Billings Farm & Museum is dedicated to providing a wide range of education programs designed for elementary, middle, and high school students. Our school programs are carefully tailored to meet the expectations of the Common Core State Standards, the Next Generation Science Standards, and the C3 Framework. Through inquiry-based programs and hands-on experiences, students will be able to participate in programming that builds a strong base of cultural and historical knowledge by interacting with our farm animals and discovering information-rich artifacts and exhibits through hands-on activities and problem solving.
We anticipate offering an array of education programs as virtual experiences in the coming school year. Contact us at 802-457-2355 or by submitting this reservation form to receive further information.
Below, you’ll find a list of our regularly offered education programs by season. We anticipate offering an array of these programs as virtual experiences in the coming school year. Contact us at 802-457-2355 to see which programs will be offered.
If you’d like to reserve a school visit to Billings Farm for your students, please take a moment to fill out this brief online form, or contact us by phone at 802-457-2355.
View our school programs:
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Contact us for dates available for these programs
Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Visit Length: Visits are designed for 3 to 4 hours; we can accommodate longer and shorter visits.
Group Size: Groups of any size are welcome! Large groups may be divided for a portion of the visit.
Fee: $5.00 per student. 1 adult free for every 7 students.
Transportation providers free.Register online or call 802-457-2355: weekdays 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
The Mystery Bag
Discover the farm through your sense of sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell.
PRE-SCHOOL–GRADE 1 Using your five senses, your imagination, and a bag of mysteries, learn about the variety of animals on a family farm. Children may share their own knowledge of animals and the importance of livestock for work, food, clothing, and companionship.
Children on Hill Farms
A farm child’s responsibilities.
GRADES K–3 Using sources from the past, explore the role of children as productive members of the 19th century farm family. While learning about their daily lives – including chores, school, and play – today’s children will be encouraged to compare and contrast the present with the past.
Download the program information
Pumpkins: Farming, Feasting, and Fables
Delicious and nutritious food for humans and animals.
GRADES K–6 Every pumpkin is a squash, but not every squash is a pumpkin. Do you know why? Consider the many uses of this popular symbol of autumn and see varieties that come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Each class may select a pumpkin to take back to the classroom.
Download the program information
An Apple a Day
A hands-on exploration of the history and science of this harvested crop.
GRADES K–6 Visit our apple orchard and discover over two dozen historic and modern varieties; look for apple pests and helpers and examine harvesting tools. Press apples into cider and sample the delicious product. Peel apples using an old-style peeler and prepare them for drying. Analyze the life cycle of apples and connect each stage to its appropriate season.
GRADES 4–6 Observe an apple tree graft and investigate the methods and tools for grafting. Can one tree bear more than one variety of apple?
Download the program information
Sheep and Wool
The sheep as a provider of natural fiber and good nutrition.
Meet a Southdown ewe from our flock and work with her wool. Explore the changes in sheep farming and wool working over the years.
GRADES K–3 Feel the thick wool, rich with lanolin. Use carding tools to process the wool into roving. What products are made from wool? Learn when lambs are born, sheep are sheared, and how we care for them.
GRADES 4–6 What role did sheep play in Vermont history and how did they impact the land? Consider the origins, care, and physical characteristics that allow sheep to adapt to their environment and help them to survive. What characteristics of wool make it good to spin? Beneficial to wear? Spin wool into yarn.
Download the program information
Up Close With a Jersey Cow
The cow as mother, milker, and food provider.
Historically, cows were milked by hand; today’s farmers use machines. Observe both methods while learning about our Jersey cows.
GRADES K–6 Learn how we care for our cows, their production of milk, the role of calves on the farm, and the foods that cows consume.
GRADES 4–6 Consider how the dairy cow has been the backbone of Vermont’s economy for over a century and the impact dairying has had on the Vermont countryside. Learn how technological advances have allowed for computerizing production records and feed rations.
Food For Thought
How preservation, transportation, and technology have influenced our diets.
GRADES 1–8 Do you know where your food comes from and how it was prepared? Examine a variety of foods and discuss their seasonal availability, where they are grown, and how they reach distant markets. Discover different methods of preserving foods, and make pasta by hand to understand how technology has impacted the way we eat.
Horses and Oxen
The 19th century tractors.
GRADES K–8 Horses and oxen have a long and important tradition in New England as primary sources of farm power. A century ago, these animals were capable of doing all the necessary work on the Billings Farm. Learn about their care and training and consider that, while both horses and oxen play critical roles in agricultural history, each species has definite advantages over the other.
Made in Vermont
Sustainable living using the natural resources at hand.
GRADES 4–8 Ingenious and thrifty, farm families used natural resources on and near their farms to provide food, clothing, shelter, and entertainment. Examine homemade items (and compare the factory- made equivalent) to understand the traditional skills and concepts of thrift and recycling that enabled these families to survive – and even thrive – in a non-cash economy.
Primary Sources
Using artifacts as primary source texts.
GRADES 4–8 While examining unusual objects to learn more about the past, put your critical thinking skills to use and answer these questions: Who made and used it? What was it used for? When and where was it used? Why do museums collect these possessions from the past and why are they important sources of history?
The Pine and the Maple
A tale of two trees.
GRADES K–3 Why are white pine and maple trees an important part of our history and economy? Discover how the Native Americans used every part of these trees, from pine needles (tea) to maple sap; we will sample both. Learn to classify trees as deciduous and coniferous and discover their unique seed dispersal methods.
Download the program information
Check Out the Chickens
The chicken as a source of egg money, food, and pillows.
GRADES K–6 What do chickens eat? How many eggs will a hen lay? What color are her eggs? Discover why these useful birds are an important part of the farm and a child’s daily life. Feel the softness of their feathers and the warmth they create.
Grades 4-6 Discover how the chicken’s unique anatomy allows her to eat without teeth, produce a colored egg, and use oxygen more efficiently than a human. What can her feathers tell us? Are they soft and smooth or stiff and sharp?
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Contact us for dates available for these programs
Visit Length: Visits are designed for 4 hours. We can accommodate shorter visits.
Group Size: Minimum: 10 students/program; maximum 50.
Fee: $6.00 per student; 1 adult free for every 7 students.
Transportation providers free.Register online or call 802-457-2355: weekdays 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Life on the Farm: Explore the Past and Experience the Present
A hands-on experience that places Vermont dairy farming within the context of agricultural history.
GRADES 3–8 Using the farm’s cows, horses, sheep, oxen, and chickens – plus crops and wood – we will examine the changes in farm markets, process, and product. Students will be introduced to the roles and responsibilities of young people by:
• Studying a cow in the Billings herd
• Churning butter by hand
• Pressing cider
• Carding and spinning wool
• Sawing wood with a cross-cut saw
• Experiencing a horse-drawn wagon ride around the farm
The Family Farm – The Child’s Role
A farm child’s responsibilities.
GRADES K–3 We’ll examine the chores, responsibilities, skills, and leisure activities of children ages five to nine on a Vermont hill farm.
• Observe the cows, horses, sheep, oxen, and chickens in the livestock barns; what work needs to be done?
• Churn butter and taste the results. Is your butter good enough to trade at the general store?
• Explore the tools and possessions that were part of a child’s everyday life on a hill farm and compare and contrast those of today’s children.
• Experience a horse-drawn wagon ride around the farm and play historic games.
Farming and the Industrial Revolution
Continuity and change in farming during the pre- and post-Industrial Revolution.
GRADES 4–8 Farming in New England had been practiced the same way for 200 years – until the Industrial Revolution changed everything. For instance, in 1820 a farmer worked 60 hours to produce one acre of wheat; 70 years later, a farmer worked just nine hours to produce that same acre of wheat. Learn how technology and tools advanced; how land use evolved and changed; and the Revolution’s impact on geography, demographics, and families.
Winter Preparation and Thanksgiving
A bountiful harvest will see us through the winter.
GRADES 1–8 Late autumn is a time of preparation for winter on the farm and in the home. Help with harvest activities and learn about work and animal care on the farm during the winter. Join us in the farmhouse sitting room for sewing and in the kitchen to bake cookies in the wood stove. Discover why Thanksgiving was one of the two most important 19th century holidays (July 4th was the other), and how today’s traditions evolved.
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Contact us for dates available for these programs
Hours: 9:30–1:30 p.m. This 4-hour program includes hands-on activities and take home items.
Group Size: Minimum: 10 students/program; maximum 50.
Fee: $6.00 per student. 1 adult free for every 7 students.
Transportation providers free.Register online or call 802-457-2355: weekdays 8:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.
Historic Celebrations of Christmas and Light
Discover holiday traditions rooted in family and community.
GRADES 1–8 Visit our authentically-decorated 1890 Farm House and discover through primary sources and hands-on activities, how families and communities celebrated. Students will spend time in the livestock barns learning how winter care of animals differs from other times of the year, and that even on holidays, the farm work must be done. Dip a candle to take home and discover its significance as a source of light for the long winter nights and many holiday celebrations, including Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa.
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Contact us for dates available for these programs
Visit Length: Visits are designed for a 4-hour program.
Group Size: Minimum: 10 students/program; maximum: 25.
One chaperone per 6 students.
Fee: $8.00 per student. Teacher and three adults free.Register online or call 802-457-2355: weekdays 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
A Day in 1890: Living History for Young People
An intensive experience of 19th century farm life, centered around home and farm chores of the day.
GRADES 4–12 Experience daily life on an 1890 farm through work and role-playing in the home and livestock barns. In the 1890 Farm House, students will work in the family kitchen, sitting room, laundry, and creamery, while carrying out many of the activities of a typical farm day. This program has been featured in Vermont Life and on Vermont Public Television’s RFD Vermont.
• Barn chores and working with livestock
• Preparing the noon meal
• Churning butter
• Housekeeping and laundry
• Gathering raw materials and goods
• Helping to sew quilt blocks
• Enjoying typical leisure activities
• Eating the noon meal together
• Discussing “current” events and social activities -
Contact us for dates available for these programs
Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Visit Length: Visits are designed for 3 to 4 hours. We can accommodate longer and shorter visits.
Group Size: Groups of any size are welcome! Large groups may be divided for a portion of the visit.
Fee: $5.00 per student. One adult free for every 7 students.
Transportation providers free.Register online or call 802-457-2355: weekdays 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
The Mystery Bag
Discover the farm through your sense of sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell.
PRE-SCHOOL–GRADE 1 Using your five senses, imagination, and a bag of mysteries, learn about the variety of animals on a family farm. Children may share their own knowledge of animals and the importance of livestock for work, food, clothing, and companionship.
Children on Hill Farms
A farm child’s responsibilities.
GRADES K–3 Using sources from the past, explore the role of children as productive members of the 19th century farm family. While learning about their daily lives – including chores, school, and play – today’s children will be encouraged to compare and contrast the present with the past.
Download the program information
Sheep and Wool
The sheep as a provider of natural fiber and good nutrition.
Meet a Southdown ewe from our flock and work with her wool. Explore the changes in sheep farming and wool working over the years.
GRADES K–3 Feel the thick wool, rich with lanolin. Use carding tools to process the wool into roving. What products are made from wool? Learn when lambs are born, sheep are sheared, and how we care for them.
GRADES 4–6 What role did sheep play in Vermont’s history and how did they impact the land? Consider the origins, care, and physical characteristics that allow sheep to adapt to their environment and help them to survive. What characteristics of wool make it good to spin? Beneficial to wear? Spin wool into yarn.
Download the program information
Check Out the Chickens
The chicken as a source of egg money, food, and pillows.
GRADES K–3 What do chickens eat? How many eggs will a hen lay? What color are her eggs? Discover why these useful birds are an important part of the farm and a child’s daily life. Feel the softness of their feathers and the warmth they create.
GRADES 4–6 Discover how the chicken’s unique anatomy allows her to eat without teeth, produce a colored egg, and use oxygen more efficiently than a human. What can her feathers tell us? Are they soft and smooth or stiff and sharp?
Sowing and Hoeing in the Heirloom Garden
Growing your own food.
GRADES 2–8 Following the life cycle of a bean, shell a pod from last year’s harvest. How many beans are in the pod? Take one of those beans home to plant and predict what the yield will be. Learn to use garden tools while planting and weeding in the heirloom garden.
GRADES 4–8 Have vegetables changed over time? Why is it important to preserve old varieties of vegetables in modern times? What do we do about pests in the garden?
Primary Sources
Using artifacts as primary source texts.
GRADES 4–8 While examining unusual objects to learn more about the past, put your critical thinking skills to use and answer these questions: Who made and used it? What was it used for? When and where was it used? Why do museums collect these possessions from the past and why are they important sources of history?
Horses and Oxen
The 19th century tractors.
GRADES K–8 Horses and oxen have a long and important tradition in New England as primary sources of farm power. A century ago, these animals were capable of doing all the necessary work on the Billings Farm. Learn about their care and training and consider that, while both horses and oxen are important in agricultural history, each species has definite advantages over the other.
Made in Vermont
Sustainable living using the natural resources at hand.
GRADES 4–8 Ingenious and thrifty, farm families used natural resources on and near their farms to provide food, clothing, shelter, and entertainment. Examine homemade items (and compare the factory-made equivalent) to understand the traditional skills and concepts of thrift and recycling that enabled these families to survive – and even thrive – in a non-cash economy.
Food For Thought
How preservation, transportation, and technology have influenced our diets.
GRADES 1–8 Do you know where your food comes from and how it was prepared? Examine a variety of foods and discuss their seasonal availability, where they are grown, and how they reach distant markets. Discover different methods of preserving foods and make pasta by hand to understand how technology has impacted the way we eat.
Up Close With a Jersey Cow
The cow as mother, milker, and food provider.
Historically, cows were milked by hand; today’s farmers use machines. Observe both methods while learning about our Jersey cows.
GRADES K–6 Learn how we care for our cows, their production of milk, the role of calves on the farm, and the foods that cows consume.
GRADES 4–6 Consider how the dairy cow has been the backbone of Vermont’s economy for over a century and the impact dairying has had on the Vermont countryside. Learn how technological advances have allowed for computerizing production records and feed rations.
The Pine and the Maple
A tale of two trees.
GRADES K-3 Why are white pine and maple trees an important part of our history and economy? Discover how Native Americans used every part of these trees, from pine needles (tea) to maple sap; we will sample both. Learn to classify trees as deciduous or coniferous and discover their unique seed dispersal methods.