About Homeschool Days
Join the experienced education staff at the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery for our 2024-2025 Homeschool Days!
General Program Information
- We will be hosting STEM based programs that will cover content aligned with grade levels Kindergarten through 8th grade. Please see our themes below for more detail about the programs.
- When registering, please be aware that programs are held at different times because they are adapted for certain content understanding. The programs will be divided by children with a Kindergarten-3rd grade content understanding and a 4th -8th grade content understanding. There will be some programming that is suitable for all ages/grade levels, Kindergarten through 8th grade. Please read the descriptions of each program to learn more.
- Homeschool programs with unique monthly themes will occur on the 2nd Monday of the month from September through May (excluding December).
- A self-led hands-on activity for PreK and younger will be available during most programs.
- Registration and prepayment are MANDATORY in order to participate and secure a space in the programs.
Registration
Registration and prepayment are MANDATORY to participate and secure a space in the programs. Please read the following:
- $5 per participant in the program.
- The $5 registration fee does not include adults and children not participating in the program.
- The program fee CANNOT be paid the day of the program.
- Registration will CLOSE at 11:59pm the day before the program
- The registration window for each program will open at 9AM on the date of the prior program.
- This registration fee is only for the program, all participants and non-participants will still need to enter through the front of the museum and pay for their admission. This is in addition to the $5 program fee mentioned above. Options for museum entry include:
- General Admission
- Boonshoft Membership
- Museums for All
- Reciprocal Membership from another institution
- AAA Discount
- State Farm Discount
- Military Discount
What to Expect
- Please arrive ten (10) minutes in advance of your program time.
- Please allot time to pay for your museum admission at the front desk.
- Programs will start and end at the time they are listed on the registration.
- Late arrivals can still join a program, but the end time will remain the same as it is stated in the program description.
- There are no refunds issued for late arrivals or missed programs.
- If there is space in another program time for the appropriate age/understanding level of the participant, they can join at the discretion of the presenter.
- All participants in the program must have an adult with them. All children under the age of 16 must have an adult with them at all times in the museum.
- You MUST fill out a registration form and pay for each child who will be participating in the program to reserve your spot.
Upcoming Dates and Themes
Monday, September 9th
Theme: Scientific Method
Description: Kick off this school year the scientific way! This month, students will discover what it means to be a scientist, use scientific tools, and develop critical thinking skills through the use of the scientific method and engaging activities.
Location: Boonshoft Museum of Discovery, Edison/Einstein classrooms in the Education Lobby.
Registration opens at 9:00AM on August 12th
Monday, October 14th
Theme: Physics
Description: It’s time to discover how our universe works. Students will explore magnets and energy through hands on activities and thrilling demonstrations.
Location: Boonshoft Museum of Discovery, Edison/Einstein classrooms in the Education Lobby.
Registration opens at 9:00AM on September 9th
Monday, November 11th
Theme: Archaeology
Description: This month our program will take place at the SunWatch Indian Village/Archaeological Park, the home of some of Dayton’s first residents. Students will go on a guided tour of the reconstructed village at SunWatch and observe artifacts and practices of the indigenous people who called this area home 800 years ago.
Location: SunWatch Indian Village/Archaeological Park
2301 W. River Rd., Dayton, OH 45417
Other Information: SunWatch Indian Village/Archaeological Park is a different location from the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery. Late arrivals for the program may not be able to join as this is a tour that will leave the main building promptly at the start time. This program takes place mostly outdoors and is subject to change due to inclement weather. Please note that this program will run for about 90minutes versus the usual 30 minutes for the other homeschool day programs. Admission for SunWatch would still need to be paid upon arrival in addition to the program preregistration fee.
Registration opens at 9:00AM on October 14th
Monday, January 13th
Theme: Characteristics of Living Things
Description: The theme this month is all about living things. Our younger students (Kindergarten through 3rd grade) will explore animal life cycles using the darkling beetle. The older students (4th-8th grade) will explore genetics by looking at the model organism: the strawberry. There will be a focus on heredity, variation, and selective plant breeding
Location: Boonshoft Museum of Discovery, Edison/Einstein classrooms in the Education Lobby.
Registration opens at 9:00AM on November 11th
Monday, February 10th
Theme: Dissections
Description: This month we will be in the lab to dissect different specimens. For our younger students, they will explore the food web by dissecting an owl pellet. For the older students we will learn dissection techniques by dissecting a sheep eye.
Location: Boonshoft Museum of Discovery, Edison/Einstein classrooms in the Education Lobby.
Registration opens at 9:00AM on January 13th
Monday, March 10th
Theme: Astronomy
Description: Come visit us for a day of space exploration at Boonshoft! Learn how telescopes work, launch a rocket, and explore the scale of planets and other objects found in our solar system.
Location: Boonshoft Museum of Discovery
Registration opens at 9:00AM on February 10th
Monday, April 14th
Theme: Water and Environmental Science
Description: Students will learn about what kinds of organisms live in the local river systems, how waterways form, how they get polluted, and how we can help keep those areas clean.
Location: Boonshoft Museum of Discovery, Edison/Einstein classrooms in the Education Lobby.
Registration opens at 9:00AM on March 10th
Monday, May 12th
Theme: Pond Study
Description: Visit the Coovert Pond on the museum grounds to discover and observe plants and animals in an aquatic habitat. Students will become field biologists and ecologists as they collect and identify macroinvertebrates and other aquatic animals to determine the health of our pond.
Location: Boonshoft Museum of Discovery, Meet in the Education Lobby
Other Information: Please bring close-toed shoes and clothing that you do not mind getting wet and muddy. A full change of clothing for all participating children is also recommended. This program will take place mostly outdoors and is subject to change due to inclement weather. Please note that this program will run for about45 minutes versus the usual 30 minutes for the previous homeschool programs.
Registration opens at 9:00AM on April 14th
