Homeschool At The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach

The Aquarium of the Pacific Offers the Perfect Educational Experience:

As a homeschooling parent, I am constantly on the lookout for fun and educational adventures to go on with my kids. So last week, we went on our first official field trip of the school year – to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. Normally, we wouldn’t have done this on a school day, as admission for three is well over $50. But, on a handful of select days throughout the year, the Aquarium holds online sales for homeschoolers to pre-purchase tickets for these select dates at the deeply-discounted student rate of $6 per person. Score!

The Aquarium is still open to the general public on these special days, but they don’t schedule field trips, and they set up booths with homeschool resources and educational material. Also, they open the doors of the classrooms so the kids can go in and explore marine life in a fun learning environment. My kids got to examine the skull of a leatherback sea turtle with a magnifying glass, dip their fingers in the classroom touch tank, and sat down with an expert to play a game matching sets of teeth to the appropriate animal and choosing the prey based on the type of teeth each one had. It was great!

The Aquarium Will Soon Offer Lesson Plans!

In the past, we’ve enjoyed the aquarium, but this visit was really interactive and there are several new exhibits so the teaching opportunities were many. We are definitely going to go back for the next homeschool day.

I was also informed that the aquarium will soon have lesson plans and curriculum available online that pairs up with the real-time webcams that are focused on the exhibits throughout the aquarium. This will be a great opportunity for students to research and explore the marine life and habitats with access to learning materials to guide our lessons.

Look For Other Educational Opportunities in Your Community:

I’m finding that more educational facilities are opening their doors to homeschooling groups and families with special programs and at discounted rates. Legoland is another fun destination in Southern California that offers homeschool days. If you are homeschooling too, check your local museums and aquariums to find out if they too offer discounts.

Do you or are you thinking of  homeschooling your children?