Home Study

Natural Science Investigations for Fall Home Study

Designed for children entering 1st through 4th grade, our home study kits are meant to spark curiosity and provide hands-on learning about the natural world. While supporting the Next Generation Science Standards, the kits provide opportunities for children to explore and make their own discoveries. Children practice important skills such as asking questions, making careful observations, communicating outcomes and reflecting upon results. Included in each kit is information related to the theme, the necessary equipment and special materials for the activities, and a 5-day grounds pass to Hildene, for the option to use Hildene’s property for the field investigations. The Next Generation Science Standards that are linked to each kit will be available here.

Designed to be picked up at Hildene’s Museum Store, each kit costs $25 and contains the equipment and materials needed for one child. The kits may also be mailed for an additional fee to cover shipping costs. To order a kit or for more information, please contact Diane Newton, Education Director, at newton@hildene.org.

For a downloadable info sheet on Hildene's 2020 Home Study Natural Science Investigation kits, CLICK HERE. For information on our 2020 School Programs, visit our Learning/School Programs page. School programs are also available to homeschoolers!

 

Seeds to Fruits Home Study Seeds to Fruits

How does a seed become a fruit? What is in soil and how is it made? These questions and more are explored in this kit. Children dissect seeds, play Apple Tree Life Cycle Sort, and examine different fruits, searching for clues that they were once a flower. To better understand soil characteristics, children conduct soil experiments and build a micro composter to observe the life cycle of biodegradable materials. Related crafts and recipes complete the kit. NGSS Standards.

Forests Home Study Forests

Through journaling, crafting and investigation, this kit explores tree identification and anatomy, life in the forest, forest sensory activities, and the forest’s role in providing clean water. Children create their own micro forest ecosystem in a jar, make tree teas, build a forest food web, and learn about forest diversity through sampling a forest plot. NGSS standards.
 

Plants and Pollinators Home Study Plants and Pollinators

Pollinators literally put food on our tables. This kit is designed to inspire care for pollinators of all kinds. Children discover who the pollinators are, the vital role they play in agriculture and natural communities, and the steps that can be taken to promote and protect pollinator habitat in our backyards. Children dissect a flower, go on a pollinator hunt, make a bee’s wax candle, discover the differences in bumble bee color patterns and spread pollinator habitat! NGSS Standards.

Ponds and Wetlands Home Study Ponds and Wetlands

How are aquatic critters and plants adapted to live in a watery world? What benefits do wetlands provide that no other ecosystem does? Visit a nearby pond or wetland with the kit’s net, magnifying viewer, critter keys and activities to discover the answers. Follow up your field investigations by creating an aquatic food web, playing Presto, Change-o, and building a cattail duck to float! NGSS Standards.