Create memories with your little one while exploring the wonders of the natural world at The Tennessee Aquarium!
This spring, we will be hosting two separate programs throughout the semester. Each program is a six-week series that provides children ages 3-5 with the opportunity to learn about nature in a safe, fun, and developmentally appropriate environment. You can choose all six classes within the series or only those that fit within your schedule.
Sea Sprouts classes may include story time, sensory play, exploration stations, animal encounters, and take-home crafts. Each class is specifically created for hands-on interactive play-based learning for you and your sea sprout. Activities are developed to encourage curiosity and to promote kindergarten readiness for your little one.
One adult must accompany the registered child for the entirety of the program.
Pricing
Non-members: $15/class; $80 for all 6 weeks
Aquarium Members may receive 10% discount. Look out for more information in member emails!
Registration opens January 20, 2025!
Upcoming Sessions
Session 1: Layers of Life
Join us as we explore the many layers of life on Earth! We can easily see plants and animals on the surface, but what if we look deeper? What lives underground or in the deep sea? Each week we will uncover a new layer and discover how they work together to make up our world.
- For children ages 3-4 years old
- Location: IMAX Theater Classrooms
- Saturdays at 1:00-2:00 pm ET from February 1 – March 8
- Wednesdays at 10:00-11:00 am ET from February 5 – March 12
Week 1 (February 1 and February 5): Our Earth
In our opening week, we will discover that life is all around us. We will look at our world and learn where our water is, where the land is, and where we live. Together, we will build terrariums so that you and your sea sprout can watch life grow at home!
Week 2 (February 8 and February 12): Animals vs Plants
This week, we take a closer look at the differences between animals and plants! What do they both need to live? How are they similar and what are their differences? After exploring, we will meet some animals and plants that live at the Aquarium.
Week 3 (February 15 and February 19): Weather
Wind, rain, snow, and temperatures make up our weather. We will explore how our weather affects life on our planet and how much we depend on it. Decorate and accessorize a kite with your little one to take home to play in the wind!
Week 4 (February 22 and February 26): Life Underground
Discover the life that lives underground! Many plants and animals burrow underground to hunt and build homes. Learn the secrets that hide underground with exploration stations and an up-close encounter with an animal.
Week 5 (March 1 and March 5): Shallow Waters to Deep Sea
Water is very important to life on Earth! We all use it to drink and clean, but animals use it as a home. This week, we will explore the different types of life you can find in the water, from the sunny shallow waters to the dark deep sea. Then, get messy with us as we make unique paintings with water and bubbles!
Week 6 (March 8 and March 12): Space Exploration
Some nocturnal animals thrive under the stars and use the moon to help guide them. Look up with us as we explore space! Learn to connect the dots and trace constellations, count the planets with us, and create your own take-home glowing planet craft.
Session 2: Who’s That Critter?
Join us as we use the scientific method to uncover our mystery critter! We’ll start with a set of animal pictures, ask questions, make observations, and explore their adaptations and lives. We’ll gather clues to solve the mystery through crafts, hands-on activities, and animal encounters.
- For children ages 4-5 years old
- Location: Week 1-5 will be held in the IMAX classrooms and Week 6 will be held in our River Journey Aquarium building.
- Wednesdays at 10:00-11:00 am ET from March 26 – April 30
- Saturdays at 1:00-2:00 pm ET from March 29 – April 26
Week 1 (March 26 and March 29): Act like a Scientist
Week one will help us learn how to observe, think, and wonder to come up with the right questions. We will get our first look at our critter collection, and through exploration, we will be introduced to animal adaptations. Our day wraps up as we decorate our clue journals!
Week 2 (April 2 and April 5): Exploring Habitats
It is time to start eliminating animals from our critter collection as we learn more about different habitats that our animals call home. We take our first step towards discovering who our mystery critter is through exploration and a craft!
Week 3 (April 9 and April 12): Life Cycles
This week, we take a closer look at the different types of life cycles that animals have. Who hatches from eggs, who goes through metamorphosis, and who looks like their parent when they are young? After hands-on explorations, we will end the day with an encounter with an Ambassador Animal.
Week 4 (April 16 and April 19): How Animals Eat
Animals have adapted to hunt and eat in so many ways! Some rely on sight, while others use their sense of smell and hearing. Some have sharp teeth, long noses, or straw-like mouths to help them dine on the perfect diet. We explore some of these strategies and build bird feeders for you and your sea sprout to take home!
Week 5 (April 23 and April 26): Fur, Feathers, Scales, and Slime
Week five brings us closer to knowing the identity of our mystery animal! Today, we will explore the different body coverings of animals, like scales, fur, feathers, or slime. After exploring, we will eliminate one more animal from our critter collection as we get closer to the answer!
Week 6 (Apr. 30 and May 3): Act Like an Animal
During our final week, we will meet at the River Journey building of the Aquarium to investigate animal behaviors that help keep them safe! Join us as we explore and learn the identity of our mystery critter with one final encounter with an animal that you won’t want to miss!
Questions?
Contact Shelley McIntyre by email at summercamp@tnaqua.org or by phone at 423-785-4093.
Sea Sprouts is sponsored by Children’s Hospital at Erlanger.
