Engaging Afterschool Programs for Grades K-5

The Sanctuary's weekly afterschool programs provide a way for students to participate in the type of interactive nature-based activities that characterize our summer camp experience. The sustained connections between our educators and the afterschool students are a very strong compliment to our classroom programming and field trips.

Through our themed, age-appropriate programs, we hope to cultivate an interest in the environment and promote a strong knowledge and understanding of Rhode Island’s natural resources.





Program Choices

Animals, Authors, and Art - Each week, students will delve into a storybook, meet a live animal, and complete a take-home craft based on that week's theme. Stories include Stellaluna, Verdi, House for a Hermit Crab, Owl Moon, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Crickwing, and the Salamander Room 

Nature Detectives – Students will become scientific sleuths in this exciting afterschool program, as they work to solve a new “mystery” each week, with clues from the great outdoors! Weekly themes include an introduction to habitats, all about birds, tracks, animal signs, scents, where did all the animals go, insect or not, and animal homes.

Feathered Friends – Meet the Santuary's birds of prey, learn what makes a bird a bird, and study the science of flight, migration, and more! Weekly themes include what is a bird, beaks & feet, eggs, feathers and flight, nests, vultures, and birds of prey.  

The Untouchables – Get to know nature’s slimiest, scaliest, and most misunderstood creatures in this exciting afterschool program. You won't want to miss out on the fun as we meet some of NBS' animal ambassadors. Crafts and games round out each program. Weekly topics include rats, horseshoe crabs, spiders, snakes, bats, jellyfish, sharks and worms.

Native Ways – Join us on a cultural journey back in time as we examine what life was like for the Native Americans that inhabited Aquidneck Island and coastal Rhode Island. Themes for this program include legends and folklore, traditional crafts and games, interactions with wildlife, life through the seasons, the three sisters, plants and their uses, and native homes.

Pollinators - Did you know that we need pollinators to grow most of the food we eat? Or that mammals, birds, and many insects can be pollinators? Discover the wolrd of flowers, pollen, and the animals involved in this natural process. Weekly themes include bees and other insects, mammals, birds, flowers & fruit, colors, pollinator partners, and pollinators & people.

Pricing and Scheduling Options

Afterschools are offered in weekly 1-hour sessions for a fee of $7 per student per week.  Each class session can accommodate six to twelve students in grades K-5.  Program sessions can be offered for three to seven weeks at a time and are available for one grade or two consecutive grade levels (i.e. K-1, 3-4) 

An additional travel fee of $35 will be charged for visits outside of Newport County. In recognition of our participation in the Ocean State Enviromental Education Collaborative (OSEEC), the travel fee will be reduced to $20 for all schools in the following cities: Providence, Central Falls, Pawtucket, Woonsocket, and West Warwick.

Please click here for more information about scheduling an afterschool program with NBS.