Orienteering is a sport of navigation. The goal is to use a map and compass to locate control points that are scattered throughout an area. Orienteering can be done as a competitive race or an activity to explore a new area. We will work as a team to complete a standard type of course to […]
If you are camping or if you get lost in the woods, knowing how to start a fire properly and safely is important, especially if your comfort or survival depends on it. Learn the basic techniques of fire making and how to keep the fire burning, and try your hand at starting a fire without […]
Join us for a game of pumpkin bowling. Try knocking down the pins and getting a strike by using a pumpkin as the bowling ball. After you play a few rounds, learn about the life cycle of a pumpkin and what you can do with a pumpkin when you are finished with it, other than […]
Learn about one of Earth’s neighbors, Mars. A story will be read about the planet and why it is red. Afterward, we will go inside the portable planetarium to look at Mars and its two moons. We will also look at other planets and constellations. After the show, children can complete a Mars coloring page. […]
It was important for early naturalists to make field notes while they were out exploring nature. Since there were no cameras or phones at that point, it was important to make detailed notes and drawings of the living creatures they encountered. We will try this observation method with our Field Note Hike. Join us and […]
Beavers are incredible animals. Not only do they build a home for themselves they build a home for other animals. A story about beavers and their interaction with one of their neighbors, the river otter, will be read. We will take a closer look at a beaver, feel a beaver fur, look at its teeth, […]
The weather is colder, and it is a great time to explore the wetlands to see what is living there during this time of the year. There may be deer signs on the trail or some interesting birds nesting in the trees along the waterway. We may find burrows where the animals will sleep the […]
Create your own handmade Christmas card for a family member or friend. Each participant will receive a blank card to decorate. There will be crayons, markers, and color pencils for drawing winter and holiday scenes, and nature and holiday rubber stamps to decorate with. There will also be old holiday cards to use as a […]
Check out our largest planet inside our portable planetarium. Find out about its “red spot,” the never-ending hurricane and look at some of its 95 moons. We’ll also check out other items in the early December night sky including the Orion and Taurus constellations. Participants are required to sit on the floor. Ask about accommodations. […]
One of the best times to start birdwatching is in winter when you can find many of our common backyard birds and when it is easier to spot them in the bare trees. We will talk about the proper use of binoculars, how to identify birds, and common backyard birds. Afterward, we will go on […]
Many animals have protective padding on their feet known as hooves. We call this group of animals, ungulates. Learn about hooved animals, such as deer, cows, horses, elk, and pigs. Children will have an opportunity to make hoof tracks at our track station and complete a craft by making their own tracks with handprints. Oakwoods […]
Many animals have the amazing ability to fly through the sky. These creatures come in many different sizes, some are covered in feathers, and some even have a hard exoskeleton. For this program, we will be looking at the various animals that use wings to fly and ones that fly in special ways, such as […]
Last year the American Ornithological Society, the group that decides the names of birds, announced that all North American birds named after a person or has a name that could be offensive or misrepresent will have its name changed. That means around 80 species of birds are having their names changed. You may be upset […]
During the Christmas season, it is a tradition to go out and count as many birds as you can in your area. Come along as we take part in the Hancock County Naturalist’s Annual Christmas Bird Count. We will talk about the history of Christmas bird counts and what kind of birds we can find […]
Start the holiday season with a fun fireside story at the historical McKinnis House. The fire will be warm and cozy as we enjoy the story The Biggest, Best Snowman. After the story, we will make molasses-on-snow candy just as the pioneers did in 1847. Litzenberg Memorial Woods McKinnis House 1:30 PM Ages 3-5 with […]
Decorating a Christmas tree was a simple, but fun activity in the 1800s. Families might string strands of popcorn or cranberries to hang on the tree. Mom might even allow the children to bake gingerbread cookies as decorations. Dad and the boys would carve little animals as gifts. Visitors can join in the fun by […]
Opossums are amazing animals that live in Hancock County. They are resourceful scavengers that find whatever food they can get. Along with the scraps they find, opossums can eat lots of harmful ticks. Also, the opossum is the only marsupial in the United States. Marsupials include kangaroos and koalas. We will look at opossum furs, […]
“Static” means to stay in one place. In static electricity, the charges are all staying in one area. We will make a static flyer as one of our experiments. Making your hair stand on end using a balloon is another fun activity using static electricity. Kids will have fun trying all nine of the tricks […]
“Static” means to stay in one place. In static electricity, the charges are all staying in one area. We will make a static flyer as one of our experiments. Making your hair stand on end using a balloon is another fun activity using static electricity. Kids will have fun trying all nine of the tricks […]
Human life has changed greatly since our early prehistoric days. To learn more about the early life of humans, we will be looking at Ötzi the Iceman. In 1991, scientists found a naturally preserved mummy in the Alps which they named, Ötzi. This mummy is one of the most preserved from the Copper Age and […]
The holidays are right around the corner. If you still have some last-minute present wrapping to do, why not make the gift more special by wrapping it in wrapping paper decorated by your child? Each child will receive a length of easel paper to decorate as holiday wrapping paper. We will have crayons, markers, and […]
The snow that falls in winter is a great base for checking out animal tracks. Learn the tracks of native animals that are still active during the winter, including eastern cottontails, fox squirrels, raccoons, and coyotes. We will take a hike in search of footprints and other signs that those animals were there. Participants will […]
Learn about snowflakes. A story about snowflakes will be read. Afterward, we will talk about snowflakes, what they are, how they form, and their special powers. Children will have an opportunity to create their own unique paper cut out snowflakes. Oakwoods Nature Preserve Discovery Center 10 AM Ages 4-5 with an adult; other aged siblings […]
Build a shelter using what can only be found in the woods. We will talk about the qualities of a good shelter, different types of shelters, and where it is safe to build a shelter, and then we will go in the Nature Play Area, split into groups, and build shelters using natural items found […]
All animals love to eat. Food is important for giving energy to animals to keep them moving. Teeth make eating extremely easy for animals. In this program we will look at the many kinds of teeth in the animal world. We will observe teeth made for only eating plants or meat and teeth that can […]
Due to the angle of the sun in the winter, the sun may seem dull, but it is still sending out strong rays of light. Because of snow’s bright white color, it can reflect a lot of sunlight and can even hurt people’s eyes. We will talk about snow goggles, an invention made by the […]
During the holidays, all the puppets escaped and were running around the Discovery Center. Help us find the puppets that are hiding and put them back in their totes. After you find the puppets, have fun playing with them and performing a show on our puppet stage. Oakwoods Nature Preserve Discovery Center 10 AM Ages […]
Come out to the Richard S. “Doc” Phillips Discovery Center to play games this winter evening. There will be classic board games and card games, puzzles, and some new games to play as a family. Displays and live animals will be available for viewing. Oakwoods Nature Preserve Discovery Center 6-9 PM Families with children 6 […]
Many fossils are frozen in time by ice, tree sap, and hot lava. Kids will chisel away at blocks and cubes of ice, find the treasure, and then create a story about how the item became frozen in time. There will be fossil books to look at and a story to go along with the […]
Many fossils are frozen in time by ice, tree sap, and hot lava. Kids will chisel away at blocks and cubes of ice, find the treasure, and then create a story about how the item became frozen in time. There will be fossil books to look at and a story to go along with the […]
In this program, we will use our fingerprints to make an animal drawing. Using an ink pad, we will make fingerprints on paper to create the animal head, body, and other parts and then draw the rest of the details. To finish the craft, participants will color their fingerprint animals. Examples of animals that could […]
