Electives

Electives are one hour classes for students to explore their interests. These happen from 1:00-2:00 Monday through Thursday and on Fridays from 10:00-1:00. Students do not need to be part of a discovery cove group in order to join an elective.

Pricing:

Each 1-hour elective: $130 per 8-week quarter or $240 per 16-week semester

Students do not need to be enrolled in a Discovery Cove to take an elective

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Elective Descriptions

1:00-2:00

Explorers Through History

Who are the real explorers? Not just those who sailed uncharted waters, but those who ventured into uncharted ideas. This class traces the arc of human exploration across centuries and disciplines: Magellan navigated the globe, Curie pioneered radioactivity and transformed physics, Pasteur revealed the microbial world and revolutionized medicine, and Musk challenges our assumptions about energy and space. By the end, students understand that exploration isn't historical; it's a mindset alive in every field where someone dares to question the status quo.

Let’s Figure It Out

This class turns students into puzzle-makers, storytellers and world-builders. Students learn how to design their own puzzle games by creating clues, crafting codes, building hands-on props and engineering challenges that players must solve. Each session blends creativity with logic as students prototype test and refine their game with a fully playable experience.

Junkyard Jams

This class transforms everyday objects into awesome musical instruments as kids and teens explore rhythm, sound and creativity. Students experiment with recycled materials to build their own percussion pieces, craft unique sound effects and collaborate to create high energy group performances. It’s noisy inventive hands-on fun that proves music can come from anywhere.

Tiny Hands, Big Art

Little artists get their hands dirty every week trying something new. We paint, stamp, collage, and explore different materials together. The goal is fun and experimentation, not a perfect finished product

1:00-2:00

Things That Go Boom!

This is an energetic curiosity driven STEM class where kids explore the science behind explosive reactions, powerful forces and dramatic chain reaction experiments. Students will safely investigate pressure, chemical changes, motion and cause and effect through hands-on builds and controlled “boom-style” demonstrations that make science unforgettable. This is a messy loud and discovery packed class.

Adulting 101

Gives students the real-world skills they actually need but rarely get taught. From managing money and understanding credit to basic home care, communication skills, time management and navigating everyday responsibilities, this class builds confidence and independence through hands-on learning and practical scenarios. Students walk away feeling capable, prepared and ready to take on life with a little more ease.

Growing Minds & Growing Gardens

This class blends nature creativity and hands-on learning as students explore how things grow- both in the garden and within themselves. Students plant, tend and observe their own mini-gardens while also building skills like patience, problem-solving, teamwork and responsibility. Through outdoor exploration, simple science experiments, and reflective activities, learners discover that nurturing plants helps nurture their minds too.

Studio Makers

We work with real materials and real techniques. Wire, mixed media, layering, abstract design. Projects build on each other so kids actually develop skills instead of just making one-off crafts.

1:00-2:00

Messy Art

This is a free spirited, hands-on creative class where kids dive into paint splatters, gooey textures. Bold colors and unconventional tools to make art that’s big, wild, and wonderfully chaotic. Students explore processed based creativity- pouring, smearing, stamping, splashing and experimenting to discover how materials behave and how imagination can be beautifully messy.

The Girlfriend's Club

A fun and supportive elective designed to help girls build confidence, strengthen friendships, and develop important life skills. This elective provides a positive space where girls can connect with peers, celebrate their strengths, learn to navigate challenges, and encourage one another. The girls will learn strategies for self-esteem, emotional wellness, healthy relationships, and personal growth. These skills will be acquired through hands-on activities, discussions, creative projects, and team-building experiences.

Ocean Exploration

This class takes kids and teens on an exciting dive into the mysteries of the deep blue. Students investigate marine habitats, study fascinating sea creatures, experiment with ocean science concepts, and explore how waves, currents and ecosystems work together. Through hands-on activities, creative projects and real-world discovery, students will be ready to protect and appreciate our planet’s waters.

The Art Lab

For students who want to take their art somewhere interesting. We experiment, look at artists who broke the rules, and figure out what your own creative style actually looks like.

1:00-2:00

Let’s Get Sticky

A hands-on sensory rich class where kids dive into the wonderfully messy world of glues, slimes, goos, resins, tape and all things adhesive. Learners experiment with textures , bonding strength and creative construction as they mix, build and test sticky materials. It’s playful, tactile and full of “WHOA” moments.

Content Creation Station

This class invites kids and teens to step into their role of digital creators as they explore video making, podcasting, photography and simple graphic design. Students learn how to plan ideas, capture great footage, and share their work responsibly. Each session blends creativity with tech skills, giving learners the confidence to produce fun polished content that reflects their unique voice.

Build-A-Verse

This class invites kids and teens to become world-builders as they design their own imaginative universes from the ground up. Students create characters, map out storylines, and develop the “rules” that make their worlds unique. Through collaborative brainstorming, creative writing, and hands-on design activities, learners bring their invented realms to life - one idea, creature and plot twist at a time.

Color and Composition

We dig into why some art just works. Color theory, balance, design principles, all learned by actually making things. Projects pull from art traditions around the world and across history.

10:00-11:00

Wow! Holey Physics

A wild, high-energy exploration of the forces, motion and mysteries that make our world tick. Kids investigate gravity, magnetism, energy transfer and surprising physical phenomena through hands-on builds, dramatic demonstrations and “ wait...WHAT just happened?” experiments.

Axolotl Allies

A playful SEL-infused class where kids learn how to support one another just like a friendly team of axolotls in a thriving aquatic world. Through cooperative games, axolotl trivia, problem solving challenges students practice empathy, communication and teamwork. This class will help every child to become a confident caring “ally” who knows how to build positive connections.

11:00-12:00

What the Art

A bold, curiosity driven creativity class where kids explore the strangest, coolest and most unexpected art techniques from around the world. This class dives into the 3D art world, unusual mediums, optical illusions and mind-bending design challenges. Leaving people wondering, “how did you make that”?

Social Superpower Hour

A warm and upbeat class where kids build real-world skills that help them thrive- confidence, communication, emotional awareness, and positive peer interactions. Through games, role play guided discussions and collaborative challenges, students learn how to navigate friendships, manage big feelings, solve problems and show leadership in everyday moments. This hour encourages the student to discover and practice their own Social Superpowers.

Acting Adventures
Jump into the world of theater with silly warm‑ups, creative games, and activities that help kids use their voices, bodies, and imaginations. It’s all about having fun while learning how actors bring characters to life.

12:00-1:00

Wildlife Explorers

Young animal enthusiasts will study amazing creatures from around the world, explore the habitats they live in, and dive into their social interactions. They’ll get plenty of hands-on learning experiences, making it a fun and immersive journey for every explorer!

Spotlight Masters
For kids ready to level up their acting skills with deeper character work, expressive movement, and powerful stage voices. Dive into exciting scenes and discover what makes characters tick—what they want, what’s in their way, and how they make bold choices onstage.