Create memories with your little one while exploring the wonders of the natural world during our Sea Sprouts class!
Registration opens February 2, 2026!
This spring, we are hosting a nine-week series that provides children ages 3-5 with the opportunity to learn about nature in a safe, fun, and developmentally appropriate environment. Classes begin February 27 and end May 1.
No class will be held on March 20, during Hamilton County’s spring break.
One adult must accompany the registered child throughout the program.
Dates and Times
- Classes begin February 27 and run through May 1, 2026.
- Each week, we meet on Friday morning from 10 – 11 a.m. ET.
- No class will be held on March 20, during Hamilton County’s spring break.
- You can choose all nine classes within the series or only those that fit within your schedule.
Pricing
Non-members:
- $15 per class
- $120 for all 9 weeks. Equivalent to 1 free class!
Aquarium Members:
- Receive a 10% discount with coupon code. Look out for more information in member emails!
Class Location
Sea Sprout classes are held in the S.T.R.E.A.M. Learning Center on the Aquarium Plaza at 1 Broad Street, Chattanooga, TN 37419.
Sea Sprouts Activities
Each class can be a little different based on the theme, but click to expand and see some common activities you will experience.
- Nature play
- Story time
- Exploration stations such as animal biofacts, sensory bins, and TN State Learning Standards lessons
- Animal encounters
- Take-home crafts
Promoting kindergarten readiness
Sea Sprouts activities are developed to encourage curiosity and to promote kindergarten readiness for your little one.
The Tennessee Aquarium is an active partner with Chattanooga 2.0, a local nonprofit organization. Among other initiatives, Chattanooga 2.0 and community partners want to equip parents/guardians with the “knowledge, tools, and resources to support your preschooler on their journey to Kindergarten”.
Like our partner, we promote kindergarten readiness for your sea sprout by encouraging them to learn and reinforce the following skills:
- Learning how to listen and build your own stories.
- Working on our counting skills, identifying shapes and colors, and recognizing simple patterns.
- Building curiosity and independence by trying new things, following directions to complete a task, and holding focus on an activity for 5 minutes before moving on.
- Strengthening fine motor skills by using different techniques during craft time.
- Working on our social skills by practicing sharing, taking turns, helping others, and accepting help from our caregivers or teachers.
Class Descriptions
Join us as we see the world from a new perspective! What does a deer see in the forest? What does a sea turtle smell at the beach? What does a jaguar hear at night? Each day we will use the senses of touch, sight, smell, hearing, and even taste to learn about habitats.
Reminder: You can choose all nine classes within the series or only those that fit within your schedule.
Experience new sensations while we use our senses to learn about habitats and what makes them up. Can you tell what smells and sounds are without seeing what’s making them? What does an animal’s scales feel and look like? Together we will learn what our senses are.
For the second week we will be experiencing the forest through the senses of a deer. Can you identify the smells of the forest? Have you ever tasted blackberries? Learn about what makes up the forests.
This week we will be taking a dip underwater to see what we can find in and around a river habitat. What smells do otters encounter? What plants and animals will you see? Find out what makes up one of our most vital local ecosystems.
Experience the rainforest how a tree frog would! What animals sounds echo through the trees? What aromas will you smell while climbing through the canopy?
What changes when the sun goes down? This week we will find out what an owl may find during a midnight cruise. What sounds and sights will you notice if you stop to listen? What animals are still awake?
This week we go on a safari to see the sights, smell the smells, and hear the sounds of the savanna. Join us as we look at the savanna through the eyes of a cobra.
Get ready to taste the salt in the air as we see what it is to be a sea turtle. Feel the sand between your fingers, listen to the calls of sea birds, and see what critters live near the shoreline.
This week we go deeper into the ocean and see what we find. Will you hear different sounds or feel different textures and temperatures? Experience the world through the senses of a shark.
For our last week we will be making our way to the south pole as we look at the world through the eyes of a penguin. How cold does the water feel? What smells and sounds are found in the cold? Finish up sea sprouts this session with our beloved feathery friends!
Cancellation Policy
The Aquarium reserves the right to cancel any scheduled program. If the Aquarium cancels a scheduled camp program, participants will be notified and offered a full refund or an opportunity to reschedule.
- A cancellation made more than 7 days before the start of class will receive a full refund.
- A cancellation made less than 7 days before the start of class is not guaranteed a refund.
- We understand that our youngest students easily become sick. If your child is not feeling well and/or displaying symptoms of any illness such as flu, bronchitis, mono, or pink eye, please stay home. Contact us and we will work to help you reschedule your class or give you class credit.
Cancellations can be requested through the registration profile of your student, by email at [email protected], or by phone at 423-785-4093 and 423-356-1276.
Safety Policy
Aquarium Education programs follow CDC recommendations. This means that indoor mask requirements will be determined by current community transmission levels for diseases such as, but not limited to, COVID and measles.
Please note that certain activities within the Aquarium, specifically behind the scenes tours with mammals, may require masks for the safety of the animals and the participants regardless of current community transmission levels. Participants will be notified of these activities prior to them taking place and masks will be provided.
We ask all participants to stay home if they are experiencing symptoms of the following diseases:
- If they are experiencing COVID symptoms or if they have been in contact with a COVID-positive individual in the past 2 weeks.
- If they are experiencing MEASLES symptoms or if they have been in contact with a MEASLES-positive individual in the past 2 weeks.
If a participant is not feeling well and/or displaying symptoms of any illness such as flu, bronchitis, mono, or pink eye, please stay home.
Accessibility & Accommodations
Some areas during the program may not be fully accessible due to loud sounds, bright or low lighting, uneven terrain and/or tight spaces.
Please contact our Youth Development Coordinator at 423-785-4093 (office), 423-356-1276 (cell), or [email protected] for specific information pertaining to accessibility accommodations and allergy concerns.
Questions?
For any additional questions, you can contact us by email at [email protected] or by phone at either 423-785-4093 or 423-356-1276.
Sea Sprouts is sponsored by:
