Cost
All day-time programs are $8 per student. For every 8 paid students, you will receive one free chaperone. Additional chaperones are $8.00/person.
Night sky programs are $10 per student. For every 8 paid students, you will receive one free chaperone. Additional chaperones are $10.00/person.
All one-on-one aides are free.
For field trip availability, please contact our Education Manager
Ryan Retzke:
It’s Maple Sugarin’ Time! – March
2nd-5th grade
The Sugar Maple tree and history of maple sugaring is an important part of Wisconsin’s heritage. Through hands-on activities, students experience the arts and traditions of maple tree identification, tapping, collecting sap, and making syrup at the sugar shack. Explore the Native American traditions and techniques for making maple sugar. Students will sample 100% pure maple syrup and will make their own sumac spile to take home.
2024 program support comes from our friends at the Kenosha Community Foundation as part of their CBK (Creativity by Kids) Grant! Thank you KCF!
Watch our youtube video here!
Pollywog Pond & Forest Discovery: Late Spring-Summer
1st-8th grade
Explore our Pollywog Pond to discover the world of water! Students will learn about the life cycles of amphibians and search for frogs and toads. Students will also learn about the other animals which call our pond home, including fish, insects, birds, and even micro-organisms! Then, embark on an adventure through our trails to search for wildlife and plants. Prepare to get wet and dirty for this trip… all worth it in the name of discovery!
NEW IN 2024!
Pollinators in the Prairie: Summer-Early Fall
1st-8th grade
The prairie is a unique ecosystem filled with amazing plants, animals, and insects! Discover the difference between native and non-native plants, the importance of native pollinators, and use nets to capture and identify flying insects.
Growing Healthy: Summer-Early Fall
1st-2nd grade
This program focuses on the Growing Healthy Garden and uses hands-on activities to explore food groups, how food turns into energy, the role of pollinators, and connecting food with family and culture. Students will get to try fresh produce they may have never tried before, and will learn the process of digestion in humans and animals. Followed by a pollination game, students will leave understanding the importance of pollinators to our food and environment.
Watch our youtube video here!
Glacial Geology and Soil: Spring-Fall
4th-8th grade
Wisconsin and Lake Michigan were formed over thousands of years by glaciers! Students will learn how Wisconsin was carved and will perform a glacier-goo experiment. Then, students will hike through Hawthorn Hollow’s trails to identify glacial till and test soil samples like a true geologist!
Cornucopia of Fall: Fall
3rd-5th grade
This program focuses on the different ways plants grow through life stages and survive to produce new offspring. Students will make discoveries on seed dispersal strategies and the concept that fruit is a seed container. Visitors will classify seeds collected from a forest and prairie. We revisit Native American traditions and celebrations of the fall season while walking a real Indian trail and making a traditional folklore toy to bring home. All students get hands-on learning experience making cider using a traditional apple press.
Watch our youtube video here!
Day Sky Programs: Year-Round
All ages
Embark on a daytime sky trip to the Heide Observatory, where students will engage in educational activities focused on the Sun and Moon. Through a series of hands-on tasks, participants will explore various aspects of these celestial bodies, including shadow analysis, telescope observations, and model making. By recording their findings in a booklet, students will document their observations and enhance their understanding of astronomical phenomena.
Night Sky Programs: Year-Round
All ages
With our telescope, participants will observe stars, planets, and star clusters, experiencing the diversity of colors and brightnesses in celestial objects. Students will take a walk through our scale model of the solar system on the meadow, experiencing tangibly the vast distances between the planets. Guided by our knowledgeable staff, participants will learn about the characteristics of each planet and their place within the solar system. This field trip is a chance to appreciate the beauty and intricacy of the universe at a gentle pace, perfect for fostering curiosity and learning.
Custom field trips or Troop Merit Badges are also available. Email Ryan@HawthornHollow.org to inquire
