Field Trip Education Programs

Discover More About the Flint Hills

In addition to exploring our dynamic and interactive exhibits, Flint Hills Discovery Center's Education Programs offer a fun, hands-on experience that excite students' learning. We offer several on-site education programs for all ages. 

  • Choose your topic by grade level below*
  • Each program is 45-60 minutes
  • Maximum 30 students, minimum 12
  • Two week advance notice required to schedule
  • Offered by reservation only
  • Developed according to state standards and core concepts
*All programs for 6th - 8th graders can be adapted for high school age learners.

Reserve Your Program

To book your field trip with an education program, call us at 785-587-2726, email fhdceducation@cityofmhk.com or complete our Group Visits Form. Please be prepared to provide: 

  • Number of youth in your group
  • Grade or age level
  • Date you would like to visit
  • Time preference
  • Education program preference

We will follow up to confirm details and send you a detailed confirmation packet.

  1. PreK - 2nd Grade
  2. 3rd - 5th Grade
  3. 6th - 8th Grade

Hands-On Flint Hills

Choose two of our most popular 30-minute hands-on experiences to make an hour of hands-on history and nature. Perfect way to explore the Flint Hills!

  • Time: 60 minutes
  • Minimum: 12 students | Maximum: 30 per session
  • Education standards vary depending on activities chosen

Choose two of the following:

 Activity Description
Bison Box
See and feel a full-size bison robe and skull and learn how Plains Indians turned the bison into dozens of tools, objects and articles of clothing. 
Cowboy Box
Handle all the tools of the trade from our trail driving ancestors through modern livestock managers. See what went into making a cowboy a cowboy from chaps to ropes to branding irons.
Mammal Box
Explore the fur, teeth and tracks from the eight most prominent mammals of the Flint Hills from the beaver to coyote to wildcat.
Reptile Experience
Come face to face with our reptilian friends. Learn about reptile biology and see one of our ambassador snakes and meet our official state reptile, the ornate box turtle.

Flint Hills Exploration

Choose the areas of the Flint Hills that you want to explore. Combine three hands-on activities below, each one designed for young minds. Students move through the activities, keeping it fresh and fun!

  • Learning Centers
  • Time: 45-60 minutes
  • Minimum: 12 students | Maximum: 30 per session
  • Education standards vary depending on activities chosen

Select three activities below and one alternative:

 ActivityDescription
Painting with Plants Use the different parts of plants to paint to create masterpieces grounded in the Flint Hills to take home.
Furry FriendsWith the help of pelts, and skulls, discover mammals found throughout the Flint Hills and experience them through touch.
Animal TracksLearn what a raccoon, bobcat, and red fox’s footprint looks like and create a rubbing to take home.
The Three Sisters GardenExplore how working together has advantages by examining The Three Sisters: corn, beans and squash.
Pottery SnakePractice a technique used ages ago by Native Americans to create clay jars.
Do Your ChoresWash day is for fetching water, scrubbing clothes on wash boards, hanging them to dry, and ironing with a real iron, the way Ma and Pa used to.
Fields to FoodFind out what happens to wheat and corn between the field and your plate! Grind wheat into flour and churn cream into butter.
Reptile ExperienceGet hands-on with our reptilian neighbors with a visit from a Flint Hills snake and box turtle.


Engineer It! Assembly Line

Learn about assembly lines, participate in a human assembly line model, and redesign an assembly line to improve speed and efficiency.

  • Time: 60 minutes
  • Minimum: 12 students | Maximum: 30 per session
  • Standards: K-2-ETS1-1

Learn More About Kansas State Standards