School Programs

Thank you for your interest in New Pond Farm's field trip program. If you and your students have not had a chance to visit us yet, I think that you will be happily surprised with what we have to offer.

Our Center is located on 102 acres complete with gently rolling pastures, coniferous and deciduous woodlands, a marsh, a pond, and streams. We have such diverse resources as 19th century barns, a maple syruping shed, three telescopes, an astronomy classroom, and an authentically recreated encampment with a barked wigwam and a thatched longhouse. Our pastures and barns are home for a very engaging bevy of beasts--cows, sheep, a flock of chickens, and very proud roosters. Our best resource, however, is our enthusiastic and experienced staff. They pay special attention to details that make our programs unique and very keyed-into children's learning abilities. All of our programs are hands-on and active, keeping students involved from the beginning to the end.

New Pond Farm has been operating for more than twenty years and our programs are thriving. We have the joy of working with more than 8,000 children (ages 4 and up) each year from CT and NY. Please call with any questions.

Fall on the Farm (back to top of page)

Unfortunately, due to major changes in state regulations, our Fall on the Farm program will no longer include Apple Cidering, instead we are delighted to offer an exciting alternative entitled From Fleece to Fiber.
After many wonderful years of including a unit on Apple Cidering during our Fall on the Farm program, the state regulations and concern over consuming un-pasteurized cider have prompted us to develop an alternative hands-on unit entitled From Fleece to Fiber which we hope you and your students will enjoy.
On farms across the land the fall and winter were wonderful times to turn sheep’s fleece into yarn to be used for knitting and weaving. Our flock of Romney sheep will be featured guests in this 45-minute program. Your students will meet our sheep and lambs, feel their insulating fleece, and then take previously shorn fleece through the steps required to make it usable fiber. They will card (comb) the fleece, they will spin a short rollag into yarn with a partner, and then turn their yarn into a bracelet. During this process they will gain an understanding of the qualities of fleece – how it keeps sheep warm in winter, cool in summer. As their hands work with the fleece they will feel the natural water-resistant lanolin and understand how the fleece provides a natural raincoat for the sheep. They will also see how spinning can be done with a drop spindle or on a spinning wheel. We have a floor loom and students will be invited to either watch or participate in weaving. They will learn new vocabulary words like: sheep, ewe, ram, lamb, fleece, lanolin, yarn, sheering, carding, spinning, dyeing, knitting and weaving. It will be an experience that they long remember!

We hope you are equally excited about this new curriculum. We cannot wait to share it with you and your students. Please do not hesitate to call me with any further questions or concerns. If you have not yet booked your Fall on the Farm field trip, please call soon. Classes will begin on Monday, September 25^th.

Spring on the Farm (back to top of page)

One of our most popular offerings is our farm program. In this fast-paced world, it is increasingly important for children to understand the importance of food production and how it is tied to farms. Far too often, when we ask our students where food comes from, they reply, "The grocery store!"

When children arrive, they will become farmers and help to care for the animals. They will brush a cow, look for eggs, meet the sheep, and more. As they make the rounds through the barnyard, they will learn about the fascinating adaptations of each animal and the importance of each animal to farmers.

Our honey bees are a wonderful part of the program. Through photos, props, and an observation hive, the children will learn the vital role these insects play on the farm; pollinating our trees, shrubs, and flowers and of course, making delicious honey. Everyone will make a beeswax candle to bring home.

Eastern Woodland Indians (back to top of page)

This popular program has been designed to provide students with a look into an important Native American culture that inhabited the eastern woodlands for centuries.

Classes will hike to our encampment, comprised of a thatched longhouse, barked wigwam, and activity areas. In this quiet woodland setting, they will learn about the daily activities of the Connecticut Indians including: the important roles the boys, girls, fathers, and mothers played within the family; what plants were used for foods and medicine; the important discoveries they made about gardening, hunting, and the use of ceramics.

Another stop on the trip will be our small Native American "museum" which is brimming with true artifacts and beautifully made reproductions representing a variety of tribes. In our museum, we offer the children as much hands-on experience as possible. We will sit in a circle and carefully pass around artifacts which may include spear points, arrowheads, anchor stones, hammer stones, scrapers, bark containers, and hafted hammers.

We will also share a traditional feast comprised of freshly made corn bread and maple syrup, squash, smoked fish, roasted seeds, and popcorn.

Get rid of those late winter blues by experiencing New Pond Farm's maple syruping program. Students will be a part of the reawakening of the woodlands as the sap begins to rise in the sugar maples.

By participating in the tapping, collecting, and boiling down of the maple sap in our evaporator, students will learn valuable lessons in tree identification, and the life cycles of deciduous trees.

They will also get a taste of history by learning the origins of this solely American Tradition. As we venture further into the woodland, we will come upon a recreated Native American sugar bush. Here your class will learn the importance of maple sugaring to the Eastern Woodland Indians and how they were able to collect and boil down their sap without the benefit of an evaporator or metal tools.

At the end of the program, every participant is given a slice of the farm's freshly-baked corn bread with our maple syrup drizzled on top.

This exciting hands-on program will give students a chance to explore and compare the woodland, the pasture, and the stream habitats.

Young explorers will learn how each habitat functions as a community, and how plants and animals rely on each other for survival. We will learn about food chains and about natural recycling. In the woodlands, we'll turn over rotting logs and discover the community of insects, arachnids, and other arthropods that make their homes there. Perhaps we will find woodpecker holes or signs left behind by resident mammals like flying squirrels, foxes, and chipmunks.

Then we will be off to the stream's edge to discover the range of plants and animals that live in areas that are hidden from the swift currents. With luck, we'll see water pennies, hellgrammites, mayflies, and two-lined salamanders.

In the pasture, we will discover many wonderful plants and then work our way up on the food chain. We will work as a team to lift "bug boards" and catch the insects before they get away. Also, we will discover signs left by small mammals and perhaps even see vultures or hawks flying overhead.

This active program is a hit for children of all ages. New Pond Farm is very fortunate to have a stream, a pond, and a marsh. Each of these freshwater habitats is unique, and is teaming with aquatic plants and animals.

With fine-net strainers, students will catch a variety of life forms, ranging from dragonfly and damselfly nymphs, water boatman, larval salamanders, and tadpoles in the marsh, to crayfish, hellgrammites, water pennies, and minnows in the stream. As our buckets begin to fill with an assortment of creeping, crawling and swimming creatures, your class will learn about the adaptations and survival strategies that enable the plants and animals to live in their respective habitats.

Our explorations may take us through muddy areas, so we suggest the children wear old shoes or rubber boots.

New Pond Farm has a small observatory and classroom in the middle of our pastures. We have three high powered telescopes, one of which is computer controlled and equipped with a CCD camera.

We can focus programs on your areas of interest: a general astronomy program; a program on constellations and the Native American legends that go along with them; a program on planets, star clusters, galaxies...just let us know.

Based on past experience, we can tell you that the children love this program The "Oohs" and "Ahhs" and "Awesomes" are non-stop as they view such things as the craters on the moon, the rings around Saturn or the Orion Nebula. It is an eye opening experience for the children to learn about the Earth's place in the vast universe and we always discuss the importance of caring for our very unique planet. This program is best for small groups. Scheduling depends upon our volunteers' availability.

How to Arrange a Field Trip Program (back to top of page)

To arrange a program for children ages four and up, please call (203) 938-2117.
All programs are 1.5 hours in length.
Fee: $10 per child, $100 minimum, chaperones free.
Once you sign up for a program, we will send you a confirmation with directions.
We do have a picnic grove that you are welcome to use. However, we ask that you schedule your picnic with us at the time you make your reservation.

Our staff enjoys bringing live animals and a wide array of mounted specimens into the schools for hands-on programs.

Life in the Woodlands
Learn about the important roles plants and animals play within this community, and gain an understanding and appreciation for this fascinating habitat. We will bring in live animals such as a snake, owl, frog, or salamander as well as many beautifully mounted specimens of animals like raccoons, squirrels, woodpeckers, and other birds.

Eastern Woodland Indians
Celebrate our local Native American history. Children will discover how the tribes made it through each of the seasons, and the important role that each family member played in their survival. We will bring examples of tools--including primitive artifacts, clothing, pottery, and other hand-made items that were used on a daily basis. If time permits, we can share Native American legends as well.

Animals in Winter
Hibernators, catnappers, and active animals abound in Fairfield County. Live animals and mounted specimens will help the children discover the behaviors and physical adaptations that allow these creatures to make it through this challenging season.

Animal Adaptations
A close up look at claws, talons, beaks, eyes, ears, noses, and more! Live animals and mounted specimens will help children to understand why animals look and behave the way they do.

Reptiles and Amphibians
New Pond Farm has a spectacular collection of gentle snakes, turtles, lizards, frogs, and salamanders. They are all very used to being handled and they help the children to understand such mysteries as: "Why do snakes have clear eyelids?", "Why do some snakes have legs?", "Can turtles crawl out of their shells?", "Why do frogs need slime?", "Do frogs really use their eyeballs to swallow?" With so many wonderful things to learn, this is a memorable program!

How to Arrange an In-school Program (back to top of page)

To arrange a program for children ages four and up, please call (203) 938-2117 or (203) 938-9593.
All programs are 45 minutes to an hour in length, depending on your schedule.
Fee: $125 per program, $475 for four programs on a given day.
Maximum sized audience: two classes at a time.