Tykes & Trails Nature Discovery Program (Ages 3-5)
This program is currently unavailable. Click here to view all of our current programs.
This Outdoor Recreation program with Mass Audobon for Ages 3-5 with a parent/guardian will build on children's curiosity about the world by using hands-on, nature-based activities. A naturalist will bring fun and exciting activities along with a pre-selected nature picture book. Connecting literature to real-life experiences helps children develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of our natural world while encouraging exploration in their own backyards. Each class is an hour and a half long and includes a story, show-and-tell activity, and outdoor exploration.
Week 1: Animals in Winter
Animals use different strategies for surviving the cold. Some migrate, some hibernate, and some stay active. By examining mammal furs and bones and participating in role-playing, children will learn the different ways that animals stay warm, learn about animal tracks and take a closser look at clues that animals leave behind.
Week 2: Beautiful Birds
Find out what birds are made of with hands-on activities and bird mounts. Learn to identify some common birds through sight and sound, and take a closer look at feathers, nests, and bird adaptations.
Week 3: The Mitten
We'll read The Mitten by Jan Bret and then take a hike to look for animal homes. Using a very large mitten, we will recreate the story. As a group, we'll build a people shelter and see how warm we can make it.
Week 4: Owls
Learn about these magnificent hunters and their importance in the food chain. Children will examine models of local owls, dissect an owl pellet as a group, and listen to their calls so they can know who is in their own backyards.
Week 5: Signs of the Season
Enjoy a guided walk through the fields and forest. Explore nature's seasonal changes using the senses of sight, sound, touch, hearing, and smell. On our return, we will create a nature collage using materials from our walk.
NOTE: Parent/guardian attendance is required. This is not a drop-off program.
A Message from Mass Audobon at the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary:
Over the years, the Mass Audobon staff has provided thousands of environmental education programs for Pre-K, elementary, middle, and high school students on the North Shore of Massachusetts. Under the guidance of their education staff and field teachers, children investigate, explore and marvel at the wonders of the natural world, while gaining valuable knowledge in the life and earth sciences. They offer programming at the sanctuary and now through Reading Recreation. They also offer a Naturalist in Residency program and teacher workshops. Their programs cultivate an appreciation for and an understanding of the environment and their interrelationships with the natural world. It is also their goal to develop thoughtful, conservation-minded citizens for the future.
Location:
The Mattera Cabin is located at 1481 Main Street, Reading.