Homeschool Day at Hershey Gardens will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2021, and Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Details regarding each event are as follows:
The Biodiversity of Insects & Native Plants
Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2021
9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Students will learn about the importance of native plants and how to identify them, then discover several varieties in Hershey Gardens' new Native Plant Garden. Homeschoolers will also learn about insects that call native plants home and how certain insects affect local bird populations. Representatives from the Bluebird Society of Pennsylvania will be educating homeschoolers on the life cycle of the bluebird and demonstrating how to make a bluebird box. Activities also include an “insect safari,” led by a team from the Lancaster Conservancy.
The (under)Story of Trees and Soil
Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021
9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Homeschoolers will discover soil, worms and other creatures that live in the soil and learn about the environment that exists beneath trees and shrubs. Participants will also visit the Bonsai exhibit and meet members of the Susquehanna Bonsai Club, who will explain the art and care of their trees. Lisa Doseff, local author of "Grandma Lisa's Humming Buzzing Chirping Garden,” will be conducting story time in The Children’s Garden amphitheater.
Each homeschool day at Hershey Gardens is $8 per student and $9 per adult and open to homeschoolers and their families, as well as to families whose children are learning virtually from home. Programs are suitable for children in Kindergarten through 6th grade. Children ages 2 and under are free and do not need a ticket.
Families are encouraged to arrive by 10:30 a.m. Programs will be held rain or shine; picnic tables are available for packed lunches. To register/purchase tickets, please visit HersheyGardens.org and click on the “Events” tab. Registration closes 48 hours prior to the event. Questions may be directed to Rebecca Lawrence at rellawrence@hersheygardens.org or call 717-508-5968.
Homeschool sessions at The Hershey Story Museum will be held every Wednesday in October; families can enroll in either the 9:30 a.m. session or the 11:30 a.m. session. Additional details are as follows:
“Trolleys, Trucks & Trains: The Transportation that Built a Chocolate Town”
Wednesday, Oct. 6, 13, 20 and 27, 2021
9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
Homeschool families will discover the key role transportation played in Milton Hershey’s decision to build his chocolate factory in rural Pennsylvania. Using items from the museum’s collections, homeschoolers will participate in hands-on activities to learn about the unique vehicles used in Hershey and how they changed over time. Sessions delve into the various modes of transportation that moved students, workers, visitors and the supplies used to create Hershey, Pa. Session includes an educational transportation-themed scavenger hunt through the museum exhibits. Participants will create their own edible Hershey’s chocolate vehicle.
Sessions are $11 per person for ages 3 and up; free for ages 2 and under. Tickets are required for all guests, including adults, and can be purchased online at HersheyStory.org up until the day before the requested session. Families should allow 90 minutes to two hours for the whole experience.
Private sessions are available for groups of 15 or more. Questions may be directed to Elizabeth Lindsay at elalindsay@hersheystory.org or call 717-520-5588.
