SCHOOL PROGRAMS
Take on our building challenges and learn about water stewardship, explore simple machines, or explore our seasonal exhibition at the unique site of Kingston's first waterworks.
BOOKING AN IN-PERSON PROGRAM
We are now accepting booking requests for programs in February - June 2023 at the museum! Bookings are available on Wednesdays at 10 or 10:30 am.
To make a booking please contact us at pumphouse@cityofkingston.ca. Please submit your program request at least 2 weeks in advance of your requested date.
In-Person Program Fees
| Program | 2022 Fee | Description |
| Children (75-90 minutes) |
$4.67 | A 75-90 minute hands-on program |
| Children (Half Day) |
$7.70 | A 2-hour hands-on program |
| Children (Full Day) |
$15.20 |
Two programs (75-90 minutes each) plus a 1-hour lunch break**. |
| Youth | $6.42* | Program for 13-24 years |
| Adult | $6.42* | Adult education program |
| Senior | $6.42* | Program for 65+ years |
*Prices are subject to HST.
Free admission for chaperones.
**Lunch can take place outdoors in our backyard (weather permitting) with teacher supervision. We also recommend City Park as an alternative option.
VIRTUAL VISIT
Experience the PumpHouse safely from your classroom with a Virtual Visit!
What is a Virtual Visit?
A Virtual Visit is a collaborative learning experience that takes place asynchronously and synchronously. It consists of an introductory video tour, in-class activities, and a follow-up live Question and Answer (Q & A) session with our staff. All learning materials are provided to you, so you do not have to worry about preparation.
To request a Virtual Visit, please email pumphouse@cityofkingston.ca.
A member of our team will email you as soon as possible to complete your booking.
Please submit your program request at least 2 weeks in advance of your requested date. We cannot promise that requests made less than 2 weeks in advance will be able to be accommodated.
Virtual Visit Program Fees
| Program | 2022 Fee | Description |
| 0 - 15 students | $25 | A 60 - 120 minute program. Price is per session. |
| 16 - 30 students | $50 | A 60 - 120 minute program. Price is per session. |
| 30+ students | $75 |
A 60 - 120 minute program. Price is per session. |
*Prices are subject to HST.
The Museum has the following educational programming options available for booking requests Tuesdays through Fridays beginning May 2022. Please contact us at education@cityofkingston.ca if you have questions or are interested in booking.
Program Descriptions
Grades K-3
Kindergarten: 75 minutes; Grade 1: 90 minutes
Travel is an important part of our day-to-day life. Where we go, how we get there, and who we travel with shapes who we are. Together we’ll learn about local trips we take to get around and the adventures along the way. You’ll trace a route you take through the community and create a trip map to show your adventure.
Curriculum Connections
Kindergarten
OE 5.1; 11.4, 11.5, 11.6, 11.7; 22.1; 25.3; 28.1, 28.2, 28.3; 29.3; 30.1
Grade 1
Social Studies
Strand A: Heritage and Identity: Our Changing Roles and Responsibilities
A.1.4; A2.1, A2.3, A2.5; A3.3, A3.4, A3.5
Strand B: People and Environments: The Local Community
B.1.1; B 2.3, B2.6; B3.1, B3.2, B3.3, B3.6
Grade 2
Social Studies
Strand A: Heritage Identity: Changing Family and Community Traditions
A3.1, A3.2
Strand B: People and Environments: Global Communities
B.2.3; B3.6
Grade 3
Social Studies
Strand A: Heritage and Identity: Communities in Canada, 1780-1850
A1.2; A2.5; A3.3
Grades 3 - 6
90 minutes
Energy surrounds us in our day-to-day life: it fuels your body, your car, and even the food you eat! Learn how the use of energy for transportation has changed in the last 400 years with a special tour. After, put your brain to work and design a working vehicle that runs on a fixed energy source.
Curriculum Connections
Grade 3
Science and Technology
Strand A: STEM Skills and Connections
A1.1
Strand C: Matter and Energy: Forces and Motion
C2.1, C2.2, C2.3, C2.4
Social Studies
Strand A: Heritage and Identity: Communities in Canada, 1780-1850
A.1.1, A 1.2; A2.1, A2.4, A2.5; A3.4
Strand B: People and Environments: Living and Working in Ontario
B.1.1, B 1.2; B2.1, B2.4, B2.5
Mathematics
Data Literacy: D1.3
Grade 4
Science and Technology
Strand A: STEM Skills and Connections
A1.2, A1.3, A1.4
Strand D: Structures and Mechanisms: Machines and Their Mechanisms
D1.1, D1.2, D2.1, D2.2, D2.3
Mathematics
Data Literacy: D1.3
Grade 5
Science and Technology
Strand A: STEM Skills and Connections
A1.1, A1.2, A1.3, A1.4
Strand C: Matter and Energy: Forces and Motion
C1.2, C2.2, C2.3, C2.4
Mathematics
Data Literacy: D1.3
Grade 6
Science and Technology
Strand A: STEM Skills and Connections
A1.2, A1.3, A1.4
Strand C: Matter and Energy: Electrical Phenomena, Energy, and Devices
C1.1, C1.2, C2.4, C2.5
Social Studies
Strand A: Heritage and Identity: Communities in Canada, Past and Present
1.1, 1.2; 2.6, 2.7; 3.4, 3.5
Mathematics
Data Literacy: D1.3
Level 1 for Grades JK-3
Kindergarten: 75 minutes; Grade 1-3: 90 minutes
Don’t take water for granted! Learn about the technology that brings clean water into your home and how we can be good stewards of this important resource. Learn about the technology behind the old Kingston waterworks, discuss responsible water use and build a water filter using earth and other common-place materials.
Curriculum Connections
Grade 1
Science & Technology
Strand A: STEM Skills and Connections
A1.2, A1.3, A3.1
Strand B: Life Systems: Needs and Characteristics of Living Things
B1.2, B2.5
Social Studies
People and Environments
The Local Community
B1.1, B1.2, B2.1, B3.1, B3.3, B3.7
Grade 2
Science & Technology
Strand A: STEM Skills and Connections
A1.2, A1.3, A3.1
Strand B: Life Systems: Growth and Changes in Animals
B1.2
Strand C: Matter and Energy: Properties of Liquids and Solids
C1.1
Strand E: Earth and Space Systems: Air and Water in the Environment
E1.1, E1.2, E1.3, E2.2, E2.3, E2.4, E2.5
Social Studies
People and Environments
Global Communities
B1.1, B1.3, B2.1, B3.6
Grade 3
Science and Technology
Strand A: STEM Skills and Connections
A1.2, A1.3, A3.1, A3.2
Strand E: Earth and Space Systems: Soils in the Environment
E1.1, E2.2
Social Studies
Heritage and Identity
Communities in Canada, 1780–1850
A1.2, A2.1, A2.2, A2.5, A3.3, A3.4
Level 2 for Grades 4-6
90 minutes
Don’t take water for granted! Learn about the technology that brings clean water into your home and how we can be good stewards of this important resource. Learn about the technology behind the old Kingston waterworks, discuss responsible water use and build a water filter using earth and other common-place materials.
Curriculum Connections
Grade 4
Social Studies
People and Environments
Political and Physical Regions of Canada
B1.1,B1.3, B2.1, B2.2, B2.6, B3.1, B3.5,
Science & Technology
Strand A: STEM Skills and Connections
A1.2, A1.3, A3.1, A3.2
Strand B: Life Systems: Habitats and Communities
B1.1, B2.1
Grade 5
Social Studies
People and Environments
The Role of Government and Responsible Citizenship
B1.1, B1.2, B2.1, B3.2, B3.6, B3.7
Science and Technology
Strand B: Life Systems: Human Health and Body Systems
B1.1, B2.4
Strand C: Matter and Energy: Properties of and Changes in Matter
C2.3, C2.6, C2.7
Strand E: Earth and Space Systems: Conservation of Energy and Resources
E1.1, E2.2
Grade 6
Science and Technology
Strand A: STEM Skills and Connections
A1.2, A1.3, A3.1, A3.2
Social Studies
Heritage and Identity
Communities in Canada, Past and Present
A1.1, A3.2, A3.7
People and Environments
Canada’s Interactions with the Global Community
B1.1, B1.2, B2.1, B2.2, B2.4, B2.5, B2.6, B3.1, B3.3, B3.5, B3.8, B3.9
Level 1 for Grades K-1
Kindergarten: 75 minutes; Grade 1: 90 minutes
We challenge you! Move a load from point A to point B by constructing and operating your own simple machines. Learn about how simple machines work to make our lives easier, and the many different forms they take through this new interactive museum program.
Curriculum Connections
Grade 1
Science and Technology
Strand A: STEM Skills and Connections
A1.2, A1.3, A3.1
Strand D: Structures and Mechanisms: Everyday Materials, Objects, and Structures
D1.1, D2.2, D2.4, D2.6
Grade 2
Science and Technology
Strand A: STEM Skills and Connections
A1.2, A1.3, A3.1, A3.2
Strand D: Structures and Mechanisms: Simple Machines and Movement
D1.1, D2.1, D2.2, D2.3, D2.4, D2.5
