Ages: 2 – 7 years old as of August 31, 2025

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, 2025

Prerequisites: Must be fully potty trained and be able to use to restroom & change independently. Life jackets are required by all participants at DBMS, but participants must have a basic swimming foundation and be comfortable in & around the water.

Discover the Wonders of Duxbury Bay!

Ages: 4 – 6 years old as of August 31, 2025

Prerequisites: Must be fully potty trained and be able to use to restroom & change independently. Life jackets are required by all participants at DBMS, but participants must have a basic swimming foundation and be comfortable in & around the water.

Shark Week: Dive into the World of New England’s Most Notorious Visitor!

Ages: 4 – 6 years old as of August 31, 2025

Prerequisites: Must be fully potty trained and be able to use to restroom & change independently. Life jackets are required by all participants at DBMS, but participants must have a basic swimming foundation and be comfortable in & around the water.

Dive into an exciting week of discovery as we explore the six main animal groups, with a special focus on fish! Participants will learn about the differences between bony and cartilaginous fish, uncover fascinating facts about unique species like seahorses, and explore how fish and humans differ. Through hands-on experiments, creative crafts, and educational games, kids will deepen their understanding of the underwater world. To top it all off, they’ll enjoy fishing and swimming adventures that make learning unforgettable. Join us for a week full of fun, exploration, and aquatic excitement!

Ages: 6 – years old as of August 31, 2025

Prerequisites: Competent Swimmer

Looking for a longer day at DBMS? Pair this new program with one of our kayaking, SUP, or one-week sailing classes! Available for ages 6+, it will be offered bi-weekly, and each class will feature a new lesson topic. Each class will start with a lesson, and then we will play a game, do a craft, or do an experiment related to the lesson. Examples of lessons include lobsters, marine mammals, invertebrates, and cartilaginous fish!

Ages: 6 – 9 years old as of August 31, 2025

Prerequisites: Competent Swimmer

Set Sail for a Pirate Adventure Across Duxbury Bay! Dust off your pirate hat and get ready for an unforgettable journey! Our first mates will spend the week diving into the world of navigation, boat building, and map-making while embarking on thrilling treasure hunts. Along the way, we’ll discover what happens to sunken treasures and artifacts as they rest in the marine environment for centuries. The adventure doesn’t stop there—we’ll even attempt to locate a 200-year-old shipwreck in Plymouth Harbor. Join us for a week of discovery, excitement, and high-seas fun that will leave your little pirate eager for more!

Ages: 6 – 9 years old as of August 31, 2025

Prerequisites: Competent Swimmer

Set Sail for a Week of Fishing Fun and Aquaculture Adventures! Join us for an exciting week on the water as we explore the world of lobster fishing, oyster aquaculture, and commercial fishing! Participants will get hands-on experience by learning how to set and bait a lobster trap, visit a working commercial oyster grant, and try their hand at fishing. The fun doesn’t stop there—kids will also compete in a thrilling STEM challenge to design and build the best fishing apparatus. Get ready for a week filled with learning, adventure, and plenty of aquatic excitement!

Ages: 6 – 9 years old as of August 31, 2025

Prerequisites: Competent Swimmer

Shark Week: Dive into the World of New England’s Most Notorious Summer Visitor! 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 thrilling week, participants will embark on a boat ride to Bug Light to spot seals, hunt for shark teeth on Duxbury Beach, and engage in hands-on activities to learn how sharks float, their impressive size, and their extraordinary sense of smell. With crafts, games, and loads of fun, kids will gain a deep understanding of these incredible creatures. By the end of the week, they’ll be certified shark experts!

Ages: 6 – 9 years old as of August 31, 2025

Prerequisites: Competent Swimmer

Engineering Adventures for Kids: A Week of Creativity and Exploration! Get ready for an exciting week of hands-on learning designed for kids ages 6-9! This program blends indoor lessons with outdoor exploration, offering participants the chance to think critically and dive into real-life engineering principles. Through a variety of activities and experiments, children will engage their creativity while discovering how fun learning can be! Each activity will highlight key engineering concepts, encouraging kids to ask important questions and find answers as they explore the world of innovation. Join us for a week full of discovery, creativity, and problem-solving!

Ages: 6 – 9 years old as of August 31, 2025

Prerequisites: Competent Swimmer

Explore the Wonders of Duxbury Bay! Ever wondered who calls Duxbury Bay home? This exciting program invites participants to discover the fascinating marine life that thrives in the bay, including lobsters, horseshoe crabs, oysters, and many more! Each day, kids will learn hands-on skills like setting and baiting a lobster trap, explore the world of local aquaculture, and even embark on a scavenger hunt at Duxbury Beach. With a new adventure every day, this program is sure to spark curiosity and a love for the amazing creatures of the bay!

Ages: 6 – years old as of August 31, 2025

Prerequisites: Competent Swimmer

Looking for a longer day at DBMS? Pair this new program with one of our kayaking, SUP, or one-week sailing classes! Available for ages 6+, it will be offered bi-weekly, and each class will feature a new lesson topic. Each class will start with a lesson, and then we will play a game, do a craft, or do an experiment related to the lesson. Examples of lessons include lobsters, marine mammals, invertebrates, and cartilaginous fish!

Ages: 9 – 15 years old as of August 31, 2025

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 – years old as of August 31, 2025

Prerequisites: Competent Swimmer

Set Sail for a Pirate Adventure Across Duxbury Bay! Dust off your pirate hat and get ready for an exciting adventure on the high seas! This week, our first mates will learn all about navigation, boat building, map making, and of course, treasure hunting! Participants will discover what happens to sunken treasures and artifacts over time, decode pirate symbols and flags, and even attempt to locate a two-hundred-year-old shipwreck in Plymouth Harbor. The adventure continues with a field trip to the Whydah Pirate Museum in West Yarmouth, where kids will step into the world of real pirates. Get ready for a week filled with exploration, mystery, and swashbuckling fun! Please note: Adjustments to the program schedule may be required to accommodate the field trip.

Ages: 9 – years old as of August 31, 2025

Prerequisites: Competent Swimmer

A Week of Water Adventures: Fishing and Aquaculture! Join us for an exciting week on the water to explore lobster fishing, oyster aquaculture, and commercial fishing! Participants will learn how to set and bait a lobster trap, visit a working commercial oyster grant, go fishing, and compete in a STEM challenge to build the best fishing apparatus. The program also includes a field trip to The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center, where kids will experience hands-on learning about safety at sea, including trying on a survival suit and discovering what it truly takes to be a commercial fisherman. Get ready for a week of adventure, learning, and fun on the water! Please note: Adjustments to the program schedule may be required to accommodate the field trip.

Ages: 9 – years old as of August 31, 2025

Prerequisites: Competent Swimmer

Shark Week: Dive into the World of New England’s Most Notorious Visitor! Join us for our favorite week of the summer and discover the truth about New England's most notorious summer guest—sharks! Often misunderstood, sharks are some of the oldest and most fascinating creatures on Earth. Throughout the week, participants will set out on a boat ride to Bug Light to search for seals, hunt for shark teeth on Duxbury Beach, and engage in hands-on activities like learning how sharks float, how big they are, and how powerful their sense of smell is. For those in the 9+ age group, this week also includes an exciting first-hand experience dissecting a dogfish and testing their skills to hook one for themselves. By the end of the week, participants will leave as certified shark experts, ready to share their newfound knowledge and excitement!

Ages: 9 – years old as of August 31, 2025

Prerequisites: Competent Swimmer

Engineering Explorers: A Week of Creativity and Problem-Solving! Get ready to roll up your sleeves and dive into a week of hands-on learning! This program combines indoor lessons with outdoor exploration, offering participants the chance to think critically and apply real-world engineering principles. Throughout the week, children will choose their own questions and engineer creative solutions, working either independently or with a partner under the guidance of our science-based instructors. This program will spark your child's creativity and show them that learning can be fun! At the end of the week, parents and guardians will be invited to campus to see the innovative projects your child has been working on.

Ages: 9 – years old as of August 31, 2025

Prerequisites: Competent Swimmer

Discover the Amazing World of Invertebrates! Invertebrates are the largest and most diverse group of animals in the ocean—and they are the creatures we are most likely to encounter in Duxbury Bay! During this exciting week, participants will get their hands wet as we explore local habitats in search of fascinating animals like sponges, sea squirts, marine worms, crabs, lobsters, jellyfish, and, if we’re lucky, sea stars and sand dollars! To cap off the week, students will journey to the New England Aquarium, where they’ll learn about the unique invertebrates found in the Pacific Northwest, the Amazon Rainforest, and the Indo-Pacific Coral Reef. This program includes a field trip to the New England Aquarium, traveling by the MBTA Hingham Ferry. Please note: Adjustments to the program schedule may be required to accommodate the field trip.

Ages: 6 – years old as of August 31, 2025

Prerequisites: Competent Swimmer

Looking for a longer day at DBMS? Pair this new program with one of our kayaking, SUP, or one-week sailing classes! Available for ages 6+, it will be offered bi-weekly, and each class will feature a new lesson topic. Each class will start with a lesson, and then we will play a game, do a craft, or do an experiment related to the lesson. Examples of lessons include lobsters, marine mammals, invertebrates, and cartilaginous fish!

Ages: 12 – 15 years old as of August 31, 2025

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. For field work, students would 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 long time teacher of middle school science and comes to DBMS with an impressive history of teaching science to middle school and high school students.
 

Ages: 3 – years old as of August 31, 2025

Prerequisites: None

Birthdays are too fun to spend at home! The DBMS marine science team specializes in marine-themed birthday parties for ages 3-10. With touch tanks, games and a craft the kids will be busy having fun and learning. All you have to do is bring the cake – we supply the critters! Birthday parties are 90 minutes long. The first hour includes a lesson on the topic of your choosing followed by a game and craft. Some topics involve meeting live creatures from our touch tank! The last thirty minutes is for you to open presents and have cake (not supplied by DBMS). The cost is $250 for up to 12 participants. Additional participants cost $15 a participant. Dates must be approved by our Marine Science staff and a deposit must be paid before your party date is confirmed. This booking is just a request for the date.