Poricy Park Conservancy is a non-profit 501(C)(3) organization. Donations are tax deductible.

732-842-5966  -  P.O. Box 36 - 345 Oak Hill Road - Middletown, NJ 07748

SCIENCE & HISTORY AT PORICY PARK!!!

THE PERFECT COMPLIMENT TO YOUR CLASSROOM CURRICULUM
Poricy Park is a great place for your next class trip. We offer a variety of fun, hands-on programs in Science, Nature, and History for grades Pre-K through 5th. Our schedule fills up quickly, so call today to make reservations!!

If your class cannot take a trip to Poricy Park, let us bring our programs to you.  
See our "Outreach Programs" for more information.

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT OUR FOSSIL PROGRAMS TOO!!!! 

SEE "FOSSIL BEDS AND FOSSIL HUNTS" FOR MORE INFORMATION


The programs listed below are for school classes only. Please call the Nature Center at
732-842-5966, Monday through Friday, 9:00am-4:00pm, for registration fees.
Click Here to download our School/Organization Program Request Form
Colonial Programs
Rebecca Murray's Children
2-Hour Program, 9:30am-11:30am
Pre-K thru 2nd Grade
Children are transported from their modern world of conveniences into very different 18th century colonial Monmouth County. They'll participate in colonial chores and learn about the daily life of the four Murray children who once lived in the Park's now restored farmhouse.

Life on the Murray Farm
4 Hour Program, 9:30am-1:30pm
3rd Grade and Up
Children exit their modern conveyance to discover the strange wonders of colonial life. They will spend the morning participating in 18th century activities such as baking cookies over the open hearth, carding wool, doing farm chores or school lessons and playing games of the period. Park interpreters dressed in colonial costume will lead students through local colonial history and the interesting story of Joseph Murray. After lunch and shopping in the Old Colonial Shoppe, the class will participate in activities at the barn.
 
Murray Barn Program
2 Hour Program, 9:30am-11:30pm
3rd Grade and Up
Twenty-first century children travel back in time to the eighteenth century. They'll discover how life was different and the same as they explore daily hands-on activities presenting details on building construction in the 18th century as well as daily tasks typical to agricultural life, including crafting shingles, splitting wood, processing flax and wool! Leisure activities will be represented by games of the era.

Virtual Visit to the Murray Farmhouse For Those with Special Needs
A DVD is available for students who are unable to participate in this educational Farmhouse program. If you have a child in your class who has mobility issues and is physically unable to visit the Farmhouse, the parent or guardian can stop by the Nature Center to pick up a basket with a DVD and some fun colonial items. A $20 refundable deposit is required. Once the DVD and basket of items are returned, the deposit will be refunded. The DVD includes a narrated tour of the Farmhouse and explains life on an 18th century farm.

Special thanks to Patty Thompson who created the DVD for her Girl Scout Silver Award Project, making this project possible.
Nature Programs

Please note: All programs marked with an asterisk (*) can travel to your classroom.

Call for registration and fees.


TWO HOUR PROGRAMS
For children Pre-K through 2nd Grade. 10:00am -12pm. All programs  include hands-on indoor and outdoor activities. Class sizes are limited to 25 students. For more than 25 students, please call us for special arrangements.

5 Senses*

Year-Round

Students explore their senses and relate them to the "super-senses" of some animals. Hands-on experiments, nature hunts and outdoor activities open up the world of nature to each student!

 

Animal Architects* 
September through June
The children will investigate animal homes and their builders. Depending on the season, we'll examine bees, birds or groundhogs. After an outdoor hunt for examples of homes, we'll end with a story indoors.

Buzzing Bees* 
Call for Availability
Our indoor observation hive allows us to look at bees and talk about their roles. We'll examine different types of bees and wasps and their products, taste honey, and learn the dance of the honey bee.

Creepy Crawlies*
Year-Round
Kids love bugs! We'll discuss invertebrates and learn how to identify an insect. With an emphasis on ants, we'll play games that reinforce why insects are so successful as a group. Next will be a trip outdoors to collect and identify some specimens, then back inside for a "creepy crawlie" tale.

Feathers, Beaks, and Claws*
Year-Round
We'll take a look at birds and their adaptations, with particular focus on owls. An outdoor search for bird habitats is followed by a dissection of an owl pellet.

 

Generations of Germinators - Seeds*

April through October

Students discover the life cycle of seeds, where we find them, how they disperse, grow, and why are they important in our lives. Through experiential learning activities including outdoor exploration students bring their curiosity to life!

 


An Introduction to Pond Life 
April through October                    

1st & 2nd Grades
Students will learn about the fascinating food web of the pond. Next, we'll learn aquatic adaptations by transforming one student into a "pond creature." Then we'll take a trip to the pond where everyone can use nets to discover tadpoles, turtles, and dragonflies!

Winter Habitats* 
November through March
How are animals and plants adapted to survive the winter? On an outdoor walk, children will search for animal homes and clues. Then, back indoors, we'll do hands-on activities and end with a story.

FOUR HOUR PROGRAMS

3rd Grade and Up 

All programs include an outdoor activity.


Geo-Exploration 
January through March 
We'll study the different kinds of rock and minerals, fossils and soils, the effects of weather and water and the forces that shape the land. Students will learn how ancient seas preserved a record of the life that once lived in them. Concepts will be reinforced with field experiences and hands-on experiments and activities.

Forest Ecology 
September through November
How are trees important? The discussion will focus on the importance of trees to the forest habitat and the creatures living there. We'll talk about the carbon cycle, photosynthesis and how plant and animal communities are created within a forest. A nature hike, and hands-on activities will reinforce these concepts.

The Pond Community 
April through June
Students concentrate on what makes up a pond community. A study of the life in the Murray Pond includes identification of species, seasonal and human impact on the pond community, the water cycle, and acid rain. A comparison with other fresh water communities will be made.

PROGRAMS ARE HELD RAIN OR SHINE SO PLEASE HAVE STUDENTS DRESS ACCORDINGLY.