Field Trips
Field Trips
Nature
Learn about growing crops, keeping bee hives, or just enjoying nature in one of many programs offered to families. It's easy to incorporate science and nature lessons you've taught at home into outdoor activities and nature walks. Enjoy exploring the geology of Colorado.Field trips can be free or fee depending on who's offering. Check their websites to find out what days are free or visit SCFD Free Days to get a listing of qualifying venues.
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The Denver Botanic Gardens features various plants from carnivorous, to evergreen, to tropical. Special Homeschool Days are available once a month with rotating themes, such as learning about bees, plants, reptiles, mycology, pollinators, starting your own garden, and more. They have both hands-on activities and take-home projects that families can do together.
Ages:
5+
Fee:
Yes
Free Day:
Yes
Homeschool Day:
Yes
Location:
Denver
Kids enjoying learning about gardening at a Growing Gardens field trip. Explore the garden for vegetables, find bugs, eat produce from the garden, and learn about bees in their habitats. Full and half day summer camps, field trips, and an After School Garden Club in the Spring and Summer.
Ages:
3-10
Fee:
Yes
Free Day:
No
Homeschool Day:
No
Location:
Boulder
Explore Hudson Gardens through self-guided programs to discover animal habitats, frog life cycles, changing seasons and more. Discover how important bees are during a guided program and visit to the Apiary to see honeybee hives in action.
Ages:
All Ages
Fee:
Yes
Free Day:
No
Homeschool Day:
No
Location:
Littleton
Visit the Denver Museum of Nature & Science for hands-on science for kids and adults with interests in geology, insects, space, history, dinosaurs and health. The museum features a planetarium and an Imax with special presentations. Camps and workshops available.
Ages:
All Ages
Fee:
Yes
Free Day:
Yes
Homeschool Day:
No
Location:
Denver
The Museum of CU South Denver is a unique field trip experience. Enjoy walking through their large diorama exhibits to experience art, wildlife, and science in action. They also have an IMAX theater and several field trip programs for the kids to enjoy. The museum offers Family Fun Days, Trick or Treat Off the Street, and a variety of other family friendly events throughout the year.
Ages:
All Ages
Fee:
Yes
Free Day:
No
Homeschool Day:
No
Location:
Lone Tree
Hike two miles of self-guiding nature trails winding through meadows and shrubland or head inside for interpretive programs, special events, tour and media presentations. The trails are open to hiking, horseback riding, and pets on a leash.
Ages:
All Ages
Fee:
No
Free Day:
No
Homeschool Day:
No
Location:
Colorado Springs
The Catamount Institute allows you to dive into the wonders of nature and science on a field trip designed to develop ecological stewards through education and adventure. Catamount Institute offers pre-designed or custom field trips that are encouraging and inspiring for all students in our local natural areas.
Ages:
5+
Fee:
Yes
Free Day:
No
Homeschool Day:
No
Location:
Colorado Springs
At the Environmental Learning Center, programs are designed for different grade level groups and cover habitats and adaptations, navigation, macroinvertebrates, water testing, exploring with the 5 senses, and birds.
Ages:
5+
Fee:
Yes
Free Day:
No
Homeschool Day:
No
Location:
Fort Collins
The center is a great place to familiarize yourself with the wildlife, plants, wildflowers and other flora, and history of Open Space and Mountain Parks. Interactive activities and games at the center will challenge the child in all of us. Many stuffed animal mounts will show you who lives in the forests and grasslands about you. There are also displays and activities that teach about the geology and about open space management. A kid’s corner provides activities and books for the youngest members of our community to enjoy.
Ages:
All Ages
Fee:
No
Free Day:
No
Homeschool Day:
No
Location:
Boulder
Walk the wetlands, search for great blue herons, and explore Fountain Creek - only 15 minutes south of downtown Colorado Springs. An "oasis on the plains" with ponds marshes, meadows, cottonwood forests, and Fountain Creek, the nature center is attractive to visitors of all ages. The nature center offers a unique look into the Cattail Marsh Wildlife Area and serves as an entry to a variety of discovery experiences. Wetlands nature exhibit features life in, on, and around the water. Other exhibits include plants, wildlife, weather and climate, and the mountain backdrop. Interpretive programs, special events, group tours, and environmental education programs for schools are offered throughout the year.
Ages:
All Ages
Fee:
No
Free Day:
No
Homeschool Day:
No
Location:
Fountain
Garden of the Gods is a registered national natural landmark. There is plenty to do at the park with a nature center, tours, picnic, biking, hiking, rock climbing, horseback riding, and nature walk.
Ages:
All Ages
Fee:
No
Free Day:
No
Homeschool Day:
No
Location:
Colorado Springs
Highlands Ranch has homeschool field trips for ages 7-15. Let the science and nature lessons you've taught at home spring to life through interactive, outdoor activities and games. They'll provide curriculum for you to teach before the field trip as well as take-home activities after each day in the Backcountry. Each semester will focus on a different topic.
Ages:
7-15
Fee:
Yes
Free Day:
No
Homeschool Day:
No
Location:
Highlands Ranch
Lookout Mountain Nature Center staff and volunteer naturalists inspire kids and adults to connect with the natural world. Interactive exhibits take visitors on a tour of the flora and fauna of the foothills ecosystem. Kids enjoy a hands-on play room and observation room. The Nature Center offers free naturalist-led programs in every season for individuals, families, and schools and groups. Visitors can also enjoy a walk through the nature preserve while visiting. Educational programs available.
Ages:
All Ages
Fee:
No
Free Day:
No
Homeschool Day:
No
Location:
Golden
Experience the outdoors with hiking and fishing or visit the discovery room, have fun with activity backpacks, or go on a scavenger hunt. Summer camps are also available. The Refuge is a wondrous place of discovery for children to connect with nature and be healthy. There are a variety of activities to do during your visit any time of the year.
Ages:
All Ages
Fee:
No
Free Day:
No
Homeschool Day:
No
Location:
Commerce City
Sandstone Ranch offers classes during the summer months for children to explore nature and geology found at the site. The unique area helps to portray life as it was more than a century ago.
Ages:
All Ages
Fee:
No
Free Day:
No
Homeschool Day:
No
Location:
Longmont
Starsmore Visitor and Nature Center serves as an introduction to Cheyenne Canon Park and its beautiful waterfalls, rock formations, wildflowers and wildlife.
Ages:
All Ages
Fee:
No
Free Day:
No
Homeschool Day:
No
Location:
Colorado Springs
Thorne Nature Experience builds Earth Stewardship by providing joyful, hands-on, place-based environmental education experiences that foster an emotional connection to nature. Field trips take place at Sombrero Marsh. Students use their observation skills and field guides to learn about native Colorado flora and fauna and compare and contrast the adaptations of organisms living in wetland and grassland habitats. By observing the diversity of life, collecting data on abiotic conditions, and examining human impacts to the landscape, students are able to make a hypothesis about the health of the habitat at each site they visit.
Ages:
All Ages
Fee:
No
Free Day:
No
Homeschool Day:
No
Location:
Boulder
