Little Explorers Can Experience Great Moments!
Preschool Mini Series for
Children Ages 3 and 4
This monthly three- or four-week series offers hands-on experiences in nature for your preschooler. Every Tuesday or Thursday , we’ll meet up for a two hour program packed with crafts, stories, games, and imaginative play. Rain, snow, or sunshine – we will happily go outside! Themes for each month are listed below.
For outdoor experiences for ages 5-13, check out Science Adventures in Nature or Trail School!
Set off on a preschool adventure!
Changing Seasons
September 13-27 (3 week program)
Offered Tuesdays, 1:30-3:30pm
$36 members; $51 public
Did you notice that the forest is changing? Leaves are turning colors, days are shorter, and the sun isn’t so warm. Animals are changing too! Birds are flying south, and squirrels are busy gathering nuts. Fall is full of changes, and we should not miss the chance to explore them!
Nature’s Builders
October 4-25 (4 week program)
Offered Tuesdays, 1:30-3:30pm
$48 members; $68 public
Nature provides us with so many materials to use our imaginations and create! This month we’ll use all our senses to go on a hunt for different materials found at Baltimore Woods and see what we can make with them!
Slime Sleuths
November 1-29 (5 week program)
Offered Tuesdays, 1:30-3:30pm
$60 members; $85 public
November is a weird time for plants and animals – so let’s just embrace it and explore all the weird stuff in the forest! Mushrooms, slime molds, muck, worms that wriggle – all the kinda yucky things that make us giggle! Grab a magnifying glass and let’s get exploring the weird things in nature.
Nature’s Innovators
December 6-20 (3 week program)
Offered Tuesdays, 1:30-3:30pm
$36 members; $51 public
Sometimes, being a plant or an animal is just plain hard work! This December let’s explore the forests of Baltimore Woods to learn all about how trees and chipmunks (and everything in between!) have figured out how to stay calm and use their wits and their bodies to make the hard work look easy.
Bring on the Snow!
January 10-31 (4 week program)
Offered Tuesdays, 1:30-3:30pm
$48 members; $68 public
Snow changes everything in the forest, and it’s super fun! From fun experiments, explorations, and playing like otters, come along for a month of wild winter fun in the snow.
Winter Survival
February 7-28 (3 week program, no meeting week of February 21)
Offered Tuesdays, 1:30-3:30pm
$36 members; $51 public
In winter we find living organisms thriving out on the preserve. Through exploration and play we’ll learn how wildlife meet their survival needs and how humans can be comfortable outside during the frosty season.
Trees!
March 7 – 28 (4 week program)
Offered Tuesdays, 1:30-3:30pm
$48 members; $68 public
Trees are the original storytellers of the forest. As trees awaken from their winter sleep, we can observe the fascinating beginnings of spring. Let’s go on an adventure to meet the trees of Baltimore Woods, explore their stories, and learn about how they work as a central part of the forest.
Emerging Life
April 11 – 25 (3 week program)
Offered Tuesdays, 1:30-3:30pm
$36 members; $51 public
Life at Baltimore Woods is waking up after a long winter! This month, we’ll learn about the lives of frogs, toads, and salamanders, and search the Preserve for sprouting plants. Join us to explore, play, and meet the first creatures to emerge in Spring.
Marvelous Migration
May 2 – 30 (5 week program)
Offered Tuesdays, 1:30-3:30pm
$60 members; $85 public
As the weather warms and flowers bloom, it’s an exciting time to welcome our feathered friends and other migrating animals! Join us as we learn all about animal journeys and embark on our own adventures through the woods and fields of Baltimore Woods.
Water Adventures
June 6 – 20 (3 week program)
Offered Tuesdays, 1:30-3:30pm
$36 members; $51 public
It falls, it flows, it’s fun to play in! This month we’ll explore water through the eyes of the animals that live in it and play with how water moves. Get ready to dive right into some water adventures!
The Details
This program is planned to be entirely outdoors, so please dress for the weather. Lessons are suited for ages 3-4. Participants must pre-register for the entire series. Parents or caregivers are required to accompany their child for the duration of the program. Bring a water bottle and a small snack. At Baltimore Woods Nature Center, the health and safety of our staff and visitors is of utmost importance. All in-person programming will follow best practices for keeping our participants safe, including health screenings, physical distancing and wearing facial coverings.
Multiple child discounts ($5) are automatically applied when you register. Discounts apply beginning with the second child.
A membership discount is available. Members receive discounted prices on our programs, as well as discounts in our gift shop and early notice of upcoming programs and events, including summer camp registration opening dates. Purchasing a single, one-year, family-level membership during your registration process will allow you to save on all programs you and your family members register for! You can purchase a membership while registering for your programs, or through our website. For more information on memberships, click here.