Forest Tots
Our weekly outdoor learning experiences are designed for youth to explore, engage, learn and play! Find a program which may interest your child! Please check the Calendar of Events for dates and times.
• Date: Tuesdays & Thursdays
Participants will:
• Develop an understanding of seasonal changes in the Rio Grande Valley by exploring plant and wildlife.
March 31 - No Program
April 2 - No Program
April 7- Patterns in Nature
It's World Health Day and we're exploring how slowing down supports the wellness of people and the planet! Bring your tot to connect and learn from the science of slow, noticing the different patterns, shapes and sounds of the natural world!
Tots will:
- · Begin with Welcoming Song and a Tree Trunk Story.
- · Participate in texture table exploration.
- · Engage in pattern clay impression creations.
- · Practice mindfulness and awareness of one's body and breathe through a grounding exercise.
April 9- No Program
April 14- Tots in the Garden
What better day to welcome native plants into habitat than on National Garden Day! Bring your tot to learn the names of flowering plants and learn how to make young plants comfortable, moving them from pot to soil.
Tots will:
- · Begin with Welcoming Song and a Tree Trunk Story.
- · Participate in seed investigation.
- · Engage in Native plant gardening.
- · Practice using strength and coordination through use of garden tools.
April 16- Bats, Palms, and Fruiting Cactus
Bats are one of the most important groups of pollinators! Drawn to cacti blooms for nectar and Sabal Palm boots for rest, tots will explore and celebrate the life of these nocturnal creatures.
Tots will:
- · Begin with Welcoming Song and a Tree Trunk Story.
- · Participate in nectar-loving creatures provocation.
- · Engage in bat nature craft using Sabal Palm husks.
- · Practice noticing details and describing trails of native species bats love!
April 21- Our Little Land
Some changes belong to land, some changes belong to people. With land so vast, yet so little, how can we do more to take less? Bring your tot to get curious about urban and natural landscapes, and how they can co-exist.
Tots will:
- · Begin with Welcoming Song and a Tree Trunk Story.
- · Participate in blue and green provocation.
- · Engage in creating land art.
- · Practice making comparisons between urban and natural environments.
April 23- Long Living Trees
The taller and thicker a tree is, the longer the tree has lived. Tots will work together to discover how long trees have been living around the sanctuary, discovering different natives and meeting these trees with their senses.
Tots will:
- · Begin with Welcoming Song and a Tree Trunk Story.
- · Participate in stick structures provocation.
- · Engage in "Age of a Tree" investigation.
- · Practice making observations and comparisons by evaluating tree type and size.
April 28- Songbirds of Spring
Warblers, Thrushes, Vireos, oh my! How many songs can we discover from flying, feathered spring visitors? Bring your tot to explore the music echoing in the Thornbrush this Spring.
Tots will:
- · Begin with Welcoming Song and a Tree Trunk Story.
- · Participate in feathers and beads provocation.
- · Engage in Pigeonberry painting.
- · Practice expanding vocabulary and experimenting with sounds.
April 30- Whimsical Wind
Wind's energy has traveled the world and moves everyday within our forest. From carrying seeds to different places, to making music and movement, tots will explore the whimsy of unpredictable wind!
Tots will:
- · Begin with Welcoming Song and a Tree Trunk Story.
- · Participate in "Where the Wind Blows" provocation.
- · Engage in Leaf Boat Creations.
- · Practice making predictions of Wind's movements and identifying cause and effect patterns.
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Support Quinta Mazatlán by becoming a member, giving your time as a volunteer or a donation. Your gift helps us care for the conservation of plants, education for children & adults, programs for the community & the mission & goals of Quinta Mazatlán.