Fall Nature Fun for Preschoolers at Adkins Arboretum’s Acorn Academy
Ants, butterflies, pumpkins and more! Celebrate fall with your preschooler at Adkins Arboretum’s Acorn Academy, and enjoy the fun of engaging your young child with nature. Taught by Arboretum Youth Program Coordinator Jenny Houghton, Acorn Academy is a series of eight classes for three- to five-year-olds offered on Tuesday mornings beginning Sept. 23.
Advance registration is required for these popular programs. The fee for the series of eight classes is $40 for members and $55 for non-members. Registration is also available on a per-class basis. Classes run from 10 to 11:15 a.m. and include a craft and a healthy snack. Enrollment 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. 23
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. 30
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
Oct. 7
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.
Hearts a’ Bursting
Oct. 14
Follow a magenta trail of hearts a’ bursting berries through the woods as we search for signs of fall. In the classroom, we’ll make berry bracelets and snack on heart-shaped cookies.
Pumpkin Party
Oct. 21
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!
Going Batty
Oct. 28
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.
Nuts for Squirrels
Nov. 4
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.
Scouts and Maidens
Nov. 11
Who were the first people to live on the Eastern Shore? Let’s visit the Paw Paw Playground 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.
Adkins Arboretum is a 400-acre native garden and preserve at the headwaters of the Tuckahoe Creek in Caroline County. Open year round, the Arboretum offers educational programs for all ages about nature and gardening. Through its Campaign to Build a Green Legacy, it will build the W. Flaccus and Ruth B. Stifel Center at Adkins Arboretum and a “green” entranceway to broaden educational offerings and research initiatives promoting best practices in conservation and land stewardship. For additional information about Arboretum programs, visit www.adkinsarboretum.org or call 410-634-2847, ext. 0.