Briefly
- Who? Little Explorers are children aged 3-8 years old accompanied by a grownup – parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or friend.
- What? The 2-hour program consists of a nature lesson, a walk, a snack, and a craft. There is a different lesson each month. We go out every month, so dress for the weather!
- When? The program meets the second Saturday of every month from 10am until noon.
- R.S.V.P.? Yes please! By the Thursday before the program. You can call in after Thursday, but we can’t guarantee there will be enough craft supplies and snacks for your child.
- Cost? Members pay only $5/person. Non-members pay $7. Prices are low thanks to support from the friends of Karen Balderi.
What to Expect
- Check in: When you arrive, please check in and pay at the front desk.
- Transition Time: Next, wander the building a little to give your little ones the transition time they need to get acclimated to Audubon. They might play with blocks or puzzles, check the Windows on Wildlife, or read a book.
- Nature Lesson: Once everyone has arrived, the Little Explorers naturalist will gather the children for a nature lesson. Each month, she tries to pick a topic relevant to the season. There may be a book, tools, or nature objects to share during this part of the lesson. Children usually sit on the floor with grownups behind in chairs… but there are no rules about that. Children can sit in chairs and grownups can sit on the floor.
- Walk Outside: After the lesson, we’ll go potty and get our outdoor gear on. Outdoor activities will be tied to theme of the lesson and designed so that grownup and child can explore together. The Audubon naturalist(s) will be on hand to guide and to answer questions. She may gather the group for a teachable moment now and again.
- Snack: Back inside we’ll remove our outdoor clothes and wash up for snack time. Some children like to concentrate on eating, others like to multi-task… so coloring sheets are available during snack. (Sometimes coloring sheets are also available during transition time.)
- Craft: To bring the theme of the lesson home, children will create a small craft related to the topic of the day. We try to make the craft easy for little hands… But often, the grownups can’t help themselves from helping!
By the end of the 2 hours, some of our Little Explorers have had enough and are ready to go home for lunch and a nap. Others don’t want to leave and stay to explore the building some more, have a picnic lunch, or go for a hike.
To see a slideshow of more photos of our Little Explorers, click –> here.
