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Field Trips

Book a field trip at blackberry farm.

Blackberry Farm is a living history museum where pioneer life is re-created through educational demonstrations and hands-on fun. Our educational experiences complement classroom curriculum for grades Pre-K and up. Topics and hands-on activities align with Illinois State Standards. Below are the different field trips to review when deciding which field trip would best for your group.

• Self-Guided Field Trips (May - Sept.)
• Guided Field Trips (Sept. - Oct.)
• How to Book Your Field Trip

Self-Guided Field Trips (May – September)

Self-Guided field trips are offered May-September. Self Guided field trips allow students to explore educational exhibits and demonstrations in addition to all of Blackberry Farm’s rides and activities. For more information about Blackberry Farm’s historical sites and attractions please visit our Plan Your Visit page.

May : Monday-Friday, 9:30am-2pm June-August : Monday-Friday, 9:30am-3:30pm September : Friday, 9:30am-3:30pm

Illinois State Standard: 15.C.1a, 15.C.1b, 18.B.1a, 16.A.1c, 16.A.1b, 16.A.2c, 16.B.2d, 16.C.2c, 16.E.2a

Field Trip reservations cannot be scheduled on Free Museum Days (2024 Dates: June 5, 19; July 3, 17, 31, August 14)

Guided Field Trips (September & October)

Guided field trips are offered September & October. Field trips are 2 hours in length and have a minimum of 25 students and a maximum of 100 students. Please Note: Blackberry Farm is closed to the public during guided field trips. Only the sites involved with the field trip will be open during the visit.

September : Monday – Thursday, 9:30 or 10 a.m. October : Monday-Friday, 9:30 or 10 a.m.

Apple Hayride (Pre-K to Grade 2):

Take a tractor-driven hayride to the farm’s own apple orchard, learn about the legend of Johnny Appleseed, see and use an antique apple press and sample some tasty apple treats.

Illinois State Standards: 15.C.1a, 15.C.1b, 18.A.1, 17.C.1a, 17.C.1b, 16.A.1A, 16.A.1b, 16.A.1c, 16.B.1

Pioneer Exploration (Grades 1 to 2):

Step into the life of a child from the 1800s. Students will receive a lesson in our One-room Schoolhouse, try their hand at daily chores at the Pioneer Cabin, visit with the weaver for a hands-on experience working with wool and learn about animals at the Discovery Barn.

Illinois State Standards: 15.C.1a, 15.C.1b, 18.A.1, 18.B.1a,18.C.1, 17.C.1a, 17.C.1b, 17.D.2b, 16A.1a, 16.A.1b, 16.A.1c, 16.B.2d, 16.C.2c, 16.D.2B, 16.E.2a

Destination 1800s (Grades 3 to 5):

Through hands-on and interactive activities, students will step back in time to learn why pioneers chose to move to Illinois and how they survived. Explore the Pioneer Cabin, Blacksmith Shop, Print Shop and Weaver’s Cabin.

Illinois State Standards: 15.C.1a, 15.C.1b, 18.A.2, 18.B.1a, 18.C.1, 18.C.2, 15.C.1a, 17.C.1b, 17.C.2c, 17.D.2b, 16.A.1a, 16.A.1b, 16.A.1c, 16.A.2c, 16.B.2d, 16.C.2c, 16.D.2b, 16.E.2a

One-Room Schoolhouse (Grades 2 to 5):

The One-room Schoolhouse program offers an immersive experience in the life of children of the 1800s. Activities will be led in the most authentic way possible and simulate actual lessons and activities form the days of the One-room Schoolhouse. Maximum number: 30 Students.

Illinois State Standards: 16A.1a, 16.A.1b, 16.A.1c, 16.B.2d

Please follow the link below for the required request form you will need to fill out in order to book your field trip.

Self-Guided Field Trip Form

Guided Field Trip Form

• Download the appropriate form for your field trip type, fill out all fields, and email it to [email protected] .
• A Blackberry Farm staff member will respond to your request within 48 hours. Blackberry Farm takes all inquiries on a first-come, first-served basis, and your submission will be responded to in the order in which it was received.
• Once your field trip has been officially booked a confirmation email will be sent including all of your field trip details.

Still unsure which field trip would best fit your group needs? Have additional questions for our staff? We’re here to help. Fill out the form below and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

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Field Trips

Bring your group out to the farm for a tour and engaging discovery lessons and activities., 2023-24 school year field trips.

Zenger Farm Field Trip Inquiries are currently full for the 2023-24 school year. If you would like to join our field trip waitlist in case of last minute openings, please fill out our Field Trip Interest Form below.

Field trips for the 2024-2025 school year will begin being scheduled in early fall 2024.

Thank you for your interest in visiting Zenger Farm! Zenger Farm field trips are for education-based programs. If you are interested in scheduling a field trip, please fill out the following form.

Field trips are for educational groups. If you are interested in corporate or organizational volunteering, teambuilding, or tours, please visit our volunteer page.

Please expect to schedule your field trip date at least two (2) weeks in advance.

Email [email protected] for more information.

When: Field trips are offered Monday through Thursday, from September- Early June.

Group Size: We can generally accommodate up to 60 participants at a time, depending on the type of field trip you are interested in.  If you are hoping to bring out a larger group, we may be able to schedule multiple trips to accommodate you. Field trips will always be a 12:1 ratio with our farm educators. 

Cost: For   student/child groups we offer a sliding scale payment of $5.00-$15.00 per participant, for a typical Farm Tour Field Trip, which includes a check in, game, a farm tour, stewardship project and a closing. Cooking, Herbalism, Nature Craft, & Native Tree field trips are sliding scale $8.00-$20.00. All work and activities will be accessible for the age group and need s.

* One chaperone for every four students is free of charge. Additional chaperones are asked to pay the participant fee.  Exceptions made for participants that need one-to-one support.

Note:  All field trips can include a stewardship component which gives youth a chance to connect with and give back to the land. For field trips that are 2.5-3 hours in length, we like to include an optional 30 minute lunch. We also welcome mixed groups of multiple grade levels.

Year Round Field Trips

Farm tour field trip (preschool - 1st grade).

Our Pre-K through 1st grade farm field trip begins with a farm tour which focuses on connecting kids to the land and helping them to enjoy all the sensory experiences the farm has to offer. This includes feeding our chickens, digging for worms in our worm bins, watching the birds, smelling the herbs, and tasting what delicious things are growing on the farm. We walk around the urban farm fields, explore the wetland and enjoy the children’s garden. We like to include a short break following the tour for groups who wish to bring a snack and take a break at our picnic tables. For the last portion of the trip we will work on a land stewardship project around the farm.

Our all ages farm field trip includes a farm tour in which we dive a little deeper into the science of the farm. We talk about compost and decomposers while playing with red wiggler worms, introduce plant parts while tasting what's growing on the farm, explore the importance of wetlands while playing with the cattails and learn about plant medicine in our First Foods garden full of native plant species. For upper grade levels we also make sure to discuss our various programs at Zenger and how we can all participate in a healthier food system. We make sure to tailor the information, discussion, and tour to include the information that is most relevant to that group. For the last portion of the trip we focus on a land stewardship project that allows students to build a relationship with the land and become involved in the health of the farm ecosystem.

Cooking Field Trip (All ages)

Cooking is such a valuable and important skill for young people to build! This is a hands-on cooking field trip where groups will rotate between stewardship and cooking projects. Half of the group will begin their day in the kitchen making a recipe together using ingredients harvested from the farm. We aim to incorporate culturally relevant foods into our recipes.This is a hands-on opportunity to learn knife skills, build connection, and share stories from the kitchen. The other half will spend the first hour of the day performing a stewardship project as a way to thank the land for the food it’s providing us to cook with. The groups then switch and the other half cooks while those who cooked during the first half work on a stewardship project. We then all eat together and clean up as a team.

All field trips include a stewardship component which gives youth a chance to connect with and give back to the land. For field trips that are 2 hours in length, the stewardship component is one hour. For three hour long field trips the stewardship project is an hour and a half and includes a 30 minute lunch. We also welcome mixed groups of multiple grade levels.

Herbalism Field Trip

This field trip will offer students an entry point into the magical and healing world of plant medicine and herbalism! Students will start their time on the farm with an herb and plant medicine walk/scavenger hunt. They will later harvest herbs from the farm to prepare an herbal product as a group. Trip organizers can choose which herbal product their students will make- either a salve, herbal syrup, tea blend, candles, burning bundles, or kid-friendly tinctures.

Nature Craft Field Trip

This field trip offers students a chance to get creative and comfortable with nature crafting. Nature crafting is the practice of building relationships with nature through crafting! Students begin their time on the farm with a farm tour and scavenger hunt for fallen and/or bountiful beings on the farm to craft with. The group will later spend time crafting. Crafts can range from basket weaving, printmaking, flower pounding, and so much more. Trip organizers can choose ahead of time which nature craft they would like their students to create.

Macrocatch Investigation Field Trip

This field trip offers students a chance to immerse themselves in the wetland at Zenger Farm, and learn the ins and outs of water health and wetland landscapes. Students will begin their time on the farm taking a farm tour, with a focus on the wetland and their relationship to the farm. Later in their day, students will have the opportunity to practice macrocatch in the wetland. Macrocatch is an investigative activity that introduces students to water and ecosystem health, as well as resource preservation. Students will spend time in the wetland doing a critter catch and recording their observations in order to test a hypothesis about the health of the wetland here at Zenger Farm.

Native Trees Field Trip

Here at the farm we are super lucky to work with land that hosts many native trees! From Firs to Cedars to Maples, the farm is home to plenty of amazing elder trees, who have so much to teach us. This field trip introduces students to plant identification, the role of trees in the natural environment, and the different relationships trees have formed with humans and other plant beings. Students will start their time taking a farm tour, with a focus on native and evergreen trees and their relationship to the farm. Later in the day, students will have the opportunity to create their own nature craft inspired by the tree they took most interest in that day.

Pollinator Field Trip

This field trip offers students a chance to learn about how and why to support pollinators. Students will spend time observing pollinators in our farm fields, including honeybee hives and mason bee homes. Students will start their time on the farm taking a farm tour, with a focus on pollinators and their relationship with the farm. Later in their day, students will have the opportunity to inspect an empty beehive and beekeeping equipment, taste local honey and/or honeycomb, and make seed bombs with pollinator-friendly flowers.

  Hours:  Monday- Saturday 9AM – 9PM    Sunday: 10:30AM – 9PM  

School Field Trips

Fun and learning on the farm!

For over 30 years, thousands of students have been thrilled when their school enriched their educational experience by bringing them to our family farm. As time has marched on, we still welcome the young and the young at heart to come and embrace what it’s like here at Merrymead.

Bring a packed lunch and enjoy the outdoors at our picnic tables!

Please encourage everyone to dress appropriately. Tours are outdoors!

Field Trip times are available on Wednesday, Thursday, or Fridays

The minimum number of children and adults for the Fall Trip is 20 people total

Reservations for the trip must be made in advance ONLINE

Fall School / Daycare Trips

Venture through our 900 ft. cornstalk tunnel and take a scenic hayride around our 100+ acres of cornfields to enjoy the best time of year, fall, cost: $13.00 per student/chaperone (classroom teacher is complimentary).

A Spooky Pumpkin

Each individual person registered in your group will receive a pumpkin bag to pick out their favorite “spooky” pumpkin to take home as a reminder of their class trip to Merrymead!

Fresh Cider Donuts

We also prepare a yummy box of fresh cider donuts for your group (one per person) to be enjoyed here at the picnic tables or back at school.

Learning with Johnny Appleseed

While your here, your class will visit our scarecrow to hear about the legend of Johnny Appleseed and have the opportunity to jump on our pumpkin pillow!

*Please Note :  Field trip reservations are for schools, daycares, or home school co-ops.  If you are a Mom’s group, please come to the farm on your preferred day for general public check-in.

Merrymead Farm

2222 S. Valley Forge Road, Lansdale, PA 19446

610.584.4410

Receive advanced notice of events, promo ticket offerings & food specials!

School Field Trips

Field trip package, as low as $7 per student.

• $10 each 20-25 students
• $9 each 26-50
• $8 each 51-100
• $7 each 101- 300 max
• $10 adults (2 free t eachers w/20 students!)

Must have 20 STUDENTS to book. IF you arrive with fewer than 20 STUDENTS, the student total cost would be $200, plus ALL adult & sibling admissions at $10 each. 

Activities Included

• Petting Zoo
• Scarecrow Building
• Small Animal Display
• Corn field maze (October ONLY)

10:00 am-12:30 pm Tuesday-Friday

Experience a world of adventure not a world away.

At Pettit Creek Farms, our goal is to educate and entertain. We have everything teachers need to have a successful field trip, whether you are looking for a special reward opportunity or a unique learning venue. Here are five reasons why a trip to the Farm is perfect for your class.

Immersive Learning

A day at The Farm is an immersive learning experience that’s fun for both you and your students! Our vast array of unusual and unique exotic and farm animals allow students to have close encounters with animals from around the world. With more than 20 different species from South America to Africa, it’s the perfect setting to provide a hands-on experience to supplement and expand on lessons relating to agriculture, geography, world cultures, natural science, biology, and more!

Flexible Food Options

With all the fun to be had, your students and chaperones are bound to get hungry. Brought a packed lunch? Great. Our picnic area can accommodate groups of 10 to 300 so it’s the perfect venue for both the smallest and largest group outings. Access to our Picnic area is included with your group package.. Feel free to bring whatever you like!

At $10 or under per student, we’ve made this incredible experience affordable for most schools. Plus, one teacher and a para-pro are free per class of 20 students and NO charge for the bus drivers! Parents and siblings are welcome too! Their admission is just $10 each.

It’s Just Plain Fun

Nobody makes learning fun like Pettit Creek Farm. Allow us to host you and your students and we promise a day of learning they will never forget!

Field Trip Planning FAQs

How do i book the field trip.

Call 770-386-8688 or fill out the form above and click “Submit.” Your request will be sent directly to our team of event planning professionals who will contact you as soon as possible to help personally plan and book your trip.

What is the cancelation policy?

You may cancel up to 48 hours before the trip by notifying Pettit Creek Farms.

What if I'm not 100% sure about the number of kids?

We get it: With kids, everything is subject to change. That is OK—just give us your best estimate for now. You can always add or subtract even the day of your trip!

Can I bring food and drinks?

Absolutely! All field trips include access to picnic tables. Paper and plasticware is welcome, but no glass containers, please, for our animals’ sake. Please have all parents bring their own lunch. We do not have food available here.

When do I need to arrive?

You should plan to arrive about 15 minutes early.

Who will be helping us during our visit?

Our event coordinator and other staff will be on hand to respond to any questions or needs you may have during your visit.

What else do I need to know?

Our farm is a working farm, and you will interact with animals. Make sure you and your kids wear appropriate, comfortable clothing and shoes, that they don’t mind getting dirty. If any of your attendees have allergies to certain animals, please let us know.

What if I have questions/changes/concerns?

Simply send us an email at [email protected]  and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. You can also call us at 770-386-8688, between Monday and Friday from 9:00 am-5 pm EST.

We make it super easy for you from start to finish. Our event planner will coordinate with you ahead of time and make sure all details are covered. Then our experienced field hands make sure you have everything you need during your visit and make sure no one gets left behind. That means that you and your children can relax and have more fun and less stress during the big day!

Our field trip packages include more kids, low fees for additional kids, great extras and lots of added value. We make sure the most education is packed into every dime!

Educational

Not only will guest have a uniquely fun experience, they’ll also learn more about the natural world and experience the wonders of nature in a fun and personal way.

Field Trips at Country Roads Family Fun Farm

Downloadable lesson plans and resources for you to use at home or in the classroom!

Education & fun for your students.

Country Roads loves educating children in a fun learning environment! Bring your students to our farm for a day of hands-on learning! We offer a wide variety of inquiry-based learning activities and themes for you to choose from. No matter what age, your class is certain to learn something at Country Roads Family Fun Farm and have loads of fun while they’re at it!

*Note: Field trips are considered Monday – Friday during the hours of 9am – 3pm. We recommend a group size of at least 30 students for field trip slots. Groups booking after 3pm will be offered our Special Event Price ($10) instead of Field Trip pricing ($8). Field Trip pricing will apply to groups/organizations with a tax-exempt status ONLY.

QUICKLINKS: Learning Topics | Rates & Reservations 

Basic Field Trip Package:

• Educational Hayride Tour of the farm. (30 min.)
• 1 hour of FREE PLAY on all indoor and outdoor play areas, including: barrel train, outdoor playground, barnyard maze, 70 ft. slide, petting zoo, hay mountain, slides, barn swings, corn crib, and farm play.
• Lunch/Picnic Time (30 min.)

Price: $5.00 per participant (Minimum $250)

Premium Field Trip Package:

• Educational Hayride Tour of the farm with customizable lesson, followed by hands-on activity/craft. (30 min.)
• One sunflower or pumpkin souvenir for students and siblings. (Subject to seasonal availability.)
• 2 hours of FREE PLAY on all indoor and outdoor play areas, including: barrel train, outdoor playground, barnyard maze, 70 ft. slide, petting zoo, hay mountain, slides, barn swings, corn crib, and farm play.

Price: $8.00 per participant (Minimum $250)

Field Trip Add-Ons:

• Pumpkin = $2/participant (seasonal availability)
• Sunflower = $2/participant (seasonal availability)
• Additional Time = $100/hour

Field Trip Tips & Pointers:

• Please ensure that your group arrives for check in 15 minutes prior to your event start time. Late arrivals will still be held to the designated departure time listed on their event contract. (Example: Arrival time is 9:00am. Group arrives at 9:30am. The group will begin where their itinerary shows them at 9:30am.)
• Please bring the appropriate completed Waiver Form with your group upon arrival. The Waiver Form is attached to the deposit invoice upon booking or emailed to the group organizer. Groups will not be allowed to begin their field trip until this Waiver Form is received.
• Additional family members are welcome to join their student’s learning experience with the permission of the school/organization. Family members must check in separately from their student and pay the same admission as the student + tax, unless the individual also carries a tax exemption. Family members who arrive late MUST check in before entering the farm. Individuals who enter the farm without permission during a field trip will be asked to leave.
• Food & Drink: Groups and participants are more than welcome to bring a picnic lunch to enjoy at any of our many outdoor eating areas. We do not have drinking fountains, but we do have bottled water, soda, and juice for purchase. Please email [email protected] with any group food service questions or needs.

Why are spring field trips so important?

We find more and more schools are taking advantage of the Spring sessions every year here at the farm. Read why Spring field trips are becoming more popular!

More on Customizable Lesson Options:

Our activities cover Missouri state educational standards for Pre-K on up. Plus, with our field trips being completely CUSTOMIZABLE, you can build your experience to fit your students’ learning needs!

Plant Science

• Life Cycle of Plants
• Plant Growth
• Comparing Plants

Animal Science

• Animal Groups
• Animals & Offspring
• Life Cycles
• Mammals/Birds/Reptiles/Insects
• Matching Animals and Offspring
• Comparing Animals
• Life Cycle of a Ladybug
• Life Cycle of a Butterfly
• Life Cycle of an Earthworm

Mathematics

• Weights & Measures
• Counting Spots on a Ladybug
• Counting Pumpkins (Fall Only)
• Comparing Produce by Size and Weight
• Sorting by Color and Characteristics
• Identifying Shapes on the Farm Scavenger Hunt

Physics & Movement

• Simple Machines
• Identifying Machines on the Farm Scavenger Hunt
• Use Simple Machines to Build a Wooden Project

Social Sciences

• Similarities & Differences
• Comparing Flowers
• Comparing Seeds
• Sorting Animals by Characteristics
• Work Together to Accomplish a Task

• How to be Successful in a Job
• Application Etiquette
• Interview Etiquette
• Workplace Expectations
• Customer Interaction
• Payroll, Taxes, Bank Accounts

Agriculture

Themes/lessons:.

• Agritourism
• Animal Care
• Cash Cropping
• FDA/Health Inspection

Virtual Field Trips & Resources

Schoolhouse on the farm.

Check out our new resource for teachers! Get helpful resources for your classroom. We’re working to create videos and other tools like this “Ladybugs on the Farm” and “Harvesting Honey” video. Stay tuned for more details!

Articles for Parents

• How to Make the Most of Family Vacations This Year As the holidays and the new year get closer, many families are already starting to think about what they’ll do next. Will you finally feel comfortable traveling? Or would you feel safer sticking close to home? Whether you’re thinking about visiting family for Christmas or jetting off a sunny vacation during spring break, pandemic planning is a must. Keep your plans flexible, prioritize safety, and look for COVID-friendly activities that will help you and your kids get the most out of your time off! READ MORE
• Education Reimagined: Learning Beyond the Classroom Learning extends beyond the four walls of a classroom, incorporating a plethora of activities and experiences that can profoundly enhance your child’s academic journey. If your child is struggling in a particular subject or wishes to broaden their knowledge spectrum, the outside world provides an unparalleled learning opportunity platform. This article explores engaging, fun-filled educational activities to make learning an enjoyable journey for your child! READ MORE

Check back later for more articles!

Field Trip Pricing & Reservations

Basic Field Trip Option: $5/student, parent, or sibling

Premium Field Trip Option: $8/student, parent, or sibling

Add-Ons: Please let us know ahead of time if you wish to add-on to your field trip package. See details above for options and pricing!

• Teachers/Staff attend FREE per classroom (Limit 2 free staff per classroom.)
• Minimum group size for field trip time slots is 30 participants (not including teachers and staff). If you have less than 30 members and your event total comes to less than the $250 deposit fee, the $250 deposit fee will not be refunded.

Reservation Deposit : In order to reserve your field trip time slot, a deposit of $250 is due within 5 days of your reservation request . The deposit will be applied to the event total. If the event total is less than the $250 deposit, the deposit will not be refunded. If the deposit is not paid within 5 business days, the selected event date will be returned to the public queue. There will be no exceptions to this rule. [Pay Deposit Now]

Inclement Weather Policy: Events may be rescheduled due to weather or other imminent circumstances. If an event cannot be rescheduled, then the deposit will be kept as a cancellation fee. This policy can be appealed to management and waived at the sole discretion of ownership.

Final Payment:  The balance due must be paid in full before the scheduled event activities begin. Any scheduled activities will not be permitted to proceed until the appropriate waiver form has been completed and proof of payment is secured.

Reservations

Please fill out the form below to request a reservation for your next class field trip!

• School/Organization Name *
• Contact Name *
• School Address * Street Address City State ZIP

Requested Date & Time

• Requested Date * MM slash DD slash YYYY NOTE: The date you are requesting is not guaranteed. We will do our best to schedule your tour or event for the date requested or work with you to find a suitable alternative date.
• Alternate Date * MM slash DD slash YYYY
• Requested Arrival Time : Hours Minutes AM PM AM/PM
• Class Grade * Select a Grade PreK 1st Grade 2nd Grade 3rd Grade 4th Grade 5th Grade 6th Grade 7th Grade 8th Grade 9th Grade 10th Grade 11th Grade 12th Grade
• Number of Students/Participants * Please enter a number greater than or equal to 25 .

Field Trip Options

• Basic Field Trip Package ($5/participant)
• Premium Field Trip Package ($8/participant)
• Select a Unit * Select an Option Plant Science Animal Science Mathematics Physics & Movement Social Sciences Business Agriculture
• Select a Plant Science Lesson * Select an Option Planting Seeds Parts of a Plant Comparing Plants
• Select an Animal Science Lesson * Select an Option Mammals/Birds/Reptiles/Insects Matching Animals and Offspring Comparing animals Life Cycle of a Ladybug Life Cycle of a Butterfly Life Cycle of an Earthworm
• Select a Mathematics Lesson * Select an Option Counting Spots on a Ladybug Counting Pumpkins Comparing Produce by Size and Weight Sorting by Color and Characteristics Identifying Shapes on the Farm Scavenger Hunt
• Select a Physics & Movement Lesson * Select an Option Simple Machines Scavenger Hunt Use Simple Machines to Build a Project
• Select a Social Sciences Lesson * Select an Option Comparing Animals Comparing Flowers Comparing Seeds Sorting Animals by Characteristics Work Together to Accomplish a Task
• Select a Business Lesson * Select an Option Application Etiquette Interview Etiquette Workplace Expectations Customer Interaction Payroll, Taxes, Bank Accounts
• Select a Agriculture Lesson * Select an Option Agritourism Animal Care Cash Cropping USDA FDA/Health Inspection

Field Trip Add-Ons

• Pumpkin ($2/participant)
• Sunflower ($2/participant)
• Additional Time: 1 Hour ($50)
• Additional Time: 2 Hours ($100)
• Questions / Comments / Requests Please use the space below to provide additional details, special needs, or questions.

REMINDER: The date you have requested is not guaranteed. We will do our best to schedule your field trip for the date requested or work with you to find a suitable alternative date.

RESERVATION DEPOSIT: In order to reserve your field trip time slot, a deposit of $250 is due within 5 days of your reservation request. The deposit will be applied to the event total. If the event total is less than the $250 deposit, the deposit will not be refunded. If the deposit is not paid within 5 business days, the selected event date will be returned to the public queue. There will be no exceptions to this rule. Once you submit this form you will be directed to a confirmation page with a link to make your deposit.

INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY: Events may be rescheduled due to weather or other imminent circumstances. If an event cannot be rescheduled, then the deposit will be kept as a cancellation fee. This policy can be appealed to management and waived at the sole discretion of ownership.

We look forward to hosting your event!

• Land O’Lakes Birthing Barn
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School Field Trips: What's Included

School field trips home, beginner stem labs, advanced stem labs, tap into every learning style.

A field trip to Farm Wisconsin Discovery Center will engage each and every sense.

Throughout the visit, students will listen to local producers, lift a 40-pound block of cheese, watch how cranberries are harvested, smell what a dairy cow eats, and, if added-on, enjoy a scoop of Wisconsin-made ice cream.

Each section of the field trip is designed to tap into a different learning style, ensuring a positive educational experience for students and teachers alike.

EXPERIENCE: Self-Guided Exhibit Space

Farm Wisconsin features 10,000 square feet of interactive exhibit space designed to bring agriculture to life. Our self-guided experience walks visitors through the following six themes: America’s Dairyland, Diverse Agriculture, Field to Fork, Common Ground, Advances in Agriculture, and Agri-Culture. Throughout these six spaces, students will be able to build a balanced meal with food all grown in our state, learn to drive a combine, and discover a potential career path in agriculture.

CONNECT: Birthing Barn Insight

The Land O’Lakes Birthing Barn offers students a unique opportunity to connect up-close-and-personal with our state’s domesticated animal, the dairy cow. Each cow that visits the birthing barn is an expectant mother, ready to give birth. While the timing of a new calf’s arrival cannot be scheduled, it is our staff’s hope that we are able to showcase a live calf birth on site. After a visit to the birthing barn, students will walk away with knowledge about what a cow eats, what makes her comfortable, and what to expect when labor begins.

DISCOVER: Grotegut Dairy Farm Tour

Follow the start of milk’s journey from cow to milking parlor to milk truck on a tour of the Grotegut Dairy Farm. This third-generation family farm showcases modern facilities with many technological advancements used by today’s farmer. Narrated by a personal tour guide, students will be able to listen and ask questions throughout the journey. No need to worry about getting dirty – visitors remain on the bus for the duration of the tour.

*Please note: School field trips must provide their own bus transportation to and from the Grotegut Dairy Farm (Three miles from Farm Wisconsin)

INVIGORATE: Barnyard Adventure Free Time

Take a breath of fresh air in our adventure barnyard. This farm-inspired playground offers students an opportunity to run around and release energy – providing the perfect mid-field trip stretch break.

Book Your Field Trip at Farm Wisconsin Discovery Center

Come on in to discover Wisconsin Agriculture; where curiosity grows.

Upland Hills Farm

Field Trips

Visit the farm with your School, Daycare, Homeschool Pod or Camp for an educational, hands on farm experience. 

All tours include Tours include a 30 minute hayride, a walk in the woods on our storybook trail, picnic tables inside and outside for lunch, 2 playgrounds, Sheep Barn, Horse Barn, Cow Barn, and Poultry yards, and free parking.

School Tour Date Request

To request a field trip date, please take the time to fill out the information below., may - june  wednesday - friday $10.00 per person.

Includes: 

Hayride 

Walk through the enchanted trail 

Tour around the farm with a farmer (Preschool) 

Farm Show Demonstration (Elementary) 

Access to playground 

Picnic Tables for Lunch 

Concession Stand Open 

Free Parking

Access to all Horse Barn, Cow Barn, Sheep Barn and Poultry Yards. 

Additional Information: 

Minimum of 10 people 

Reservations are Required 

No Deposit Fee to Book

Offered Wednesday - Friday 

12 months and under are free 

Arrival Time: 9:00am - 10:30am 

One Teacher for every 25 people is free

July - August $9.00 per person  

Tour around the farm with a farmer (All Ages) 

Free Parking 

Access to all Horse Barn, Cow Barn, Sheep Barn and Poultry Yards

Minimum of 20 people 

Tour Time: 11:00am - 1:00pm 

October  Wednesday - Friday $11.00 per person

Pie Pumpkin 

Feeding the Ducks 

Wednesday - Friday in October 

Farm Show  

Kindergarten students and older will attend a 45 minute farm show.  Everyone will congregate into the Show Barn and sit on bleachers. Farmers will give a presentation which will include butter making, sheering the sheep, spinning wool, and how the farm animals help us in our daily lives.

Walking Tours​

Preschoolers and special education children will go on a 30 - 40 minute guided tour of the farm lead by a farmer.  Groups of 50 or less.  Larger groups will be split into multiple groups.  Much of the same information in the farm show will be presented by your tour guide, but this tour is designed for a hands-on experience for younger children with shorter attention spans.  It will include milking a cow, and petting the animals, and moving from place to place keeping the children's attention. 

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School field trips.

School Field Trips

August 30 – november 4, 2024, monday – friday from 9 am – 3 pm, $9 per person for children and adults.

Gaver Farm offers educational field trips to accredited public and private schools, preschools, year-round daycares and head start programs.

Field Trips provide an opportunity for children to learn about and experience agriculture on a real working farm and meet our family farm members! Guests learn about the life cycle of a pumpkin, our friend the bee, farm animals and agriculture products!

Field trips include a hayride to the pumpkin patch to pick your own pumpkin, self-guided educational opportunities and Fall Fun Fest Admission. The cost is $9 per person for children and adults and 1 FREE teacher per class (classroom size = 20 students). We do not accept payment vouchers. 

Please bring the 2024 School Field Trip Check-In Form for a quick and easy check-in.

Special Dates:

Apple Orchard Field Trip Day: September 12, 2024. The cost is $15 per person and includes a 1/4 peck PYO Apple Bag, FREE scenic hayride and Fall Fun Fest admission. All guests age 2 and older must have their own Gaver Farm PYO bag to be admitted into the Orchard. No reservations are necessary. Let the cashier know at check-in you are checking in for Orchard Day. Tickets are only available at the farm. No free teachers or parents. Check-in opens at 9:30 am. Hayrides run continuously from 10 am – 12 noon to the Orchard. You must check-in prior to 12:00 noon. The last hayride will depart at 12 noon- don’t miss it! 

Teacher Appreciation Weekend: September 21-22, 2024 . Teachers with a valid ID receive FREE Fall Fun Fest admission and 1 FREE Fall Fun Fest guest admission! Join us to celebrate and thank our wonderful teachers. You must reserve your ticket online in advance.

Homeschool Field Trip Days: September 25 OR 26, 2024. Parents and their home-schooled children may take advantage of the school group rates without meeting minimum requirements AND learn about farming, growing, bees, animals and so much more with self-guided learning opportunities! No reservations are necessary. Let the cashier know at check-in you are checking in for Homeschool Day. Tickets are only available at the farm. No free teachers or parents. Check-in opens at 9:30 am. Hayrides run continuously from 10 am – 12 noon to pick your own pumpkins (under 5 pounds, included). You must check-in prior to 12:00 noon to receive the $9 rate, hayride and pumpkin. The last hayride will depart at 12 noon- don’t miss it! 

Make a reservation by filling out the form below! The following dates are BLACKOUT Dates (no school in Frederick County or a surrounding county) and are not available for a Field Trip Reservation: September 4, 15, 25 and October 9, 20, 27, 2023. 

Ready to make a school tour reservation?

Fall fun fest, pick your own, parties & group events, concessions.

• 5501 Detrick Rd Mt. Airy, MD 21771
• 301-865-3515
• [email protected]

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• Service Animals Welcome

Comfort and emotional support animals, and other non-service animals (pets), are not permitted.

Dates & Hours

• September 1 - October 31, 2023
• 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
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• 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

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Field Trips

Strawberry field trips 2024, experiential learning…and lots of fun, too.

Experiential learning is a process in which children can holistically obtain knowledge through education, then perform what they have learned through real-world application.

Field trips to our farm provide students with impactful and formative experiences. Our objective is to educate students on food sustainability, Georgia agriculture, harvesting, and the role of farmers.

Our strawberry patch provides a fun, hands-on, and scholastic experience where growing minds can learn, watch, process, do, and play!

What's Included

Approximately 2 Hour Run Time

• Strawberry Education
• Strawberry Picking
• Honey Bee Education
• Seed Germination
• Activity Stations
• Strawberry Ice Cream

We provide a pre-field trip guide for all of our teachers which includes:

• Agriculture and farming information for your pre-field trip curriculum
• Check-in/ Arrival/ Bus Parking Information
• Detailed Schedule
• What To Bring
• Top Things to Remember
• Strawberry Facts and U-Pick Etiquette

Education Standards

For your reference, we have included Georgia Performance Standards that we believe are relative to our field trips.

First Grade: S1CS1.a, S1L1, S1L1.a, S1L1.c, SS1E1, SS1E3

Second Grade: S2CS1.a, S2E3.a, S2L1, S2L1.b, S2L1.c, S2P2, SS2E3

Third Grade : S3L1, S3L1.b, SS3E1

Fourth Grade: S4L1, S4L1.a, S4L1.b, SS4E1, SS4E1.b, SS4E1.f, MCC4.MD.1

Fifth Grade: S5Cs4, S5CS6, SS5E1.e, SS5E2.a, SS5E3, SS5E3.a

Students (min. 20): $11.99 + tax per person

Teachers/Chaperones: 2 teachers per 20 students free of charge (if >2, student price applies)

Parents/Siblings: $10 + tax per person (non tax-exempt)

Tax Exempt: Please email a copy of your tax-exempt certificate to [email protected] prior to the day of your field trip.  If we do not have one on file prior to visit, tax will be applied. The exemption will only apply to the student's admission paying through the school.  

Inclement Weather

It is the school’s responsibility to cancel in the event of inclement weather. We recommend waiting until the morning of the field trip to make a decision. Please contact us as soon as possible if you need to cancel, as rescheduling dates and availability are not guaranteed.

Book Your Field Trip Now

Our Strawberry Patch Farm Field Trips are offered Tuesdays – Thursdays at 9:30 AM or 11:30 AM and typically last around 2 hours. Be sure to review all Field Trip details on our website. Please fill out the information below to request your field trip date and we will follow up with you as soon as we can!

 Before your field trip, please complete the Release of Liability Form !

Georgia's Oldest Peach Packinghouse

Dickey Farms has been growing peaches in the heartland of Georgia for over 125 years. Our growers are part of a multi-generational legacy with experience being handed down from one generation to the next.

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Musella, GA 31066

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Home » Education » Field Trips

Enrichment programs: field trips & farm visits.

About WFCF Farm Enrichment Programs  

Field Trips, Farm Visits, and Farm-to-School (classroom) Visits combine farm exploration, interactive discussion, and hands-on agricultural activities to create a unique experience that addresses school curriculum content while making important farm-to-table connections.

Interdisciplinary programs are designed for flexibility to fit with a variety of content, and change with the seasons and daily rhythms of the Farm. 

Field Trips to the Farm & Farm Visits

A Farm Visit to WFCF includes a farm walk & tour, interactive discussion, and hands-on activities designed to create a unique, interdisciplinary experience for learners of all ages. Choose from the themes on the request form, or sign up for a 'custom visit', for a tailor-made experience to best meet your learning goals. Farm visits are priced according to length of program and materials used, ranging from $12.00 to $20.00 per student. Discounts and scholarships available upon request for participants who meet the criteria. 

CLICK HERE to complete a request form and reserve your date for 2023-24 school year. 

Farm-to-School Visits 

WFCF Educators visit classrooms in your school, or meet students in an outdoor setting, like a baseball field or playground area.  Outdoor farm visits can include a visit from composting worms, farm hens, or wool producing angora rabbits, a planting activity, or vegetable sorting - depending on seasonal availability - along with extension activities of your choosing.  Multiple standards can be met through hands-on activities designed to create a unique, interdisciplinary experience for learners of all ages. Choose from the themes on the request form, or sign up for a 'custom visit', for a tailor-made experience to best meet your learning goals.

CLICK HERE to complete a request form.

WFCF YouTube Channel   FREE!

Explore the YouTube Channel and experience the farm in a whole new way!  Read-alouds, virtual tours, recipe tutorials, farm rabbit and chicken videos, and more can be found on the free channel HERE .  Email Director of Education, Jessica S. Herwick to learn more about how to incorporate these virtual learning tools into your classroom and connect with the farm all year.

Please contact WFCF Director of Education and Community Programs, Jessica S. Herwick for more information about all farm based enrichment programs.

In this section.

Contact Info

Waltham Fields Community Farms Inc. 240 Beaver Street Waltham, MA 02452

Tel: 781-899-2403

Quick Links

Want to book your field trip at the farm? Click the link below to fill out and complete the reservation form.

How does this work exactly?

Please reserve a time and schedule your field trip by filling out this form . (*Please note: if you do not make a reservation we will not be able to accommodate your field trip)

Field Trips

Bring your kids to the farm for a fun and educational experience! See why we have schools from Burnet to Houston have their field trips at Sweet Eats Fruit Farm!

Students will learn about many things around the farm including the petting zoo animals! The information will depend on the season and selection available. The educational time (Not Available During June, July, August) will last roughly 15 minuites. The rest of the time you’ll be able to enjoy all the farm has to offer.

We will personally tailor each experience (content and/or length) to meet the needs and the desires of your students.  Ex: If you are studying the life cycle of a plant, we can work that information into our presentation.

Most groups bring a sack lunch and enjoy it at our numerous picnic tables. Then it is FREE TIME.

This is a sample schedule of a field trip:

10:00 – 10:15 am | Arrival

10:15 – 10:35 am | Educational time (Not Available During June, July, August)

10:35 – 10:50 am | Locate tables 

11:00 am | PIG RACE

11:15 – 12:00 pm | Lunch

12:00 – 1:15 pm | Free play for the students

1:15   – 1:30 pm | Departure

*Actual times vary based on each group.

Weather:   All of our field trip activities are outside.  If it is raining we can reschedule your field trip.  Staff will work with the lead teacher during the week if the forecast is calling for rain and come up with the best plan for your group.

Size: We can accommodate small (20) to large groups (250+) for field trips.

Price: We have a pricing matrix depending on the group and the duration of the visit. Generally it ranges from $7 – $10 per child. Adults & Siblings are $11 + Tax. Teachers are free.

• 20-29 students – $11/person
• 30-39 students – $10/person
• 40-49 students – $9/person
• 50+ students – $8/person

*We do have limited Title 1 pricing as a grant. It is available on a first come, first serve basis.

Q: We’re a small group and I don’t see the time I want available, can I request a specific time or date not listed?

A: If you are a small (<40) group and your date/time is unavailable, please contact us and we may able to work you into the schedule. All groups (>40) must use the automated system provided

——————————————————————————

Q: We are a large group (>250) , What do I need to do?

A: Please contact us directly for large group (>250) pricing, scheduling, etc. ( Contact Us )

Q: How do I get the wavier for the parent or gaurdians signatures?

A: We will send an email with a waiver for you to send home with the child once you have completed the online booking process. ALL children attending must have parent or guardian sign the waiver.

Q: What if it rains on the scheduled time I chose and the farm had to close?

A: We recognize that it rains, occasionally, in Texas. Stuff happens. We try to be super flexible with weather. We will be contact with you the week of if weather looks bad to potentially reschedule. 

Q: When is payment collected?

A: Pease pay for your field trip through the Bookeo website after you have completed your booking. If you have a tax exemption please emailed the field trip coordinator ( [email protected] ) your tax exempt form, then you will be able to complete the payment via bookeo. If you have questions or concerns about payment please let us know. Due to weather & sick kids, we typically collect payment the day of through Bookeo. We can invoice you in advance if needed.

Q: What all is included?

A: all of our activities listed excluding Face Painting, Apple Cannons & Pony Rides (due to wait time in line for pony rides & excessive time delay from one face painting to the other)

Q: What food is available?

A: We have a wide assortment of food available. (Pizza, Chips, Drinks, Snow Cones Etc.) We also allow Y’all to bring a sac lunch as we have plenty of picnic areas to choose from.

Home School Days

Homeschool Days at Sweet Eats Adventure Farm are EVERY third Wednesday of each month.

Students will learn about many things around the farm including the petting zoo animals! The information will depend on the season and selection available. The educational time will last roughly 15 minuites. (Educational Time Available During Jan, Feb, June, July, August & October) The rest of the time you’ll be able to enjoy all the farm has to offer.

Topics for the field trips include:

• Learned vs inherited traits
• Life cycle of a plant or animal
• Animal care

• Map Reading
• Geology & Stratification
• Pumpkin patch (seasonal)

• Blooms on the Farm
• Paint Night
• Photographers
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• Food + Drink
• Fall Attractions
• After Dark Fun
• Haunted Forest
• Summer Field Trips

Fall Field Trips

• Company Outings
• Social Gatherings
• Get Directions
• Rules for Fun
• Kitten Adoption
• Lost & Found

Tuesdays – Thursdays, September 19 – October 26 Guided tour arrival times: 8:15-9:30am, 10:45am, 12:30-1:00pm Groups are welcome to bring in a snack to enjoy after the tour, or (if staying for lunch) an additional 30 minutes is recommended.

Preschool Activities

Guided Tour: 60 minutes Minimum 20 children ($160.00) $8.00 per student; $5 per adult; Staff-FREE

Meet Farm Animals — goats, donkeys, llamas and more! Hunt for shapes and colors of real farm products in our historic Round Barn OR walk through the small Corn Maze . Take a Wagon Ride ! Visit the Pumpkin Patch where each student picks a pumpkin of their own. Be sure to add time to your visit to enjoy the Backyard Playground !

K thru Second Grade Activities

Guided Tour: 75-90 minutes Minimum 20 children ($160.00) $8.00 per student; $5.00 per adult; Staff FREE

Meet Farm Animals — goats, donkeys, llamas and more! Engage in hands-on learning about animals, farm products, bees and the foods we eat in the Learning Shed . Take a Wagon Ride . Visit the Pumpkin Patch where each student picks a pumpkin of their own. Solve the small Corn Maze with the help of educational clues. Be sure to add time to your visit to enjoy the Backyard Playground !

A Little More Info

• All of our field trip guides are current or retired professionals from the education field.
• Picnic tables are available indoors and outdoors. Feel free to bring snacks, to enjoy AFTER your tour BYO lunch adds to the fun! Be sure to add 30 minutes to your farm visit.
• Our field trips can run rain or shine. Activities may need to be adjusted due to the weather or safety.
• Guided Field Trips – 20 or more children ($160.00 minimum). Siblings are welcome at the child rate of $8.00 (includes a free pumpkin). Staff are FREE. All other adults are $5/each. Babies (1 and under) are free.
• Staff, adults and babies do not receive a free pumpkin.

Self-Guided Field Trips

Groups of 19 or less $8.00 per person (age 1 & under free)

Small groups are welcome to enjoy the farm during our regular weekday business hours, September 18 through October 30 , see our hour calendar here . (Please note: The farm is closed Tuesdays in Sept. & Oct.  and Wednesdays in Sept. We are open from 1:00 pm-7:00 pm on Wednesdays in October.) When you arrive, please have an adult check in at the bakery to get your field trip wristbands. Farm Animal encounters, small Corn Maze and the Backyard Playground are all included. In October, Wagon Rides are offered at 10:00 am, noon,  2:00 pm and 5:00 pm. These rides will stop in the pumpkin patch with our other farm guests. Your children can pick a small pumpkin (2-4 pounds) from the patch or from the pre-picked $1 or $2 pumpkins at the farm entrance. No reservation needed. Just come when you would like, when we are open.

Virtual Learning on the Farm!

Check out our virtual field trips to bring the farm to your classroom, before or after you visit the farm this year! Includes videos and activities to enhance learning and fun!

Bees – Corn – Animals – Food – Pumpkins

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Farm Field Trips

Farm Field Trips for Traditional Schools Pre-K through 5th Grade

Wednesdays, thursdays, and fridays in september & october.

Call (330) 264-0264 to check availability and schedule your field trip!

With hayrides, pumpkins, farm animals, an educational Ohio corn maze, and tons of fun activities, your students are sure to have a wonderful fall experience at Ramseyer Farms!

Field Trips Include:

• Educational Crop Stop Hayride + pick your own pumpkin
• Educational Ohio corn maze ( Grades 3-5 only ) Learn more …
• 50+ farm activities
• Designated lunch time and space

Pricing: $10 for students and chaperones

General Information

• Field trips are offered for Pre-K through 5th grade.
• A minimum of 20 is required to schedule a field trip. (Groups will be charged for a minimum of 20 admissions.)
• Season passes and general admission tickets are not valid for field trips.
• We do not accept personal checks for field trips.
• Wheelchair accessible hayride wagons are available, just let us know.
• Picnic facilities are available for packed lunches.
• Students may bring money to purchase concessions or items in our Country Store.

Homeschool Days 2024

September 11 & 13, October 24

Make memories with family and friends on a special day for homeschool groups! Enjoy 50+ farm activities, as well as the option to participate in a scheduled Ohio Maze orientation and/or educational Crop Stop Hayride to the pumpkin patch to pick a pumpkin. No registration or minimum group size required for these special days.  Learn more …

Please note: Field trip dates other than these three Homeschool Days are reserved for traditional school groups. Educational activities are only available to Homeschool Groups on 9/11, 9/13, and 10/24.

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Living History Field Trips

Revolutionary war, colonial farm life, old joe homestead tour, revolutionary war overnight, gold rush overnight, day & evening at the revolution.

“Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it!”

A living history adventure tour is much more than a field trip, it’s a chance to experience a first-hand glimpse of America’s past. Riley’s Farm offers a diverse variety of tours ranging from the beginning of America’s revolution to the Gold Rush of 1848! History comes to life, whether you taking up arms to defend the freedom of the American Colonies, debating the the choice of succession on the brink of the Civil War, or prospecting for gold as a 49er, you, your family, students, and friends will be inspired by the sights and sounds of history in the re-making!

Pricing Information

Already have your Tour booked and need to make a Deposit? Here’s your destination !

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Field Trips

Educating people of all ages is central to RTB’s mission. The farm is a living laboratory- where the potential for hands-on learning and experiential discovery is limitless. We provide school field trips with additional on-site workshops.

RTB’s educational programs are aligned to Massachusetts state science standards and support classroom learning. We welcome public, private, vocational and charter schools, as well as homeschooled students. We serve all grades through post secondary. We will work with educators to customize a relevant and engaging experience for youth.

Explore the list of RTB’s educational offerings or work with us to create your own unique field trip!

Field trip structure and price break down:

Field trips are half-day experiences (4 hours) from 10:00am-2:00pm (timeframe is flexible) and include:

• 1.5 hours tour of the farm
• 30 minutes lunch
• Your choice of 2 or 4 of RTB’s educational offerings (each session lasts 30 minutes or an hour, depending on the age of students and desire of depth of content). Note: programs are season dependent and not always available. (click here for offerings)

$15 per student ( sliding scale of $5-$20 per student)

Equitable access to education is important. Our educational programming is based on a sliding scale to ensure that all youth can experience the farm. On average we charge $15 per student- if you need to pay less (or can’t pay at all) that’s fine. Pay what you can and any amount above $15 will be applied to scholarships for other youth! Thanks for your generosity.

A brown bag lunch needs to be provided by the student or school. And don’t forget to bring a reusable water bottle. At RTB, we strive to eliminate waste as much as possible. This means minimizing trash- please take your trash with you when you leave. We can recycle or compost food scraps. In addition, if it is within the budget, and scheduling allows, we could serve a farm-fresh, organic lunch or snacks. Please inquire if interested.

List of things to bring:

Brown bag lunch Reusable water bottle Appropriate footwear and clothing for the season Sunscreen

Contact info: [email protected]

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Round the Bend Farm (RTB), a Center for Restorative Community, located in Dartmouth, Massachusetts is a working farm and educational non-profit. We are a living laboratory that cultivates, educates, and empowers people of all ages. We are devoted to the global paradigm shift toward hope and abundance by valuing diversity, modeling nature, and redefining wealth.

92 Allens Neck Road, South Dartmouth, MA 02748

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Middle East Crisis Biden Declares Israel’s Military Operation in Gaza ‘Is Not Genocide’

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Follow updates on the crisis in the Middle East .

Biden says there is ‘no equivalence between Israel and Hamas.’

Biden says israeli military assault in gaza is ‘not genocide’, at a celebration of jewish heritage month, president biden pledged support to israel and condemned a decision by the prosecutor for the international criminal court to seek arrest warrants for top israeli officials..

We stand with Israel to take out Sinwar and the rest of the butchers of Hamas. We want Hamas defeated. We’ll work with Israel to make that happen. And consistent with Jewish values and compassion, kindness and dignity and human life, my team also is providing critical humanitarian assistance to help innocent Palestinian civilians who are suffering greatly because of the war Hamas, Hamas has unleashed. [clapping] Its heartbreaking. Let me be clear. We reject the I.C.C.’s application for arrest warrants against Israeli leaders. [cheering] Whatever these warrants may imply, there is no equivalence between Israel and Hamas, and it’s clear Israel wants to do all it can to ensure civilian protection. But let me be clear. Contrary to allegations against Israel made by the International Court of Justice, what’s happening is not genocide. We reject that. [cheering]

President Biden said flatly on Monday that Israel’s military assault in Gaza in the wake of the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attacks “is not genocide.” “We reject that,” he said, telling an audience of Jewish leaders and activists that Americans “stand with Israel.”

Speaking at a celebration of Jewish Heritage Month in the Rose Garden at the White House, Mr. Biden condemned a decision by the prosecutor for the International Criminal Court to seek arrest warrants for top Israeli officials for crimes against humanity, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, when he requested warrants for three Hamas leaders on the same accusation on Monday.

“Let me be clear, we reject the I.C.C.’s application for arrest warrants against Israeli leaders,” Mr. Biden said, adding to a series of denunciations of the prosecutor’s actions from U.S. officials throughout the day. “Whatever these warrants may imply, there’s no equivalence between Israel and Hamas.”

American officials have said for months that Mr. Biden’s administration rejects the accusation that members of the Israeli military or the country’s political leaders are conducting a genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

Gazan authorities say at least 35,000 people have been killed during Israel’s bombing campaign and ground offensive in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on Oct. 7. Israeli officials deny their forces have purposely targeted civilians, arguing Hamas purposely hides its forces among noncombatants. They also deny Israel has restricted aid to Gaza with the intent of starving people.

Just hours before Mr. Biden’s comments, John Kirby, a national security spokesman for the White House, rejected the implication from the I.C.C. move.

“I.D.F. soldiers are not waking up in the morning, putting their boots on the ground, with direct orders to go kill innocent civilians in Gaza,” Mr. Kirby said, using the abbreviation for the Israel Defense Forces.

But Mr. Biden has rarely been as blunt as he was on Monday, prompted in part by the I.C.C.’s chief prosecutor’s request that the court approve arrest warrants for Mr. Netanyahu and the Israeli defense minister, Yoav Gallant, as well as for Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’s leader within Gaza; Muhammad Deif, Hamas’s military leader; and Ismail Haniyeh, the movement’s Qatar-based political leader.

The prosecutor, Karim Khan, did not directly raise accusations of genocide in his request for the warrants, but they have been leveled against Israel by aid organizations and activists, including by many college students in the United States during weeks of protests, some of which turned violent, at campuses around the country.

Mr. Biden and his aides have repeatedly said they believe the deaths in Gaza are a tragedy and have said Israeli forces need to be more precise in their conduct of military operations to avoid civilian deaths as they prosecute the war against Hamas.

In his remarks on Monday evening, Mr. Biden said that his administration was “providing critical humanitarian assistance to help innocent Palestinian civilians who are suffering greatly because of the war Hamas — Hamas — has unleashed. It’s heartbreaking.”

Mr. Biden’s comments came as he vowed to do everything in his power to help win the release of the hostages still held in Gaza by Hamas. Rachel Goldberg and Jon Polin, American parents of one of the hostages, Hersh Goldberg, were in the audience.

“I pledge to both of you and I mean it — and I know you know, Mom, I mean it — that I will not rest until we bring your loved one home,” Mr. Biden said. “We got to bring him home.”

— Michael D. Shear reporting from Washington

Netanyahu calls the request to issue a warrant for his arrest ‘a disgrace.’

Netanyahu slams i.c.c. for seeking warrants against israeli leaders, prime minister benjamin netanyahu of israel said the international criminal court prosecutor’s request for warrants against him and israel’s defense minister was an attempt to deny israel its right of self-defense..

The outrageous decision by the I.C.C. prosecutor, Karim Khan, to seek arrest warrants against the democratically elected leaders of Israel is a moral outrage of historic proportions. It will cast an everlasting mark of shame on the International Court. Israel is waging just war against Hamas, a genocidal terrorist organization that perpetrated the worst attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust. The prosecutor’s absurd charges against me and Israel’s defense minister are merely an attempt to deny Israel the basic right of self-defense. And I assure you of one thing: This attempt will utterly fail.

Despite Israel’s sharp internal divides, its leaders largely projected unity on Monday after the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said he would apply for arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, the country’s defense minister, on charges of war crimes.

Mr. Netanyahu labeled the announcement “a disgrace” and “an utter distortion of reality.” He said the potential warrants would not change Israel’s intent to topple Hamas’s rule in Gaza.

“The absurd and false warrant by the Hague prosecutor is not only directed against Israel’s prime minister and its defense minister — it is directed against the entire State of Israel,” Mr. Netanyahu said in a statement.

Mr. Gallant did not immediately comment on the decision. The prosecutor also asked the court’s judges for arrest warrants for top Hamas leaders including Yahya Sinwar, who he said had likely committed “war crimes and crimes against humanity” as well.

Benny Gantz, a leader of Israel’s war cabinet who recently criticized Mr. Netanyahu for mismanaging the war effort, called the decision “moral blindness” and asserted that Israel was fighting “in the most moral way in history, while adhering to international law.”

“If the prosecutor’s position is accepted — that would be an ineffaceable, historic crime,” Mr. Gantz said in a statement.

Israel is not a member of the court and does not recognize its jurisdiction in Israel or Gaza, making the announcement a largely symbolic gesture. But those named in warrants could be arrested if they travel to one of the court’s 124 member nations , which include most European countries but not the United States.

Karim Khan, the chief prosecutor, said he had reasonable grounds to believe Mr. Netanyahu and Mr. Gallant had committed war crimes, including starving civilians as a weapon of war.

In a news conference, the leader of Israel’s parliamentary opposition, Yair Lapid, also criticized Mr. Khan’s decision to request warrants as a “moral and diplomatic disaster.” But minutes later, Mr. Lapid denounced Mr. Netanyahu’s leadership and said the idea that his government would stay in power was a “chilling thought.”

Like many Israeli officials, Mr. Lapid assailed Mr. Khan for issuing arrest warrants for both Israeli and Hamas leaders, seeming to equate the two sides.

“No such comparison can be made — it is unacceptable and unforgivable,” Mr. Lapid said. “We have been conducting a just war. Let us be clear: We will not stay silent.”

Israel Katz, the Israeli foreign minister, said he had ordered the immediate establishment of a “special command center” aimed at fighting the court’s decision. He said the pursuit of arrest warrants against Israeli leaders was meant to “shackle Israel’s hands and prevent it from exercising its right to self-defense.”

“I intend to speak with foreign ministers of leading countries around the world to urge them to oppose the Prosecutor’s decision and declare that even if warrants are issued, they do not intend to enforce them against Israeli leaders,” Mr. Katz said in a statement.

Mr. Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners were quick to dismiss Mr. Khan’s announcement, calling on Israel to press onward in its campaign in Gaza.

Itamar Ben-Gvir, the hard-line national security minister, called on both Mr. Netanyahu and Mr. Gallant to “ignore the antisemitic prosecutor of the antisemitic court and order the escalation of the attack on Hamas until it is totally defeated.”

Johnatan Reiss contributed reporting from Tel Aviv.

— Aaron Boxerman reporting from Jerusalem

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One of the first aid shipments to arrive at a U.S.-built pier was looted.

One of the first aid shipments to arrive in the Gaza Strip through a U.S.-built pier was looted, officials said on Monday, highlighting the ongoing challenge of securely delivering humanitarian assistance in a territory with serious food shortages and other needs.

The failed delivery on Saturday came two days after the floating pier, constructed by the U.S. military at an estimated cost of more than $300 million, was connected to the Mediterranean shore in central Gaza. The U.S. State Department did not respond to requests for comment.

Crowds of Palestinians intercepted a convoy of trucks that had loaded goods from the pier, hastily grabbing and running off with its contents, according to Abeer Etefa, a World Food Program spokeswoman. Two senior Western officials and Majdi Fathi, a Gazan photo journalist, confirmed Ms. Etefa’s account. The officials requested anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

Aid groups and the United Nations blame the hunger crisis in Gaza on Israel’s restrictions on aid entering the enclave and also on black marketers who have seized supplies to sell at inflated prices. Israeli officials have insisted that enough supplies have been entering the territory and have accused Hamas of stealing and hoarding aid.

For months, as famine has threatened Gaza, Palestinians have forcibly taken aid off trucks. U.N. officials say the looting reflects the desperation of ordinary people trying feed themselves and their families, and they say it has decreased when large amounts of aid consistently enter the enclave.

On Saturday, 11 of 16 trucks that left the pier with aid were looted as they were on their way to a World Food Program warehouse, Ms. Etefa said, adding that the food aid agency had suspended deliveries from the pier on Sunday and Monday.

Footage taken by Mr. Fathi showed dozens of men chaotically grabbing and hurling boxes of supplies from the bed of a truck near Gaza’s coast. In an interview, Mr. Fathi, 43, a freelance photographer, said throngs of people had gathered on the coastal north-south road after hearing that a group of trucks had passed through the area the previous day.

“They completely emptied them,” he said.

In recent days, the aid has been driven from the pier to an Israeli-controlled section of Gaza. There, it has been offloaded from one set of trucks and put on another set of trucks before being transferred to population centers. It is unclear what arrangements have been made to guard the trucks after they leave the Israeli-controlled area

On Friday, 10 trucks carrying aid from the pier, including high-energy biscuits, had arrived at the W.F.P. warehouse without incident, Ms. Etefa said.

She said that incidents like the one on Saturday would recur as long as insufficient food assistance was reaching the people in Gaza, and that more Israeli-approved routes for delivering aid were needed to avoid crowds.

Aid delivery through the two main border crossings in southern Gaza increased sharply in April and early May, though it remained below the level that aid groups said was needed.

But since Israel invaded the eastern section of the southern city of Rafah on May 7 and closed the border crossing there, aid shipments through the southern routes has come to a near-halt , according to the primary U.N. agency for Palestinian aid. The agency, known as UNRWA, said that in a 15-day period through Monday, just 69 aid trucks entered through the two crossings — the lowest rate since the first weeks of the war.

In April, U.S. officials briefed reporters that they hoped the pier operation would initially bring in enough aid for around 90 trucks per day, before scaling up to 150 per day.

The war-torn territory of about 2.2 million civilians is more reliant than ever on humanitarian aid. The devastation after seven months of war and strict Israeli inspections and restrictions on crossing points has limited what can enter Gaza.

Eric Schmitt contributed reporting to this article.

— Adam Rasgon and Patrick Kingsley Reporting from Jerusalem

Former Trump officials meet in Israel with Netanyahu.

One of former President Donald J. Trump’s closest foreign policy advisers, Robert O’Brien, met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel on Monday as part of a delegation of former Trump officials that visited a number of Israeli leaders.

Mr. O’Brien, who served as national security adviser to Mr. Trump and is expected to play a significant role in any second Trump administration, was joined in the meetings by two other former Trump officials — the former ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, John Rakolta, and the former ambassador to Switzerland, Ed McMullen. The members of the delegation were described by Marshall Wittmann, a spokesman for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the pro-Israel lobbying group whose affiliate, the American Israel Education Foundation, funded and organized the trip.

In a brief phone interview, Mr. O’Brien said he had wanted to visit Israel ever since the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7 to express his “solidarity for Israel and the Jewish people.”

Mr. O’Brien said Mr. Trump was aware of his trip to Israel, but he said the former president had not asked him to go or directed him to say anything to Mr. Netanyahu. He said he was there as a “private citizen,” adding that he did express his view to Mr. Netanyahu that the Hamas terrorist attack would never have happened if Mr. Trump were still president.

Asked whether Mr. Netanyahu also expressed these views about Mr. Trump, Mr. O’Brien said: “He’s a pro, and he understands he needs good relations with the Biden administration. But that was my sentiment.”

The former Trump administration officials and Mr. Netanyahu met on Monday not long after the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor in The Hague, Karim Khan, sought arrest warrants for Mr. Netanyahu, his defense chief and three Hamas leaders on charges of crimes against humanity.

Mr. O’Brien said he told Mr. Netanyahu that Mr. Khan’s decision was a “disgrace,” and he reminded the Israeli leader of the Trump administration’s decision to impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court in 2020.

“I’ve spent my entire career as an international lawyer and I’m sickened by this prosecutor,” Mr. O’Brien said. “If he’s really concerned about a genocide he ought to be looking at the C.C.P. and the Uighurs,” he added, referring to the Chinese Communist Party’s oppression of Muslims in the far western region of Xinjiang .

Mr. O’Brien and the other former Trump officials met with several other Israeli policymakers, including the defense minister, Yoav Gallant, and Benny Gantz, a centrist member of Israel’s war cabinet who is increasingly at odds with Mr. Netanyahu.

The delegation also visited two sites of the Hamas terrorist attacks on Oct. 7: the Nir Oz kibbutz and the field in southern Israel, close to the Gaza border, where young Israelis were murdered while dancing at a music festival.

Mr. Wittmann, the AIPAC spokesman, said the trip was planned several months ago and the organization had arranged and funded visits to Israel for former officials from both Democratic and Republican administrations.

— Jonathan Swan

A prosecutor is alleging Israeli officials have used starvation as a weapon of war. Here’s what the charge entails.

No international tribunal has ever tried someone for the crime of using starvation as a weapon of war. So it is notable that the International Criminal Court prosecutor, Karim Khan, included this charge in his statement on Monday, when he announced he was applying for arrest warrants for Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and for defense minister Yoav Gallant.

The prosecutor also asked that arrest warrants be issued for three senior leaders of Hamas, the armed group that rules Gaza, accusing them of murder as a crime against humanity, hostage-taking, rape and torture.

The starvation accusation, however, is directed at Israeli leaders. Although intentionally starving civilians has been considered a violation of international humanitarian law since at least the 1970s, it was only designated as a war crime in 1998, when the I.C.C. was established, as I wrote in a recent article on the subject.

There are two main elements of the crime, according to the I.C.C. statute. The first is the act itself: actions or policies that deprive civilians of “objects indispensable to their survival,” including by interfering with relief supplies. The second is the intent: Starvation must be deliberately used “as a method of warfare.”

In a statement, Mr. Khan said that evidence collected by his office, including interviews with survivors and eyewitnesses, authenticated video, photo and audio material, satellite imagery and “statements from the alleged perpetrator group,” suggested that Israel had “intentionally and systematically deprived the civilian population in all parts of Gaza of objects indispensable to human survival.”

The prosecutor alleges that deliberate starvation occurred through the imposition of a “total siege over Gaza.” He cites the closure of border crossings for extended periods, Israel “arbitrarily restricting” food and medicine after the crossings were reopened and the cutting off of water pipelines and electricity supplies from Israel to Gaza for prolonged periods. He also mentions attacks on aid workers delivering food.

Israel has previously vehemently denied placing limits on aid.

In addition to the specific charge of starvation, Mr. Khan also requested warrants for the Israeli leaders on charges of “extermination and/or murder,” both of which are crimes against humanity. It appears that those charges may relate at least in part to the siege, because the statement specifically mentioned deaths from starvation in that context.

As I wrote in the previous piece, intentionally depriving civilians of food and water could be a war crime even if no one actually starved to death. The crimes against humanity of extermination and murder, by contrast, would focus on the deaths that occurred as a result.

Alex de Waal, a professor at Tufts University and the author of three books on starvation and famine, has studied conflicts where hunger has been weaponized, including most recently in Ukrainian cities occupied by Russia.

While noting that starvation as a weapon of war has never been tested in court, Mr. de Waal said he believed the charge could be easier to prove in the context of Gaza than in other conflicts, because of the enclave’s dependence on essential goods coming through border crossings.

“In assessments for food insecurity, there’s always a margin of error. You don’t know what is being smuggled in, what food people find in the wild,” he said. “This is not the case in Gaza. In Gaza you can be very precise.”

He added that starvation “is different from other crimes because it takes time and the outcome is foreseeable. And there is the opportunity to remedy your actions.”

Marlise Simons contributed reporting

— Amanda Taub

Here are some other leaders for whom the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants.

If the International Criminal Court issues arrest warrants for leaders of Israel and Hamas, as its prosecutor requested on Monday, they would join more than 50 people who have been charged before the court in its more than two decades of operation.

Here are some other leaders for whom warrants have been issued. The court, based in The Hague, has no police force, but those named in warrants could be arrested if they travel to one of its 124 member nations , which include most European countries.

The court issued an arrest warrant for President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia in March 2023 for crimes committed during Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, including for the forcible deportation of children . A warrant was also issued for Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights. Mr. Putin has since made several international trips, including to China this month .

The court issued warrants in 2009 and 2010 for former president Omar Hassan al-Bashir of Sudan for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in the western region of Darfur.

The court has also charged several other Sudanese officials, including a former defense minister, Abdel Raheem Muhammad Hussein, with crimes in Darfur.

In 2015, Mr. al-Bashir traveled to an African Union summit in South Africa in defiance of the warrant but was not arrested.

Mr. al-Bashir, 80, who was deposed in 2019 after three decades in power , also faces charges in Sudan related to the 1989 coup that propelled him to power, and he faces a death sentence or life in prison on those charges if convicted.

He has not been transferred to the court in The Hague and his whereabouts have been unclear amid a civil war that began last year. He had been held at a prison in Khartoum where he was serving a sentence for corruption.

The court issued arrest warrants in 2011 for Libya’s then-leader, Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, along with one of his sons and his intelligence chief, accusing them of crimes against humanity during the first two weeks of the uprising in Libya that led to a NATO bombing campaign.

Mr. Qaddafi was killed by rebels in Libya months later and never appeared before the court. His son remains at large.

The court dropped a case in 2016 against Kenya’s then-deputy president, William Ruto, who had been charged in 2011 with crimes against humanity and other offenses in connection with postelection violence in Kenya in 2007 and 2008. Mr. Ruto was elected president of Kenya in 2022.

Ivory Coast

Laurent Gbagbo, the former president of Ivory Coast, was also indicted by the court in 2011 for acts committed during violence after the country’s elections in 2010. Mr. Gbagbo and another leader in Ivory Coast, Charles Blé Goudé, were acquitted in 2021.

— Matthew Mpoke Bigg

Who is Karim Khan, the I.C.C. prosecutor?

Karim Khan, the International Criminal Court prosecutor who announced on Monday that he would apply for arrest warrants for leaders of Israel and Hamas, has gained a reputation over a long career in international law as a gifted speaker and a tough-minded litigator.

A British litigator, he took over as chief prosecutor of the I.C.C. in June 2021. Before that, he had served for both the defense and the prosecution at several international courts.

Among his high-profile clients were Seif al-Islam el-Qaddafi , son of the late Libyan dictator Muammar el-Qaddafi ; and Charles Taylor, the former president of Liberia, who fired him.

One contentious case was his defense of William Ruto, now the president of Kenya, who faced charges of inciting violence that followed national elections. In 2016, when Mr. Ruto was deputy president, the case ended in a mistrial because of witness interference and political meddling. Mr. Khan was not accused of wrongdoing. He also worked on war crimes issues in Rwanda, Cambodia and Iraq.

The I.C.C. member nations elect a prosecutor in a secret ballot, and in 2021 they chose Mr. Khan after a monthslong deadlock . He received strong backing from Britain, among others in Europe. Though the United States is not a member of the court, Washington officials supported him behind the scenes.

One of his first acts as prosecutor, which took many by surprise, was to “deprioritize” an investigation into abuse of prisoners by American forces in Afghanistan, instead focusing on the larger-scale alleged crimes by the Taliban and Islamic State.

He began an investigation into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine soon after it began in 2022, and obtained an arrest warrant for President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia and another Russian official in March 2023. He had shown little progress in an investigation, opened in 2021, of alleged crimes by Israel against Palestinians, nor of crimes by Hamas.

Numerous legal commentators have argued that the disparity reflects a double standard that harms the court, though the court has said that the investigation has been hampered by lack of cooperation from Israel. Critics charged that Mr. Khan was slow to react to the Hamas-led attack against Israel on Oct. 7, and Israel’s subsequent military response, which has created a humanitarian crisis in its effort to crush Hamas.

But Mr. Khan has noted that investigators were allowed to work inside Ukraine immediately, while Israel has prevented him or anyone from his office from entering Gaza. He was recently permitted to travel to the West Bank and to villages in Israel that were attacked by Hamas.

Mr. Khan’s announcement on Monday that he had asked the judges for arrest warrants for two top Israeli officials — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, the country’s defense minister — and three Hamas leaders was an exceptional event by I.C.C. standards.

Instead of waiting for judges to decide or sign warrants, he unexpectedly revealed his plans in a recorded announcement on the court’s website. Equally unusual was his simultaneous disclosure of a list of prominent experts, two of them former judges, whom he had consulted to review his evidence and his legal analysis before seeking the warrants. While prosecutors are known to consult specialists, some experts saw the publication of the list of names as an effort by Mr. Khan to demonstrate that there was strong legal support for his decision outside the court.

Christine van den Wyngaert, a veteran Belgian jurist who has served on the I.C.C. and other international tribunals, said Mr. Khan was “showing that he gave this a lot of thought.”

She added: “He appears to be more prudent than his predecessors. Their cases at times failed because they lacked sufficient evidence.”

— Marlise Simons

Amal Clooney was on a panel of experts that recommended the I.C.C. arrest warrants.

Amal Clooney revealed on Monday that she had reviewed the International Criminal Court prosecutor’s investigation that led to the request for arrest warrants for three Hamas leaders and two Israeli leaders, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

Ms. Clooney, a prominent British lawyer, specializes in international law and human rights. She has appeared before the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice, where she has represented victims of mass atrocities.

She had received criticism on social media for not speaking up about the Israel-Hamas war. On Monday, she said in a statement that she was a member of an eight-person panel of legal and academic experts convened in January by the International Criminal Court at the request of its prosecutor, Karim Khan, to review his investigation into possible crimes committed in the conflict.

For this investigation, the panel was asked to determine if the prosecutor’s applications for arrest warrants met the International Criminal Court’s standard. Specifically, the group was asked whether there were “reasonable grounds to believe” that those named in the warrant applications had committed crimes within the court’s jurisdiction, including genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The panel unanimously concluded that there were such grounds, and published a report on Monday detailing their findings. Ms. Clooney said in a statement that the panel “engaged in an extensive process of evidence review and legal analysis,” before reaching its decision.

“The law that protects civilians in war was developed more than 100 years ago and it applies in every country in the world regardless of the reasons for a conflict,” Ms. Clooney said. “As a human rights lawyer, I will never accept that one child’s life has less value than another’s.”

Israel — like the United States — is not a signatory to the international treaty that created the court, and does not accept the court’s jurisdiction. But Ms. Clooney said, “I do not accept that any conflict should be beyond the reach of the law, nor that any perpetrator should be above the law.”

Ms. Clooney is a barrister at Doughty Street Chambers in London, a group of associated lawyers with a specialty in human rights, and is an adjunct professor at Columbia Law School in New York City. She also founded the Clooney Foundation for Justice with her husband, the actor George Clooney, a nonprofit that provides free legal support to victims of human rights abuses.

In September 2021, she was appointed by Mr. Khan to serve as a special adviser on the Sudanese region of Darfur, where a civil war has led to a humanitarian crisis that U.N. officials say is one of the worst in decades.

The panel convened to consider arrest warrants in the case of Israel and Hamas included Adrian B. Fulford, a former judge of the International Criminal Court and retired justice of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales; and Theodor Meron, a Holocaust survivor, former Israeli official, and former judge of the international tribunals on Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia.

In an op-ed published in The Financial Times , the members of the panel said that they “hope that this process will contribute to increased protections for civilians and sustainable peace in a region that has already endured too much.”

— Amanda Holpuch

Leaders of past protests in Israel re-emerge as Parliament reconvenes.

Israel’s Parliament was the focus of resurgent antigovernment protests on Monday as it opened its summer session after a six-week recess.

Questions have been swirling about the stability of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition, and the protests, primarily calling for early elections, came days after deep divisions within the wartime emergency cabinet burst into the open .

Before the assault on southern Israel on Oct. 7, mass rallies against a judicial overhaul plan , advanced by Mr. Netanyahu’s far-right and religiously ultraconservative governing coalition, had rocked Israel for months. The grass-roots leaders of those antigovernment protests had largely stepped back after the Hamas-led attacks, but on Monday, during a “Day of Disturbance,” many re-emerged to lead demonstrations.

Shikma Bressler, a particle physicist who became the face of the protests last year but who lowered her profile as Israel waged war in Gaza, led an action on Monday that saw convoys of hundreds of cars driving slowly on highways across the country, snarling traffic and converging on Jerusalem.

A large rally was planned outside Parliament to coincide with the assembly’s opening ceremony.

A protest group called Brothers and Sisters in Arms, made up of military reservists, was back out on the main Tel Aviv-Jerusalem highway on Monday morning, holding portraits of hostages who remain in Gaza. The group rose to prominence during last year’s protests against the judicial overhaul plans.

At that time, the group made contentious calls for volunteer reserve soldiers to quit the military, arguing that the judicial plan undermined the democracy they had signed up to serve. But on Oct. 7, the group’s leaders abruptly reversed course and urged all those who received call-up orders to join the war.

The 2023 protests focused on domestic issues like the judicial overhaul plan, the nature of Israeli democracy and religious-secular tensions. By contrast, the scattered protests that have been building up over recent months have centered on demands for the government to bring the hostages home and to take responsibility for the policy and intelligence failures before Oct. 7.

Mr. Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, has so far refused to take any personal responsibility for those failures. His defense minister, Yoav Gallant; and Benny Gantz, a former military chief and another key member of the war cabinet, have implicitly accused Mr. Netanyahu of putting his own political survival ahead of national security by appeasing his far-right coalition partners in the way he is prosecuting the war.

Mr. Gantz and Mr. Gallant have, in recent days, publicly demanded that Mr. Netanyahu come up with a decisive and coherent strategy for postwar Gaza, where Hamas keeps returning to areas that the Israeli military says it has cleared. Mr. Gantz issued an ultimatum that he would quit the government by June 8 if there was no clear path forward.

Mr. Gantz’s centrist National Unity party joined the government in October out of a sense of responsibility, he said at the time. His party’s departure would not topple Mr. Netanyahu, whose coalition would still command a majority of 64 seats in the 120-seat Parliament.

But Monday’s protests underscored popular frustration with the government, which has so far failed to achieve its stated goal of eliminating Hamas in Gaza.

“No majority of 64 will stop the people,” Ms. Bressler, the protest leader, said as the convoys prepared to set out.

— Isabel Kershner reporting from Jerusalem