Ages: 2 – 7 years old as of August 31, 2026

Prerequisites: None

Our Big Fish Little Fish program is a fun and engaging guardian/child experience designed for kids ages 2-5. Each class offers a mix of interactive lessons, hands-on learning, outdoor exploration, creative crafts, and engaging stories. This summer, join us for weekly classes held on Tuesdays and Thursdays. You can choose to enroll in all Tuesday and/or all Thursday sessions or simply drop into individual classes that fit your schedule. Please note that some sessions will take place at locations outside of DBMS to add variety and excitement to the program. Dive into summer learning and exploration with us!

Ages: 4 – 6 years old as of August 31, 2026

Prerequisites: Must be fully potty trained and be able to use to restroom & change independently.

Did you know that all of the sea creatures we have in our two 150-gallon tanks come from Duxbury Bay?! If your child loves learning about animals, this is the perfect program for them! In each class, participants will meet a new animal from our saltwater tanks, learn the adaptations that help the animal survive in Duxbury Bay, play games, and create crafts for each of the different animals. During the week, participants will also enjoy a boat ride around Duxbury Bay to try and spot animals we can’t keep in our touch tanks!

Ages: 4 – 6 years old as of August 31, 2026

Prerequisites: Must be fully potty trained and be able to use to restroom & change independently.

What would summer at DBMS be without Shark Week?! Get ready for our favorite week of the summer as we explore the fascinating world of sharks—one of the oldest and most misunderstood creatures on Earth! During this exciting week, participants will participate in a plankton tow out on the boat as they learn about filter-feeding sharks, hunt for shark teeth, and engage in hands-on activities, such as learning how such big creatures stay afloat. With crafts, games, and loads of fun, this week promises an unforgettable adventure. By the end, participants will head home as certified shark experts!

Ages: 4 – 6 years old as of August 31, 2026

Prerequisites: Must be fully potty trained and be able to use to restroom & change independently.

Mini Marine Medics is the perfect program for budding veterinarians and animal lovers! Participants will step into the role of marine animal rescuers as they diagnose and treat a “stranded” sea turtle, help clean animals affected by an oil spill, and learn how real marine medics care for ocean wildlife. Through hands-on activities, kids will discover what it takes to protect and heal animals in our seas.

Ages: 4 – 6 years old as of August 31, 2026

Prerequisites: Must be fully potty trained and be able to use to restroom & change independently.

Dive into the deep as we spend the week learning all about marine mammals! In this four-day program, young ocean explorers will learn how whales, seals & dolphins are different from other sea creatures! Participants will go on a boat ride to hunt for seals and catch plankton, the primary food source for baleen whales! During the week, we will use hands-on experiments to learn how marine mammals survive in cold ocean water & different species' feeding adaptations. A splash-filled week of learning, games, crafts, and fun!!

Ages: 4 – 6 years old as of August 31, 2026

Prerequisites: Must be fully potty trained and be able to use to restroom & change independently.

During this program, participants will learn about the five main marine animal groups and explore how baby sea creatures grow and change. Campers will discover that some animals grow up to look like bigger versions of their baby selves, while others look completely different as they mature. Participants will also observe oyster hatchlings growing in an upweller, giving them a hands-on look at early marine life stages.

Ages: 6 – 10 years old as of August 31, 2026

Prerequisites: Competent Swimmer

If you are looking to extend your kiddos' day at DBMS, this is the perfect program for you! Depending on the week, this program can be combined with our sailing and kayaking programs. Similar to our full-day Maritime Adventures program, participants will cycle through a variety of activities throughout the week, including marine science lessons & activities, sailing on our Marshall 22 catboats, motorboat rides out on the bay, kayaking, and so much more!  Lessons and activities will be centered around the seven ocean literacy principles as we help participants understand the oceans' influence on them and their impact on the ocean! 

Ages: 6 – 10 years old as of August 31, 2026

Prerequisites: Competent Swimmer

Splash into a week of ocean fun! We’ll explore how Earth has one big ocean with lots of different homes for sea animals from steamy hydrothermal vents to chilly polar ice, splashy rocky tidepools, sandy beaches, and squishy mudflats.  Kids will learn cool animal superpowers (like how some creatures glow, cling to rocks, or burrow in sand), play hands-on games, hunt for creatures on field trips, and make a mini “habitat journal” to take home.

Ages: 6 – 10 years old as of August 31, 2026

Prerequisites: Competent Swimmer

Shark Week: Dive into the World of New England’s Most Notorious Summer Visitor! Often misunderstood, these ancient creatures are some of the most remarkable on Earth. During this thrilling week, participants will embark on a boat ride to Bug Light to spot seals, hunt for shark teeth on Duxbury Beach, go fishing for dogfish, and engage in hands-on activities to explore the extraordinary adaptations that make them one of the ocean's top predators. During the week, we will separate fact from fiction as we break down why these incredible creatures are some of the most misunderstood animals on earth! 

Ages: 6 – 10 years old as of August 31, 2026

Prerequisites: Competent Swimmer

Scientists believe that only about 5% of the ocean has been fully explored.  And the little that we do know about it proves that it is one of the trickiest environments on planet Earth for animals to survive! Intertidal creatures face drastic changes in salinity and temperature, deep-sea animals live in cold, dark, high-pressure environments, and pelagic animals clash with humans as they swim hundreds of miles in search of food, crossing shipping lanes and commercial fishing grounds. As a result of these challenging environments, the ocean is home to some of the largest, weirdest, and most unique animals on planet Earth! Our investigations into the depths of the ocean will lead us to focus on some of the ocean's biggest creatures, including the giant squid, great white sharks, and the blue whale. Our investigation will take a leap back in time to the myths and legends that preceded today’s ocean giants! Activities during the week will include a squid dissection, a boat ride to conduct a plankton tow, a demonstration to see if the largest animal on Earth would fit on the DBMS lawn, and a trip to the beach to hunt for shark teeth before crafting a life-sized megalodon tooth.

Ages: 6 – 10 years old as of August 31, 2026

Prerequisites: Competent Swimmer

If your kiddo is fascinated by the animals in Duxbury Bay, this program is for them! Each day will focus on a new animal as we explore the incredible nursery habitat that Duxbury Bay provides. Participants will set and bait a lobster trap, take a hands-on look at local aquaculture, try their hand at casting a fishing rod, and do a scavenger hunt on Duxbury Beach. Boat and beach adventures will be paired with lessons, games and crafts to help students learn more about each creature we find!

Ages: 9 – 16 years old as of August 31, 2026

Prerequisites: Competent Swimmer

Captain Tony is back for another awesome summer on Duxbury Bay! This isn’t classroom stuff, this is hands on meet up and go. Prepare for 3 days of fishing where you will go angling for the blues. If they aren’t keepers, you’ll go trapping for lobsters and digging for quahogs. Learn knot tying, bait and tackle tactics, cleaning and filleting the catch.

Ages: 9 – 13 years old as of August 31, 2026

Prerequisites: Competent Swimmer

Blue whales, the largest animals on Earth, are members of a diverse group of species that rely on the ocean for survival. These organisms are referred to as marine mammals and include animals such as seals, whales, manatees, sea otters, and polar bears. Throughout the week, students will participate in a combination of hands-on activities, games, interactive lessons, and crafts as they learn about feeding adaptations used by different species, why some marine mammals migrate, and how mammals that live in polar habitats survive. We will break up time in the lab with trips to local beaches and boating adventures out on Duxbury Bay! The highlight of the week includes a full-day field trip aboard a whale watch out of Plymouth Harbor! *This program will transport students in a 15-passenger van to local beaches & down to Plymouth for a whale watch.

Ages: 9 – 13 years old as of August 31, 2026

Prerequisites: Competent Swimmer

Do you have an avid scientist who cares about the ocean? Sign them up to spend the week learning about plastic pollution, ocean acidification, ocean conservation, and the health of our local ecosystem! Students will travel to various beaches to conduct water quality testing and learn the factors scientists use to determine a “healthy ocean”. Participants will spend a day at the Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve learning about conservation efforts for Osprey populations through games and an interactive lesson. While we are there, participants will also collect water quality samples to compare with Duxbury Bay. *This program will transport students in a 15-passenger van to local beaches & down to East Falmouth.

Ages: 11 – 15 years old as of August 31, 2026

Prerequisites: None

​​During this one-week course, students will explore topics such as mapping, intertidal zone studies, ocean chemical properties, identification of marine flora & fauna, and invasive species. Students will be transported off-site, where they will use various testing kits, sampling tools, and collection materials to obtain important site data and specimens for investigation and identification back in the classroom. This class is led by a highly experienced science teacher with a love for marine science.  Mr. Boudreau is a recently retired middle school science teacher and comes to DBMS with an impressive history of teaching science to middle school and high school students.