The Virginia Living Museum in Newport News, Virginia will open its classroom doors to homeschoolers, grades Pre-K through 12 for a day of fun and engaging classroom programs that highlight important natural and environmental science concepts.

Homeschool Day offers five natural science programs available for grades K-6, three environmental lab programs for grades 4-12, three planetarium programs for grades K-12 and a newly added space science program for grades 2-3. All programs are curriculum and grade-level targeted and taught by the Museum’s professional educators. All programs include a self-guided visit of Museum exhibits and are offered at a discount to homeschool families.

Watch for Pop-Up Discovery Stations throughout the Museum and get hands-on with activities that include DNA extraction, dissecting an owl pellet, turtle tidbits, and more.

The natural science and planetarium programs are $10.50 member/$12.50 non-member, per child per program. The programs have a 45 minute run time and includes Museum admission. Environmental lab programs are $12.50 member/$14.50 non-member, per child per program. These programs run 1.5 hours and include Museum visit.

Homeshool Day will also offer a behind the scenes tour. This tour is a special opportunity to walk the outdoor trail at the end of the day with our senior animal care staff and learn why and how our animals ended up with a new life at the Virginia Living Museum. Injured, orphaned, born in captivity or rescued as an illegal pet, every animal ambassador has a special story to tell.

The Behind the Scenes Tour is $12 per member and $20 per non-member. The 45 minute tour includes Museum admission. For ages 7 and up.

Join us for our Much Ado about Nothing Homeschool Day on Wednesday, March 25.

Feel the joy of love won and the ache of love lost as this classic comedy makes you laugh, breaks your heart, and then somehow puts it back together again. Then, in our Making the Masquerade workshop, students will follow clues embedded in Shakespeare’s snappy dialogue to stage their own version of the famous masquerade scene in Much Ado.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
10:00 a.m. | Arrival at the Blackfriars Playhouse
10:30 a.m. | Much Ado about Nothing Student Matinee
12:30 p.m. | Actor Talkback
12:45 p.m. | Taco Salad Lunch Buffet
1:30 p.m.   | Making the Masquerade Workshop
3:00 p.m.  | Departure from the Blackfriars Playhouse

Several times each year, we offer exclusively priced student matinee performance dates available to homeschool families and co-ops. This full-day experience at the Blackfriars Playhouse includes a performance and actor talkback, lunch from the Stonewall Jackson Hotel, and a workshop with our award-winning education team.

Join us for our Midsummer Night’s Dream Homeschool Day on Thursday, May 14.

Enter a world of lovers and fairies in our 90-minute adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. With a mischievous Puck and the course of true love running anything but smoothly, this is a hilarious comedy with lots of heart. In our paired 90-minute workshop, join Bottom and the rest of the rude mechanicals in an exploration of the clues in Shakespeare’s text that help an actor bring characters to life! Participants will use these embedded stage directions to help them play multiple characters from Midsummer.
Recommended for ages 7+. No babysitting will be provided.

FULL SCHEDULE
10:00 a.m. | Arrive at the Blackfriars Playhouse
10:30 a.m. | Matinee performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream
12:00 p.m. | Actor talkback
12:15 p.m.  | Boxed Lunches from the Stonewall Jackson Hotel
1:30 p.m.   | Words and Worlds of Midsummer Workshop
3:00 p.m.  | Departure from the Blackfriars Playhouse

Several times each year, we offer exclusively priced student matinee performance dates available to homeschool families and co-ops. This full-day experience at the Blackfriars Playhouse includes a performance and actor talkback, lunch from the Stonewall Jackson Hotel, and a workshop with our award-winning education team.