Kids Summer Adventures at Horn Point Lab: July/August 2025
Toadfish Adventures is a co-ed, environmental education, STEM-focused experience with 3 sessions for rising 1st graders through 15 years old. It takes place at UMCES' Horn Point Laboratory in Cambridge, MD. With the backdrop of the Horn Point Laboratory and its 800+ acres on the banks of the Choptank River, Toadfish Adventures engages students’ sense of wonder!
Our hands-on activities encourage young people to be curious and learn about the environment and how they fit into their place on the planet.
Toadfish Adventures potential activities include: Canoeing, fishing/seining, marsh mucking, extreme wading, arts and crafts, oyster hatchery tours, oyster tonging activity, nautical knot tying, scavenger hunt, tie-dying, geocache/map & compass, Native American studies, oyster dissection, hiking and shell bagging/oyster cage building. (Plus, on Wednesday night, participants will enjoy a cookout, campfire and s’mores!)
Toadfish Adventures Extreme (TAX) potential activities include: Off-site adventures to: Blackwater Wildlife Refuge and paddling; working farm with animals; a local oyster farm; a watermen’s soft shell crab shed, skipjack cruise, AND an extreme day of paddling out on the Choptank River! (3 day sessions and 2 overnights!)
Toadfish Adventure sessions run Monday through Friday!
Session 1, July 7 – 11: Rising 1st grader – 9 years old: SORRY NOW FULL
Session 2, July 21 – 25: Students 10 – 12 years old Cancelled due to low enrollment; Space available in Session 4 for ages 10-12.
NEW! Session 2, July 21-25: Rising 1st graders – 9 years old Will only run with 10 or more enrolled.
Session 3, July 28 – Aug 1: Rising 1st grader – 9 years old SORRY NOW FULL
Those currently registered for Session 3 are encouraged to consider switching to Session 2 to balance the group sizes.
*This is only for current registrants. New registrants are not being accepted for Session 2.
Session 4, August 4 – 8: Students 10 – 12 years old SORRY NOW FULL
Session 5 (TAX), August 11 – 13: Students 12 – 15 years old STILL ROOM
Costs: Sessions 1 – 3, $310/per session | Session 4 (TAX), $240 (includes 2 overnights)
Where: Along the banks of the Choptank River.
UMCES Horn Point Laboratory, 2020 Horns Point Road, Cambridge, MD 21613
Toadfish Adventues is led by Bryan Gomes, who has over two decades of environmental education experience and certifications, and has held management positions with two residential camps in the Annapolis area.
To Register: Download/complete the form and send it, along with a check, to Bryan Gomes at the Horn Point Lab. Checks should be made out to “UMCES” with “Toadfish Adventures” on the check’s memo line.
Payment: Due by July 1
Questions? Call 410-991-2770, or send an email to Bryan Gomes at bgomes@umces.edu.
