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A Guide to Educational Field Trips to Flanders
| Give students
an opportunity to experience nature first hand. Flanders field
trips make it a breeze for educators to explore the many facets of
nature with their students. Since its founding in 1963, Flanders has worked to promote the understanding and appreciation of nature through educational programs. Over the years, the nature center has helped thousands of area students to enrich their knowledge of the environment. for the day! |
Field Trip
Logistics Grade: Kindergarten and above Maximum attendance per program is 30 students; one school-provided chaperone is required for every 10 students. Grade: Preschool Maximum attendance per program is 25 students; one school-provided chaperone is required for every 5 students. Program Fees Nature & Environmental Programs Farm Programs Payment/Cancellation Policies: Payment is required two weeks prior to the program. Full refunds will be given with notification of cancellation up to two weeks prior to program date; later cancellations receive a 50% refund. No refunds will be issued with less than one week's notice. If Flanders cancels a program, your program fee will be refunded 100%, or you may reschedule your program. |
FIELD TRIP PROGRAMS
Mammal Mania Learn about the habits and habitats of the native mammals that share the land of Connecticut with us. Learn to identify the tracks of common mammals.
CT Science Framework Standards: K.2, 1.2, 3.2, 4.2, 5.2
Feathered Friends
An introduction to
the world of birds—their habitats, food needs, and migratory habits.
Learn to identify common species.CT Science Framework Standards Addressed: *K, 1.2, 1.3, 3.2, 4.2, 5.2, 6.2
Incredible Insects
Insects are all around
us. Let Flanders help your students learn about the insects of Connecticut.
Through scavenger hunts, educational games, and a detailed felt board, students
will become more familiar with insects that are common to their own backyards.
CT Science Standards addressed: 1.3, 3.2, 4.2
Pond Workshop
Come visit our pond and marsh
habitats. Students carry nets and buckets to discover the richness of life
in the muddy bottom of the pond. They learn about frogs, turtles, dragonflies,
salamanders, and other pond life. Simple field guides and journal entries
are part of the workshop. A three-hour program includes a hay ride to the
marsh to discover the role of the busy beaver. Each student is given a bug
box to decorate and keep.CT Core Science Curriculum Framework: K.2, 1.2, 1.3, 2.2, 3.2, 3.4, 4.2, 5.2
CT State Social Studies Standards: Content Standard 10: Physical Systems K - 4
The Five Senses In Nature
Participants use sight,
hearing, smell, taste, and touch to discover more about the natural world
around them. They learn how animals use their five senses to survive, and
discuss how various animals may rely more on certain senses than we do.
CT Core Science Curriculum Framework: K.1, K.2, 1.2, 1.3, 2.3
Winter Survival
A fascinating look
at how different species prepare for the survival challenges of winter,
with its subzero temperatures and limited food supplies. Learn the difference
between migration, hibernation, dormancy, and active cycles. Students play
educational games as well as experiencing hands-on winter survival tactics.
CT State Curriculum Standards addressed: K.2, K.3, 1.2, 2.2, 2.4, 3.2, 4.2, 5.2
Understanding Beavers
Visit the home of Flanders'
resident beaver and learn about the fascinating and often-controversial
habits of these "engineers of the wild." CT Core Science Curriculum Framework: K.2, 1.2, 1.3, 3.2, 4.2, 5.2
Habitat Hunt
What does
it take to support different types of animal life? How do the needs of animals
compare to ours? Students learn about what can be done to preserve and expand
habitats for native species. CT Science Standards addressed: K.2, 1.2, 1.3, 2.2, 3.2, 4.2, 5.2, 6.2
Animal Classification
Is
it fish or fowl? How do you tell? Participants learn the basics of identifying
different types of animals native to this area, and discuss the group in
the animal kingdom to which humans belong. CT Science Framework Standards: K.2, 1.2, 3.2, 4.2, 5.2
Agricultural & Farm Topics 
Flanders Farm Workshops provide many exciting opportunities. The animals,
farming activities, and the Antique Tool Museum are all explored during
various programs. Flanders has three main crops: maple syrup, hay, and
honey. Experience a scenic hay ride through the meadow and learn what
this habitat means to honey bees. Then come into the barn and discover
its sights, smells, and sounds.
Early spring brings exciting changes in our woods. So bundle up and come
out for one of New England's unique adventures—tapping trees for
sap to make maple syrup. Then explore with us each following season with
a special educational theme.
Content varies per program; call for curriculum details.
Spring on the Farm: Spring (April to
June)
The fun starts with seeing
how life begins for baby chickens, lambs, and baby pigs! The visit also
includes other farm animals; chickens, turkeys, and horses, which can
be seen in our barn and paddocks. Students participate in an educational
scavenger hunt through the garden and near the pond, developing observation
skills, identification, and descriptive vocabulary. Learn the cyclical
value of winter rye to farmers; students plant rye seeds and take the
little gardens home to watch the plants grow.
Autumn On the Farm (September to November)
Begin your
visit with an interpretive and scenic hayride through some of Flanders
many fields; then stop by the barn to explore, meet the animals, and play
a weather game. The program includes picking a pumpkin and decorating
it with natural fibers supplied by the farm animals.
From Sap to Syrup (End of February through March)
Maple sugaring
is such a special event in New England. Flanders spring environment enables
the sugar maples to produce gallons of sap. Learn the history and science
of maple sugaring to understand how New England's specific seasonal changes
(an extended period of frosty nights and warm days) make the sap run.
Bundle up and come out to experience the lore, the science, and wonder
of this traditional process. Students participate in the entire adventure,
including an optional taste-testing of their product. Special 1-hour
program: $6 per student (or $120 minimum)
CT State Social
Studies Standards, Content Standard 12: Human and Environmental Interaction:
K - 4, 5 - 8
CT Core Science Curriculum: K.2,
1.2, 1.3, 2.4, 3.2
Specialized Program Topics
Custom Programs
To
meet the needs of specific school curricula, and take advantage of Flanders
many resources, programs can be custom designed to meet your school's particular
educational goals. Multiple-Visit Programs
Consider a more in-depth experience for your students. Flanders can develop a program specific to your curriculum needs that includes pre- and post-classroom visits in conjunction with a Flanders field trip.
Flanders Nature Center & Land Trust
203-263-3711
Click here for our In-Class Programs!
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