Ocean Science Adventures on Chincoteague Bay With Your Grandchild

My 8 year old grand daughter and I had so much fun both together and with our peers. We became closer in part becasue I was a co-particiapnt and not just grandma. We both stepped out of our comfort zones - - my grand daughter happily touched sea creatures and I enjoyed army-crawling in a salt pond!

The recent trip to Chincoteague to see the wild ponies, the ocean critters, and learn about dunes was wonderful. The leader, Emily, was outstanding. The food was just right for kids, but Chincoteague is something of a food dessert for adults who wanted to go out to eat. Mike Mike

Overall, this was a wonderful trip. My 8-year-old grandson LOVED it. Wants me to take him on a similar trip another time, but with a shorter car ride :-). I also took my six-year-old. He had a great time, too, but he told me that 5 days were too long to be away from Mommie. They both made lots of friends and really enjoyed playing soccer and gaga ball in front of the aparments where there was a soccer net and balls. The field trips were very engaging: boat ride, marsh dip, cookout on the beach, dune trip with Hurricane Aimee. The talent show was a wonderful experience for all, and the take home photo-craft was great. All the staff members were wonderful and very patient with the kids. The in-class "lectures" were a bit disappointing--material and presentation was geared more for adults. For example, the vocabulary used, words like "inundated." My grandkids were bored during a lot of it, despite being typically very inquisitive. I noticed many of the other kids seemed bored a lot of the time as well. Another grandma, who used to be a first-grade teacher, agreed with me. I suggest the curriculum be rewritten for small children 5 to 8 and be presented in a more kid-friendly way. My other disappointment was the food. There was not a kids menu. The eight year old did okay, but my six-year-old ate nothing but dessert and fruit loops all 5 days, except during the free afternoon when I took them to a restaurant where he had a hamburger. Another grandma told me that her granddaughter had "only cereal, dessert and lemonade" the whole time. I suggest that there be two or three choices at lunch and dinner for the little ones, such as pizza, chicken fingers, mac and cheese, grilled chesse, pasta with tomato sauce or butter, hot dogs, hambergers, and for dessert, apple sauce and fruit cocktail in its own juice, etc. I realize that this facility is a non-profit, but there was A LOT of wasted food. The kids' menu could be limited to children only. 4 stars

Wonderful trip - the staff worked hard for 5 days straight to provide a wonderful experience. We enjoyed all aspects of the trip - from the educational short lectures, to catching fish and examining them, boat trip, marsh exploration, walking the beach, camp fire, pony viewing etc. The accommodations were great and the food better than expected. Highlights: The varied experiences and opportunity to learn The great attitude and expertise of the staff Suggestion: Have some cool water available just in case

What a wonderful experience to share with my grandsons. I know I'll treasure the memories and hope they will as well.

This trip with our 7-year old grandson was a unique, fun and educational experience. Our grandson was actually NOT excited about going on the trip but, after the first day, he surprised us by saying (literally): "I'm sorry I was so negative before about this trip, it is really going to be good!" Some of the experiences were a little out of my comfort zone but found all of the activities to be great and, especially those I considered out of my comfort zone, to be among the highlights. My wife and I and our grandson were all very happy we did this and highly recommend the trip to others! Even the few grandparents who did not physically participate in all of the activities seemed to have a great time.

You've never had real fun till you swam in the mud!!

This program was a great introduction to marine science for the kids and for grandparents as well. We received information about the four different habitats we visited and we were able to apply that learning to our field visits. We had little down time, which was great for avoiding boredom especially for kids who are used to constant stimulation from video screens.

Great blend of classroom and hands-on. It was wonderful to watch the kids bond with each other.

My grandson and I had such a great time. The staff was very accomaqndationg. We also had a chance to meet people from different areas and backgrounds. It was a great experience for both me and my grandson!

Marine science with your grandchild was exciting, fun action packed and filled with trips into-the field. My grandson loved it. We had a great time. We have already signed up for another road scholar program for next summer..

This was an excellent trip. My granddaughter and I had a wonderful time, learned so much and met some great kids and grandparents. Thanks RS

My granddaughter and I had the best time ever on the oceanography adventure at Wallops Island. It was AWSOME!!

Having grown up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin, this opportunity to learn about the coastal ecology, culture and lifestyles was invaluable. Knowing that my granddaughter was having that same experience made it even better.

All the activities for the children were really informative, interesting and fun! We learned a lot about barrier islands, dunes and salt water organisms. The children enjoyed seeing the wild ponies. Just know that this program is kind of like a week-long summer camp. You stay in dormitories and eat all your meals in a cafeteria. So don't enroll in this program if you like being pampered! My grandson loved every minute of it, which is the whole point of a trip like this, so I have no regrets!

Fantastic program! Excellent information, activities and meals. Maybe just one mud walk in the salt marshes. It was difficult for the grandparent to have time to clean up everything and do laundry. Could adults and counselors taken turns watching the kids during the free time? Rooms needed dressers and bathrooms more hooks for clothes and wet stuff. The staff was very helpful and accommodating to special needs. Thanks! I'd definitely recommend!

This is an exciting, action filled program more appropriate for the upper ranges of the age group. Be prepared for high heat, humidity, mud and mosquitoes. But you and your grandchild will learn a lot about marine ecology while having a great time in the outdoors. Excellent leaders keeping everything on track made this a memorable bonding experience.

The staff made this program unforgettable. They were knowledgeable and able to communicate with all ages. They understood the needs and abilities of each camper and made learning fun. Safety came first, but we experienced the outdoors fully.

Be aware that some walking may be through 3 feet of sea water if high tide coincides with the marsh visit.

This program was a wonderful experience, a good mix of adventure and learning. The program is well organized and a great balance of learning in the lab and hands-on experiences; the group leaders were knowledgeable and kept the kids enthusiastically engaged. We were kept busy all day and into the evening. I would highly recommend this trip!

Not only did my 5 year old grandson learn amazing details about marshes, sand dunes, tides . . . (too much to list), so did I. So many great field trips and activities, we came back each day exhausted, but also so excited for the events of the next day. Definitely an experience to remember and cherish.