Homeschool Zoo Crew

Potter Park Zoo is excited to offer a program for Homeschool groups and families!

During our two hour drop-off discovery sessions, students will have an opportunity to learn about exciting topics in animal science through lessons, activities, and zoo exploration. Sessions are organized into 6 week units, but each session will have a unique theme that can act as a standalone lesson on the selected topic. This allows you to register for one session, all six, or somewhere in between, as it fits your schedule. All sessions are designed around/aligned with NGSS standards for the selected age group.

a young girl looking through glass at an otter swimming underwater.

Sessions will alternate each week between two different age groups – ages 5-8 and 9-12. This means each age group will meet once every two weeks. (See Schedule below for dates.)

Times

Morning sessions will run Wednesdays 9:45-11:45 AM. Please note, there is another class in the room until 9:30 so we will not be able to accept students until 9:35. There is also a class in the room starting at 12:00 PM so please be sure to pick up students promptly at 11:45.

Afternoon session will run Wednesdays 2:30-4:30 PM. The content for the afternoon session will be identical to that in the morning session, so please only sign your student up for one session or the other. Drop-off for the afternoon session will start at 2:20.

Price

The cost to register for each session is:

$15/child, member

$20/child, non-member

Scholarships are available, please call (517) 342-2713 for more information.

Class Size

Classes are capped at 16 students. There will be a waitlist available in case seats open up as the session gets closer.

Special Needs/Accommodations

Potter Park Zoo is happy to accommodate your child’s needs within our means. Unfortunately, we are not able to provide extended individual support during the class due to staffing restrictions, but we are happy to work with you to allow a paraprofessional or parent/guardian to assist with children requiring individual support. Please call us at (517) 342-2772 if you would like to discuss your child’s needs or would like to meet with the instructor prior to registering.

Inclement Weather Policy

If the Eaton RESA Career Prep Center or Lansing Public Schools are cancelled due to inclement weather or Potter Park Zoo is closed/Ingham County Operations are suspended, we will not hold Zoo Crew. We will attempt to reschedule any sessions that are missed due to weather. If we are unable to reschedule and/or your child is not able to attend on the new date, registration fees for that week will be refunded.

Schedule

Spring dates and topics will be posted in Mid-December for a late January start.

Ages 5-8

Spring 2026: Creature Powers

 

Jan 28, 2026

Arctic Fox Powers

Brrrrr. This week we’ll be exploring some of the epic creature powers of this arctic resident.

 

Feb 11, 2026

River Otter Powers

The river otter has lots of cool creature powers! Join us this week to learn what they are.

 

Feb 25, 2026

Tiger Powers

This stealthy predator needs lots of unique skills to catch its lunch. Let’s find out what they are!

 

Mar 11, 2026

Eagle Powers

These majestic birds might have some powers that surprise you. Join us to explore eagle creature powers.

 

Mar 25, 2026

Tree Shrew Powers

Zoom, zoom! Our zippy tree shrews are good at more than just hiding. Join us as we explore tree shrew powers.

 

Apr 8, 2026

Spider Monkey Powers

These clever primates have tons of cool creature powers that help them move through the trees and find food. Join us as we explore spider monkey powers.

 

Registration is scheduled to open on Monday December 15, 2025 for Spring 2026.

Registration opens 12/15/2025!

 

Ages 9-12

Spring 2026: Animal Behavior

 

Feb 4, 2026

What is behavior?

This week we will be exploring the whats and whys of animal behavior. What is behavior? Why do animals show different behaviors? Join us as we explore these questions and learn about the basic concepts of animal behavior.

 

Feb 18, 2026

Social Behavior

How do animals interact with each other? How do they communicate? Join us as we investigate these questions and more.

 

Mar 4, 2026

Animal Learning

This week we will be exploring instinct vs learned behaviors, how animals learn, and how we train animals at the zoo.

 

Mar 18, 2026

Behavioral Adaptations

This week we will be exploring how animal behavior has changed across species and over time to help them survive in their habitats.

 

Apr 1, 2026

Ethograms

One of the key tools that ethologists – people who study animal behavior – use is the ethogram. This week we will be exploring, creating, and using ethograms to investigate animal behavior here at the zoo.

 

Apr 15, 2026

Enrichment

One of the ways that we encourage natural behaviors in the animals at the zoo is enrichment. This week we will be learning about how and why we use enrichment to enhance our animals’ wellbeing, then we will be creating enrichment for one of the animals here at the zoo.

 

Registration is scheduled to open on Monday December 15, 2025 for Spring 2026.

Registration opens 12/15/2025!