Home School Programs

More than 1000 groups of area school children and scouts come to the Tenafly Nature Center each year. With their boundless curiosity, they touch, observe and listen to the natural world.

This year your home schooled child can join our professional environmental educators as we introduce them to ecological and biological principals while gaining an appreciation and understanding of the natural world.  Your child will become more familiar with the plants and animals throughout New Jersey and discover how human activities affect the environment.

Each two-hour program will consist of indoor and outdoor hands-on learning and close observations in our 380-acre living museum.  Depending on the topic, students may observe live animals, collect aquatic creatures, take measurements of water quality, or play games illustrating cycles and relationships between living things.  Parents can also take home activities and suggestions for further study from many of our classes.

We have three program options available to home school parents:

1. Individual families with children 5-12 years old may register for Tenafly Nature Center monthly home ecologist group.  Parents can sign up for the series or just a single session.  If older students would like to attend these classes please contact the Education Director and accommodations can be made to create a more advanced class.

2. Get a group together and schedule a private class.

3. Parent Workshops: Tenafly Nature Center, a registered New Jersey Professional Development Provider, offers Project WILD workshops.  This workshop is designed to train educators of all grades in a curriculum of wildlife appreciation and fun, hands-on activities.  The activities assist students of any age in developing awareness, knowledge, skills, and commitment to result in informed decisions, responsible behavior and constructive actions concerning wildlife and the environment upon which life depends. These programs are conducted in cooperation with the National Project WILD office and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Click here for upcoming opportunities.

Coming Soon- Pre & Post Trip Information and Activities

Home Ecologist Group

Space is limited. Register early!

For families with children 5-12 years old.
Parents can sign up for the series or just a single session.
Parents may stay with the group or drop off; there is no charge for parents.
Siblings older or younger, may not attend with prior permission from the education director.

Schedule and Topics Year of Adaptations	Register Now, Online or see below to register by mail
Apple Cider Making Thursday, September 10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 to 3 pm Participants investigate simple machines and the differences in plant parts, as they use an old-fashioned screw press to make and sample fresh apple cider. In the process, they learn about the history of the cider making from colonial times to the present.	# of Sessions Full Series $100.00 Individual Session $12.00 Names & ages of students Date(s) of session(s)
Color in Nature   Thursday, October 8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 to 3 pm How do animals get their color? For that matter, how does anything get its color? Learn about structural colors and pigments to figure out where color comes from. Go for a color hike outside and create something colored with natural dyes to take home.
Seed Dispersal Thursday, November 12. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 to 3 pm Learn how seeds move without legs?  Search for and examine different types of seeds found in the forest, and the different adaptations/mechanisms such as hitchhiking and parachuting that seeds use to travel.
Outdoor Survival Thursday, December 10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 to 3 pm If you were lost in the woods, would you know what to do? Learn about the basics of survival and how to build a shelter out of natural materials.  Discover where to find clean water and how to set and start a campfire.
Sleep, Stay, Run Away Thursday, January 14. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 to 3 pm Discover how plants and animals know winter is on the way and how they prepare for it.  Investigate winter strategies with hands-on activities, artifacts, and live animal observations. Discussions include adaptations, hibernation, migration and animal behavior.
Oogling Owls Thursday, February 11. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 to 3 pm Participants learn how these nocturnal raptors have adapted to night flight, with a visit from our live resident owl. You and your child will learn about NJ’s owls’ status by discussing the pros and cons of human interactions with these powerful and efficient predators.
Adaptable Shapes Thursday, March 11. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 to 3 pm During a guided hike along the Nature Center trails, you and your child will discover how the shape of a plant helps it to survive as they compare and contrast the shapes of deciduous and evergreen trees.  Focusing on specific adaptations trees have to survive the winter season and discovering that no two plants are alike.
Here’s rootin’ for you  Thursday, April 15. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 to 3 pm You and your child will learn how roots help plants to survive, and how aquatic and terrestrial root systems differ.  We will take a close-up look at the roots of various plants from our pond, woods, and wetlands and how their specific adaptations allow them to flourish in our local ecosystem.
Water, Water Everywhere Thursday, May 13. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 to 3 pm Explore the pond and streams found along the trails as your child learns about the water cycle and perform water tests to see how healthy the water is.
Pondering Life Thursday, June 10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 to 3 pm Using a variety of tools (dip nets, magnifiers, etc.) we will discover aquatic life forms.  Study diversity, adaptations and interrelationships among the organisms we find in the water, and discuss how human activity impacts aquatic habitats.

To Register by Mail:

• Complete a registration form include the title of the program, number of adults, the number and age of children, your complete address and a phone number. 
• Please make checks payable to Tenafly Nature Center. All fees are per person unless otherwise stated. You can also pick up a registration form in person at the main office 313 Hudson Avenue, Tenafly NJ 07670
• No registration will be processed and no reservation can be made without payment.

Policies:

• Registration will be accepted by order received.
• TNC reserves the right to cancel, reschedule, or change programs as needed.
• Refunds: For one-time public programs and events such as campfires, night hikes, walks, maple sugaring, or other programs for which individuals and families may register, we can offer refunds only if the program is canceled or rescheduled by Tenafly Nature Center due to insufficient registration, bad weather or related causes. Due to the number of registrations received for our numerous programs, we are no longer able to provide refunds due to changes in individual schedules, illness, or other personal reasons.

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Home School Group
Private classes for organized groups of home school students.
Call 201-568-6093 to schedule a trip.
Schedule Early! Spring and Fall time slots fill months in advance, but we're open all year.

To Register:

1. Contact the Education Director at (201) 568-6093 or email her a program request form by clicking here she will contact you as soon as possible.

   • Your message should include:

     • Your name

     • The mailing address

     • Phone number

     • Age of students

     • Number of students per group

     • Name of the program (To view program topics click here)

     • Requested date (for faster scheduling have several date options)

     • Requested time for program's (for faster scheduling have several time options)

2. Sign the confirmation form you receive that you receive from the education director that will include all your group information.

3. Mail payment and signed confirmation back to the education director.

Policies:

• You may bring a group of less than 10, but you will be charged for a minimum of 10 students in the amount of $120.

• In order to obtain adequate number of staff, advance notice of additional parents and younger siblings is required.

• We reserve the right to limit the number of non- registered participants on the trail to the number originally registered on the confirmation form.

• Parents may stay with the group or drop off; there is no charge for parents.

• Siblings older or younger, may not attend with prior permission from the education director.

Pre-payment Policies:

• Pre-payment is required for all programs.

• Programs scheduled with less than two weeks notice will require pre payment three days prior to the program.

• Payment can be made by your group representative by check, cash, or money order (credit cards not accepted).

• It is the duty of the group representative to collect the fee from the participants and we will not accept individual payments from the participants.

• If additional siblings would like to participate in the class, then a fee of $12.00 per person will need to be paid for with the registration.

Reschedule, Cancel & Refund Information

• If you have fewer students than what you had originally reserved and paid for, you are still required to pay the full amount agreed upon at the time of registration. Refunds will not be given for less than the original contracted amount of students.
• TNC programs are mostly taught outdoors and are held drizzle or shine.  However, in the event of heavy rain or dangerous temperatures, an alternate indoor  program may be substituted.  If you group must reschedule, you will be responsible for a $50 rescheduling fee.

• If your group must cancel, refunds are based on how far in advance cancellation is from schedule date.

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Trip Rules & Information

Preparation for your visit

• Programs run drizzle or shine. If outdoor conditions are unsuitable or dangerous, a suitable indoor program relating to the scheduled topic or any topic can be substituted.

• Most programs are held outdoors. Participants should dress appropriately for weather!

• Participants should wear sturdy shoes or boots and rain gear when applicable.

• Programs require one parent per home school group who may attend for free.

• The same per person fee applies to additional siblings who wish to attend the program.

• Maximum group size is 15 children, including siblings.

• Student discipline is the responsibility of the parents, not the staff of TNC.

For each class, home school students should show up dressed and prepared to be outside for the majority of the class. A naturalist will lead the group through the activity and parents are expected to stay as well as assist the group when necessary.  It is important for parents to come along and be ready to participate and learn with their children. 

Arrival and Departure

• Directions are available online and will also be mailed with the confirmation.

• It is unsafe to unload or park in the cul-de-sac. You may pull into the nature center parking lot and load and unload in the Parking Area.

• If parking lot is full parents may park on Hudson Avenue and walk their children into the center.

• Check in with the front desk and they will let you know where to meet your educator.

• You are welcome to walk on the trails, explore the museum room or browse our library before and after class with your children.

Group program rules
The staff at TNC loves questions and we encourage discussions and active participation.  In order for all students to have an optimal learning environment and positive experience we must enforce a few simple rules.

• Please raise your hand when you want to speak
• Respect others. While the naturalist, trail guide or fellow student is speaking, please remain quiet
• Don’t pick, disturb, collect, or take natural mementos home
• Stay on the trails
• For parents that stay for class with younger children or babies, please step outside or the learning area if he/she begins to cry, makes noise, or becomes disruptive

• No bikes or strollers beyond the parking area.

• No smoking or lighting fires
• No littering
• No pets leashed, carried, or otherwise

Food and use of Picnic Area at TNC
Under our covered pavilion TNC has several picnic tables available. If you would like to have lunch here discuss it with the Education Director. 

• Tenafly Nature Center is a “carry-in, carry-out” center. Lunch/snack trash removal is your responsibility. Bring a trash bag for your garbage and take it with you when you leave.

• Do not place any food, plates, cups etc. in the trash cans outside.

• No drink boxes (the straw wrappers tend to escape from students).