Goats, butterflies, pumpkins and more! Celebrate fall and engage your young child with nature with Adkins Arboretum’s Nature Preschool programs. Taught by Youth Program Coordinator Jenny Houghton, this series of eight classes for three- to five-year-olds is offered Tuesday mornings beginning Sept. 15.
Advance registration is required for these popular programs.
The fee per class is $4 for members and $6 for members, with a 10 percent discount offered for enrollment in all eight classes. Programs run from 10 to 11:15 a.m. and include a craft and a snack. Space is limited, so early registration is recommended. For more information or to register, visit adkinsarboretum.org or call 410-634-2847, ext. 0.
Programs include:
Meet Lily!
Sept. 15
Visit the Arboretum’s goat herd, led by the lovely Lily, and learn how goats are used to munch troublesome weeds. Children will make goat puppets, sample goat milk and have their pictures taken with Lily and her four-legged friends.
Ants in Your Pants
Sept. 22
Join in a wiggly “Ants in Your Pants” dance and make a fingerprint ant craft. After learning some interesting ant trivia, we’ll go on a bug hunt, try out a bug vacuum and munch “Ants on a Log” snacks.
Milkweed and Monarchs
Sept. 29
Make a wish on a fluffy milkweed seed and learn about the beautiful monarch butterflies that lay their eggs on the milkweed plant. We’ll look for milkweed pods in the meadow, make a butterfly craft and enjoy butterfly books with our snack.
Teddy Bear
Oct. 6
Children and their teddy bear friends are invited to a forest picnic! The morning will include a bear hunt along woodland paths (bears rarely wander to the Eastern Shore, but it’s still fun to look), bear songs and a teddy bear bandana craft.
Pumpkin Party
Oct. 13
It’s pumpkin season! We’ll get the scoop on pumpkins, visit the Arboretum’s Funshine Garden and make pumpkin shakers. Then we’ll wiggle and twist to the Pumpkin Polka!
Nuts for Squirrels
Oct. 20
Are you nuts for squirrels? We’ll explore the world of these furry cuties on a forest scavenger hunt and return to the classroom for acorn stories and nutty snacks. A squirrel napkin ring craft will round out this fun-filled morning.
Going Batty
Oct. 27
Bats: terrifying vampires or cuddly Stellalunas? We’ll learn the science behind the world’s only flying mammal, experiment with echolocation and try navigating the meadow bat-style. We’ll also make batty Halloween decorations and celebrate with a holiday-themed snack and story.
Scouts and Maidens
Nov. 3
Who were the first people to live on the Eastern Shore? Let’s visit the First Light Village wigwams to find out! We’ll play a Native American corn game, collect sticks for a pretend campfire and craft a Native American centerpiece for the Thanksgiving table.
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