FIELD TRIPS

FIELD TRIPS

We make learning engaging and exciting. Plan your next field trip today!

From the moment students set foot inside the Clay Center, we stretch their curiosity and challenge their expectations as they explore exhibits in the Avampato Discovery Museum, enter a portal to the cosmos in the Caperton Planetarium & Theater, and engage in hands-on experiences in the Juliet Art Museum.

Hands-On Experiences

Want to add on some hands-on experiences to your field trip? Look no further than our extensive list of STEM Labs, Art Labs, Early Childhood Programs, and Science Demonstrations. Sort by grade level using the dropdowns below to see programming available for your group.

Pre-Kindergarten–Kindergarten

  • Animal Homes Storytime
    Does every single animal on earth live in the same home? Find out as we read “Where do Animals Live” by Alejandro Algarra. After listening to the story, students will match up animals to their habitats and even have the chance to meet a live creature and learn about it’s habitat!

    Red, Yellow, and Blue Storytime
    You’ll discover the world of color mixing in this interactive storytime. Listen to the story of “Mouse Paint” by Ellen Stoll Walsh and then explore mixing colors just like those sneaky three mice did. Students will use model magic clay to explore primary colors in a fun and tactile way.

    Dinosaur Fossil Storytime
    What is a fossil and where do they come from? You’ll discover answers to questions like this as we read “Dinosaurs Everywhere” by Carol Harrison. After learning about fossils and paleontology, you’ll get your wiggles out with a special Dinosaur Dance and even make an impression fossil to take home.

1st–2nd Grade

  • City Builders
    Plan out your own city in this fun civil engineering workshop! Learn how to use a map legend, construct a simple building from Legos, and then “lay down” roadways for special Ozobot robots to drive on.

    Constellation Connection
    Discover the different star types we see in our night sky and how they connect to make notable constellations. In this lab, students will create their own night sky with different stars and constellations.

    Camouflage Creatures
    We’re putting our observation skills to the test in this wild workshop! Students will observe different environments and the specialized creatures that live there. Finally, we’ll use our survival skills to hide camouflaged creatures around the classroom!

    Make Some Noise
    Learn about the science of Sound in this interactive lab. Students will explore the difference between Frequency and Amplitude and design their own musical instruments.

  • Romare Bearden Collage
    Romare Bearden was a multimedia artist working during the Harlem Renaissance. He used collage in innovative ways, paying close attention to the specific placement of figures and objects. In this workshop, students will explore Collage by selecting different representational images, planning compositions on a sheet of paper, and then gluing elements down.

    Colorful Coil Pottery
    Learn how to sculpt a cup using the coil method in this fun hands-on workshop! Mix in primary colors as you build a 3D coil cup to take home.

3rd–5th Grade

  • Rocket Engineering
    In this high-flying lab, students will learn the basics of engineering and rocket science to design and prototype an aircraft that can fly.

    Robot Navigator
    Utilizing a basic VEX IQ Robot, use mathematical concepts to navigate a maze.

    Fossil Exploration
    You’re on an expedition to study and classify real fossils in this adventurous hands-on workshop. What can we learn from environments long ago by studying fossils? You’ll have to join our exploration squad to find out.

    Aerospace Engineering
    We’re coming in for a safe landing in this fun engineering challenge! Can you find a way to slow your craft’s descent and secure the payload as your vehicle lands on the moon’s surface? We will discuss engineering challenges and gravity in this hands-on lab.

    Avian Adaptations
    Imagine a design challenge where you are making your own home. Now picture that challenge—but you can only use your mouth! This is the reality for our feathery friends! In this workshop, you’ll discover the adaptations that birds have evolved to help them survive in their environments.

  • Starry Night Watercolor
    Discover the work of Vincent Van Gogh and create your own starry nightscape. You’ll explore with watercolors and crayon resist to make a one-of-a-kind masterpiece.

    Navajo Pattern Printmaking
    Explore photochemical reactions in this engaging workshop. Students will place different elements onto a sheet of cyanotype paper, expose the sheets to Ultraviolet Light, and then fix their sheets to take home.

Shows and Films

Films

Experience wonder through our large-screen films.

  • Follow Jack and Annie, stars of the Magic Tree House book series, as they meet a helpful astronomer and then travel into outer space, looking for answers to a mysterious riddle!

    Grades: Kindergarten–3rd Grade

    Focus: Learning about astronomy and the job of an astronomer

    Learn More

  • America’s Musical Journey tells the story of the unique cultures that gathered together to innovate and create new forms of thought and music in America. Unique in its narrative power, this film challenges students to see the intersection between art, history, language, and science.

    Grades: 3rd Grade+

    Focus: History of Music in America

    Learn More

Shows

Live shows are led by a Clay Center Educator.

  • Join us for a ride through the Milky Way Galaxy! Your students will become honorary astronauts and decide where we fly as we learn about all the planets in our solar system.

    Grades: 2nd–4th

    Focus: Overview of the planets

  • Come along with us as we journey through the night sky and learn how to find constellations to observe. Follow us as we fly to distant galaxies and relate them to the current astronomy news of today.

    Grades: 5th+

    Focus: Constellations and current events in astronomy

Field Trip Pricing

1 chaperone for every 10 students is required for field trips. Cost for additional adults is shown below.

Museum Admission

Students | $6.50

Chaperones | FREE

Additional Adults | $9.00

Museum Admission with Education Program

Students | $10.00

Chaperones | FREE

Additional Adults | Not permitted in Workshop/Lab due to limited space

Museum Admission with Planetarium Film or Show

Students | $10.50

Chaperones | $3.50

Additional Adults | $12.50

Memberships cannot be used to cover field trip costs.

If you have questions or concerns regarding this, please contact us at 304-561-3570 or note them on the Field Trip Interest Form (click Book Your Field Trip above).