School-Year Self-Guided Visits

Bring a world of hands-on learning and discovery to your students at The Children's Museum of New Hampshire. A Self-Guided Group Visit is perfect for teachers or organizations looking to explore on their own. Self-Guided Group Visits can be scheduled for groups between 12 (minimum) and 60 (maximum) children and their adult chaperones (chaperones are any adults, whether teachers or parents, accompanying the students on the field trip).

Time: Self-Guided Group Visits last for two hours, 9:30-11:30am and are offered Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, or Fridays. Group visits are not available during February or April NH, MA & ME school vacation weeks.

If you are looking for Summer Self-Guided Group Visits look here >>

Required: Must be scheduled in advance. All groups are required to have one adult chaperone, whether a parent or a teacher, for every five students visiting the museum. Any additional chaperones will need to pay normal museum admission, separate from the group >>

Fees: The fees for a Self-Guided Group Visit are tiered flat rates based on number of participants.

12-20 Students + 4 Adults: $140
21-30 Students + 6 Adults: $210
31-40 Students + 8 Adults: $280
41-50 Students + 10 Adults: $350
51-60 Students + 12 Adults: $420

1-1 Aides are ALWAYS free and do not count towards the total adult chaperones.
Adult chaperones are any adult, whether a parent or a teacher, who will accompany the students during the field trip.

Title 1 NH Schools: FREE
These visits are called "Museum-in-Reach" visits and are always free for NH Title 1 Schools!
Title 1 Schools must schedule their free visits for a date before the end of March 2024.

To Book: A $50 deposit is required to reserve your date. If you are unable to pay online with a credit card, please email leila@childrens-museum.org to reserve with a check through the mail. The balance is due at least two weeks in advance of your scheduled visit. Please call 603-742-2002 x112 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays to reach Leila McRae to pay your balance. If you need an invoice sent to you, we are happy to provide that. Please email Leila McRae at leila@childrens-museum.org as soon as possible if you need an invoice.

Book Online Here >>

Eating Arrangements:

Food and beverages are not permitted within the Children's Museum of New Hampshire at this time. During the warmer weather months, groups are welcome to bring bag lunches to eat at the outdoor picnic tables or amphitheater in Henry Law Park before or after their scheduled time in the museum.

Chaperones:

All groups are required to have one adult chaperone, whether a parent or teacher, for every five students visiting the museum. Any additional chaperones beyond this ratio will be charged regular admission to the museum. (They may use discount programs if applicable but there is not a discount for attending with the group). Please divide up your students into groups before arriving at the museum so each student knows which group they belong to ("Group A, follow Miss McRae. Group B, it's time to line up" etc.) Adults, please instruct your students (and adult chaperones) that they will need to stay with their groups at all times during their visit. Students are not allowed to roam the museum alone during a field trip.

Masks:

The Children's Museum of New Hampshire welcomes mask wearing, but does not require it.

Drop-in Programs:

Due to the discounted rate of group visits, special drop-in activities happening at the Museum that are available for regular visitors, are not available for groups. If you would like a special activity during your visit, consider booking an educator-led STEAM Workshop visit for your group.

Accessibility:

The Children's Museum of New Hampshire is equipped with both an elevator and ramp access between the two floors of exhibits. The Children's Museum of New Hampshire also has accessible bathrooms, parking and a designated drop-off zone for visitors with disabilities. If you have any questions about accessibility, please email xanthi@childrens-museum.org.

Bus Parking:

After you have unloaded your students by parking along Washington Street, buses can park along River Street or in Maglaras Park (down Henry Law Ave on the left). 

Cancellations:

If you need to cancel your Self-Guided Group Visit, please do so at least two weeks in advance. We will make every effort to reschedule Group Visits that are canceled due to poor weather conditions. The Children's Museum of New Hampshire does not provide refunds on the $50 deposit.

Orientation:

Watch this short 3 minute orientation video with your students before visiting, so everyone knows what to expect and what the rules are at the museum.

Title 1 Schools:

If you are from a school-wide Title 1 NH School, then you can schedule a FREE Self-Guided Group Visit with a minimum of 12 students and 4 adult parent or teacher chaperones and a MAXIMUM of 60 students plus up to 12 adult parent or teacher chaperones. We also reimburse 50% of bus costs for these visits, up to a maximum of $200. If this applies to your school, please choose the "MIR Self-Guided Group Visit" price type when booking to reserve a date/time for $0. Once we receive your reservation we will confirm that you are from a Title 1 school. Please note that we will still need you to answer the questions about number of participants, etc. Title 1 Schools must schedule their free visits for a date before the end of March 2024.

What is Play Based Learning?

Play Based Learning is essentially exactly what the name suggests - children learning through play. We know children learn through play, but it can be hard to know which activities will target specific skills or learning. We can help! Check out this collection of Play Based Learning Tips >>