Welcome Homeschool Families
The Minnesota Zoo offers a variety of programs for homeschool students and families to enrich your teaching year. Click below to learn all we have to offer.
Homeschool Day, Thursday October 4, 2018
Homeschool Day
Homeschool families, come spend a day at the Minnesota Zoo! This year’s theme is Engaging with Nature. Participate in scientific research as you gather data for citizen science projects and try some nature play activities available throughout the Zoo. Learn about resources you can continue to use at home, year round.
Time: Zoo opens at 9:00 a.m. Education stations open from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Cost:
| PARTICIPANTS | NON MEMBERS | MEMBERS |
| preK-5th grade students | $9.00 | $3.00 |
| 6-12th grade students | $11.00 | $3.00 |
| Adult | 1 free / family | Free |
| Additional Adults | $12.00 | |
| Children 2 years and under | Free | Free |
| Vehicle parking | $7.00 | Free |
You will receive a confirmation and payment is made when you arrive at the Zoo. If purchasing a membership you might want to purchase on-line in advance at www.mnzoo.org.
How to Register
Reservations for Homeschool Day accepted until 1:00 pm on October 3, 2018.
Lunch:
Families are welcome to purchase lunch at the Call of the Wild food court or bring your lunch and eat at any of the indoor or outdoor picnic areas. There are school lunch storage shelves located by the school lunch tables at the Tropics Trail plaza for use on this day.
Don’t forget IMAX THEATRE!
Add the IMAX Classroom to your day at the Minnesota Zoo! No pre-registration required. Pay at the box office prior to your movie. Call IMAX for shows and times at 952-997-9714.
Homeschool Academy: Fall Session – Seasonal Changes
Homeschool Academy: Fall Session – Seasonal Changes
This hands-on, field-oriented program focuses on the adaptations and survival strategies of Minnesota’s plants and wildlife. Students will get outside, hone their observation skills and learn about citizen science projects.
WHEN: Mondays, September 24 – October 29, 2018 (6 sessions). Each week can be an independent lesson but all 6 weeks make a complete program.
TIME: 10:00am -12:00pm
WHERE: MN Zoo, Apple Valley, MN
WHO: Homeschool students ages 9-12
COST:
SINGLE SESSION COST: $25 ($20 MN Zoo Members) per session. Pre-registration and pre-payment required.
PACKAGE DISCOUNT COST: Register for all six sessions for the same student in a single order and receive $3.50 off each session. $129 ($99 MN Zoo members) per student for all 6 sessions. Please select continue shopping to add sessions, discount will be applied on the checkout page.
Inquiries can be made to [email protected] or 952-431-9218.
How to Register
Sept. 24, 18 Nature’s Calendar
How do you know when winter is on its way or spring is in the air? We can take clues from nature. Learn about phenology, how to record things we see (or don’t see) and how all this data helps us study the changes in our environment.
Oct. 1, 18 Leafing So Soon?
Fall is the best time to see colorful changes in the plant world. With a little botany knowledge we will better understand what makes the leaves change colors and fall to the ground.
Oct. 8, 18 Warm Fuzzies
What keeps you warm better- fur or feathers? We will be testing insulation properties of various body coverings as well as meeting one of our native MN animals.
Oct. 15, 18 Seasonal Eating
What is the best way to gain weight to keep warm- eat more or eat better? We will investigate the nutritional and caloric content of different bird feeder items as well as explore the diet of bears.
Oct. 22, 18 Do I stay or do I go?
Winter gives animals many basic survival challenges. Their choices is to stay and endure or leave until spring. We will weigh the advantages of both strategies and learn how animals increase their survival until spring.
Oct. 29, 18 Sleep Does the Body Good.
Closing their eyes is just part of the story. We will compare our heart and breathing rates to hibernating animals to better understand how this strategy helps them survive the winter.
