- Description
We have concluded our year long homeschool science session. Please check back for information on our group starting back in August 2026.
Our nature club is a great way for homeschoolers to meet new friends, enjoy crafts, learn new science topics, and explore trails together. Our group is small with around 6-12 students. We meet once a month on the first Tuesday of the month.
1st Tuesday Of The Month
Dates: 8/5, 9/2, 10/7, 11/4, 12/2, 1/6, 2/3, 3/3 (8 Weeks)
Ages: K-8th Grade
Time: 12:40pm til 2pm
Locations: Nopone Community Center (Indoor Labs), Don Carter State Park (Outdoor Pavilion/Nature Walks), Whispering Angels Youth Ranch
March 3 @ Don Carter State Park-Our focus for the month will be Forest Friends. During our time together the group will participate in a owl pellet dissection, watercolor paint a tree ring diagram, paint a ceramic owl, create a play-doh mushroom, and enjoy a forest themed snack.
February 3 @ Whispering Angels-Our focus will be on learning the 3 types of rocks, the rock cycle, and fun facts about volcanoes. -Class Registration Has Closed Please Sign Up For March Early
January 6 @ Whispering Angels-Our focus will be on the science of color. Students will be performing many colorful experiments.
December 2 @ Nopone Community Center-We will be digging into the field of Earth Science during our session. We will meet together for a short lesson on plate tectonics as we study the globe and a table top map. Students will learn how the plates move to create mountains and islands. For a fun visual we will be using graham crackers on top of a layer of icing to recreate transform, convergent, and divergent geological boundaries. The Earth is made of 4 layers, and we will use play-doh to create an Earth model. Students will earn the Earth silver plate token afterwards.
November 4 @ Nopone Community Center. Class Information: Our November 4th (1st Tues of the month) meeting will be held at Nopone Community Center at 12:40. Lesson Overview: This class explores the Moon’s surface, its craters, and the phases of the Moon through hands-on activities, creative crafts, and outdoor experiments. Students will learn how craters form, observe the Moon’s changing appearance, and engage in interactive projects that connect science with creativity. Learning Objectives: -Understand the physical characteristics of the Moon’s surface. -Explain how craters are formed by impacts.-Identify and describe the phases of the Moon. -Apply scientific observation and experimentation skills. Conclusion:
Through exploration, creativity, and experimentation, students gain a deeper understanding of the Moon’s surface, its craters, and its phases. This lesson combines science, art, and observation to inspire curiosity about Earth’s closest celestial neighbor. After our lesson we will walk the Nopone trail together. Students will earn the pumpkin token after.
October 7 @ Don Carter State Park-The theme for our meeting will be weather, with a focus on types of clouds. The group will use cottonballs to create a cloud identification card. After learning about the water cycle the group will create a water cycle ziploc bag to display at home to observe condensation at a later date. Student will complete a science experiment using shaving cream and food coloring to create a visual rain cloud. For snack, we will create our own personal rainbow scene using rainbow belts, graham crackers, icing, and marshmallows. Students will earn the "rain drop" token for attendance.
September 2 @ Don Carter State Park-The theme of our meeting will be bees, flowers, and pollination. We will begin with a short lesson on the parts of a flower, as we look over a flower diagram and a few live roses that Mrs. Collins brought from her home garden. We will then discuss how bees pollinate as we create a clay bee with chenille stick legs. As the students color a paper flower, the bees will visit cheese puffs (for fictional pollination) and then visit the flowers to help with pollination visualization. To end the lesson we will look at a honeycomb and sample regular and hot honey on crackers. For snack we will enjoy honeycomb cereal with pretzels. When finished, the group will join back with our family for a family hike on Don Carter's Huckleberry Trail. Along the trail students will be provided a map with clues on where to hike rocks. As a group we will hike 5 rocks along the trail. Then students can share the map with friends later to come back and search for the rocks.
August 5 @ Nopone Community Center-The theme will be insects. Together we will discuss and look at different insects from Mrs. Collins' collection. We will learn about the life cycle of insects by creating clay models and looking at plastic figurines. Next we will move to paint wooden butterflies and bugs to take home. For our snack we will create our own pudding dirt cups crushing oreos, adding chocolate pudding and topping with marshmallows with gummy worms.
Families are encouraged to bring the following: water bottle, spiral notebook, scissors, pencil, and a pack of coloring pencils or crayons in a drawstring bag or bookbag in case they are needed. Additional supplies will be provided. Students are encouraged to bring items that match the theme of the class, if they like. For example: On our insect day, a few students wore an insect themed shirt and another brought in a huge plastic grasshopper.
Note: Both locations have an outdoor area that parents can walk for exercise or allow younger siblings to play. The Don Carter pavilion is beside a playground and a short walk to the lake beachside. Nopone has a paved track, several ball fields, nature trail system, and the library. Both locations have easy to access public restrooms.
FAQ:
Can siblings attend? The class is open for students K-8th grade. Please register a ticket for each child attending.
Do you offer a discount for siblings? Sorry, each student is helping pay for the rental of the event location, the teacher, and the supplies.
What if my child has an allergy? Please let me know because some of the labs do involve edible items and we have a snack at each event.
What should my child bring? Every student needs to bring a common supply kit-scissors, spiral notebook, pencil, and pack of coloring pencils. These are common supplies they may need for each class. Additional science labs will be provided.
Is this a drop off event? No, sorry parents do need to stay on site. The class length is quite short. A space and room will be provided for the parent to sit comfortably.
Will you have a snack each time? Yes, I will provide a themed snack at the end of the lesson each time. These fun snacks will be themed to the lesson. Please note the snacks may involve candy, and other unhealthy options but will be themed to the topic.
What if my child is special needs? Please reach out to sciencewithcollins@gmail.com some activities will not be appropriate or comfortable in regards to sensory needs, auditory concerns, etc so please reach out if you need special accommodations. Private 1:1 Zoom classes are available when needed to help with any sensory, neurodivergent, or special needs.