Group Programs for Children and Young Adults

Whether you’re a troop leader in search of a program for a badge requirement, a parent planning a birthday party or searching for a monthly activity for your preschooler, or you are looking for a great homeschool class or field trip, the teacher naturalists at the Joppa Flats Education Center can help. Available on weekday afternoons and limited weekends, program themes can be customized for your group’s interests or needs. Themes include, but are not limited to, Weather & the Water Cycle, Backyard Birds, Tide Pools to Go, and Life in a Pond.

Homeschool Programs | Scout Programs | Birthday Parties |
Preschool Programs | Afterschool Programs | Ecology Boat Programs | Facility Rentals

Homeschool Programs

Our homeschool programs are designed to encourage children to interact with the environment through nature exploration and science-based learning and with each other through group activities and challenges. Held each month from September through May, the two-hour classes for ages 7-11 cover science, art, conservation, and current events. Each session also includes field trips to places like the New England Aquarium, the Seacoast Science Center, and local outdoor excursions in search of wildlife. To help parents continue the learning at home, participants receive “E-Goodie Bags”, a collection of electronic information and online resources to help further learning, encourage more outdoor activity, and promote discussion at home.

Search the School Program Catalog
Download the Homeschool Programs flyer (pdf)

Scout Programs

Joppa Flats offers programs for all levels of Girl and Boy Scouts. Our scout programs cover a wide range of themes including, but not limited to, ocean science, birding, water conservation, and more. Our staff work with troop leaders, combining curiosity and field work to obtain new knowledge and increased awareness. Scout programs can be designed to be project-based if required. Field trips can be 90 minutes to 2 ½ hours in length and that time is spent outdoors exploring or observing nature, learning about interconnectedness, relationships, and stewardship. Teacher naturalists will work with the troop leader to design a program to fulfill the requirements of a specific badge. Programs are available weekday afternoons and on limited weekends.

Download the Scout Programs flyer (pdf)

Birthday Parties

Looking for a place to have an exciting and memorable birthday designed just for your child? Joppa Flats offers thematic birthday party programs for members’ children ages 3-10. The two-hour party includes an education program, a take-home art project, a treasure hunt for younger or a group challenge for older children as well as all tableware and reusable party decorations and banners. Birthday parties are available on limited weekends and late afternoons.

Download the Birthday Party flyer (pdf)

Preschool Programs

Joppa Flats offers two types of programs for active preschoolers (ages 3-6) and their parents. The 90-minute Imagine, Sing, and Learn programs offer a structured series of activities including original songs, movement, dramatic play, hands-on science, and a thematic snack! Parents will receive coloring pages, song lyrics, vocabulary and fun fact sheets, and a suggested reading list in an electronic goodie bag. Parent-Child Walkabouts are outdoor mini-excursions that focus on the importance of a sense of place and exploring the ecology, sights, and sounds of local woods, beaches, and ponds. Wildlife, local and migrating birds, collecting techniques, and environmental awareness will be presented in a fun, energetic format that adults and children alike will enjoy.

Search for upcoming Imagine, Sing, and Learn programs
Download the Imagine, Sing, and Learn To Go! flyer (pdf)

Afterschool Programs

The Afterschool at Joppa sessions start off with self-guided activities, challenges, or puzzles that lead participants to the topic for the day. In these 90-minute programs, children in grades 1-4 will observe, compare, and investigate wildlife, environmental challenges, and what role we play in nature. Participants may play the role of an environmentalist, a naturalist, or even a marine biologist throughout this series. And the program always ends with a take-home craft that the participants make!

Search for upcoming Afterschool at Joppa programs

Ecology Boat Programs

Late spring and early fall are perfect times to bring your class out on the water for an ecology cruise on the Merrimack River! Choose from either a two-hour cruise for grades K-3, or a 2.5 hour cruise for grades 4 & up that includes a half hour water chemistry lab at the dock. Ecology cruises can be customized to meet your curriculum objectives for up to 40 passengers. Available June 1 through early October, groups can enjoy an ecology cruise upriver, through the Great Marsh, or into the Atlantic Ocean.

Download the Boat Program flyer (pdf)

Facility Rentals

We have facilities available for rent by private and public groups and organizations. Spaces include the Joppa Flats backyard, with a view overlooking the Merrimack River and marsh, and the Juliet Kellogg French room. We can provide coffee and tea but no kitchen is available.

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Looking for Group Programs for Adults?
Mass Audubon offers educational programs for garden clubs, senior centers, historical groups, and many other clubs and organizations.

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For more information, contact:
978-462-9998
joppaflats@massaudubon.org