Education Days

Select Dates, March 27 - May 22, 2026 | 10 AM - 2 PM in Thrill Zone

Education at an amusement park? Of course! Everyone knows that Carowinds is the area’s leader in thrills, but did you know we also offer special school field trips dedicated to learning?

Carowinds partners with leaders in interactive education to deliver an impactful, hands-on STEAM learning experience and an action-packed day of fun.

Dates:

• March 27
• April 8, 9, 10, 17, 24
• May 1, 8, 15, 22, 2026

2026 Pricing:

• $39.27

Carowinds’ Education Days align with North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia Standard Courses of Study as well as National Science Standards.

STEAM Stations:

SCIENCE - Bernoulli's Principle states that as air flows around an object, it creates varying pressures on that object. Air that moves faster creates less pressure, while air that moves slower creates more pressure. These concepts are essential for understanding the mechanics of flight.

Activity: Creating a helicopter and putting it through a wind tunnel. Ping Pong Ball Experiment

Rides that use Bernoulli's Principle: Flying Swings, Mountain Gliders

TECHNOLOGY - Magnetic propulsion is a method of accelerating an object by using a magnetic field and an electrical current. It's based on the force that occurs when a vehicle's magnetic field interacts with the Earth's natural magnetic field.

Activity: Magnetic Propulsion Device

Rides that use Magnetic Propulsion: Copperhead Strike, Thunderhead Strike

Sensors used on roller coaster rides prevent two coasters from being on the same block at the same time.

Activity: Ultrasonic Sensing Robots

Rides that use Sensors: Fury 325

ENGINEERING - Imagine electricity like a river flowing through a stream; "current electricity" is when those tiny little water droplets (electrons) are moving through a wire, following a path from one place to another, powering things like your light switch or computer! This path is called a circuit, and when you turn something on, you're basically opening a door for the electricity to flow through! 

Activity: Create your own circuit.

Rides that use Current Electricity: Almost all amusement park rides use current electricity.

ART - Arts education can strengthen the brain's attention system, increase memory and learning, and create new patterns of thinking. Do you think you can balance 12 nails on one standing nail?

Activity: Labyrinth Maze; Nail Balance

Engineers use art to design amusement park rides by combining engineering skills with creativity to create fun and functional rides. They use art to finalize the look of characters and scenes.

MATH - Simple Machines make work easier and are the basic building blocks of all machinery. Simple machines have few or no moving parts and they work by changing the direction of a force or the amount of force needed to do something. 

Activity: Pulley system; Lever

Rides that use Simple Machines: Roller coasters use a pulley system to move the cars up the ramps to help them gain momentum.