff members. Climbers of all levels, from beginner to advanced, will enjoy the thrill of the climb.
This is a safe and unique chance to discover the water and wildlife of Alum Creek. Working together in groups, students will take part in a scavenger hunt, use underwater viewers to observe beneath the surface of the creek and try to catch crayfish and aquatic insects using nets and even bare hands!
Young students will enjoy an exploratory hike through the woods. While on the hike, students will be collecting items in order to make “nature necklaces.” Nature will provide the schedule as we discover plants, animals, rocks and other interesting things and look for evidence of life in the forest.
There are many ecosystems of various sizes on our planet. This class will help students understand interactions between living and nonliving things within an ecosystem. Students will play a predator/prey game, and then be able to construct their own ecosystem with craft supplies.
Enjoy learning about natural camouflage and the different animals that benefit from this adaptation. After going on a hidden “woolly worm” hike, students will observe and reflect upon different characteristics that make camouflage successful, and then play a game to experience how important camouflage is between predators and prey.
Insects are everywhere in the world around us. This class teaches about characteristics of insects through a variety of activities. By the end of the class, students will gain an appreciation for insects and be able to identify which arthropods they see in everyday life are insects and which are not.
A trek into the woods will show students evidence of animals that visit the forest. Students will then work in groups to discover animal tracks, the native Ohioan creatures that made the tracks, and a few different characteristics about each unique animal.
Students will enjoy crafting, creating, and using simple items found in nature. Options include making and taking home an Animal Collage, Bird’s Nest, Nature Rubbing, Sun Catcher, or Tree Cookie Art.
Step back in time to the Alum Creek Settlement. Follow 1798 settlers through a forest notorious for attacks. Once safely in the village, interact with historic characters and take part in period activities such as candle making, crafts, games, blacksmithing, carpentry, militia and outdoor cooking.
Contact us to see what this experience looks like for groups under 75 people or for students younger than 3rd grade.
We all love animals. What if you were given the chance to create an animal and give it some characteristics to help it survive in its habitat? Your students will do just that by creating a rock creature, explaining how it will survive in its habitat, and finding the perfect habitat for it.
Discover how everything makes characteristic sounds through a form of vibration. Using age-appropriate objects and senses, students will discover the various methods of sound production and then categorize them. Students will also learn about animals that use the same method to create the sound in nature.
Learn about the five senses through hands-on activities singling out each sense. We will compare our senses to a few animals that share those same senses, and then test each one through listening, smelling, tasting, feeling, and seeing activities.
Explore the forest floor as we use tools to dig into the dirt and see what we can find. We will discover both living and non-living things, as well as plant parts and what they need to survive. Be prepared for excitement and fun as we learn what interesting things are underneath our feet!
Students will explore the different facets of a mammal’s life through playing games, holding live specimens and investigating animal pelts.
Join in the fun and use bright, vivid colors to create your own masterpiece t-shirt! Our experienced staff will guide this class through a series of twists and turns that, in the end, will produce uniquely tie-dyed t-shirts. Complete with our Heartland Outdoor School Logo, the shirts come preshrunk and are available in adult sizes S-XXL. Additional charge of $6.50 per shirt.
