Little Explorers, Big Questions
Week of August 16, 2026 – August 22, 2026
by Amelia Gross, Environmental Educator
Do you remember learning what a tadpole is? Or that beavers build dams? Or how to tell a tree’s age? I know I don’t, but I will remember sharing these phenomena with our youngest campers this week.
After several weeks working with middle school age campers, I was excited to guide the four and five year olds through the trails of Baltimore Woods. Although their legs are smaller, and their hiking speeds are a little slower, they are just as excited to dive into exploration. Their laughs were contagious and their endless energy was exciting, but the most fun part of leading Nature’s Little Explorers is how new the world still is to these campers.
The sounds and sights of the Woods are never “just a ______” to them. They see a fallen log and they want to know what caused it to come down, and what is inside of it, and what is growing on it. “What is a meadow?” they ask. “Cicadas make noise?” they wonder. These kids who have not yet been to kindergarten are constantly absorbing new information, which means (in the best way) we are constantly providing it. It is a joy to be there to help these kids make sense of the world around them, and answer their questions about things that might feel like simple, basic facts to us.
It is easy to forget that caterpillars becoming butterflies and trees being alive were new facts to us too once. And when you stop to think about that, those are baffling concepts to a four year old. It can be a challenge to break this down into pre-k approved language, but the reward is the excited (or confused) look on their faces. It may be a few more years before they truly understand the life cycle of a frog, but the thrill of seeing a tadpole swim around is a great start for these kids.
Leaving this week, I am filled with an almost jealousy of just how much they have left to discover. It’s exciting to think about these campers growing with Baltimore Woods and imagining how their curiosities will evolve with time.
We invite our members to enjoy a weekly blog written by our naturalists. Every blog will be uniquely different but always inspired by nature. We may share a memory from a recent hike at The Woods or teach you about an animal or plant that lives on the preserve. No matter the topic, we will be sharing with you our passion for nature and celebrating the connections we all have to the natural world. Each blog will be connected to a weekly set of activities and ideas to help you put nature in your hands, even if you’re at home!