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

• Time: 10:00 am - 11:30 am

• Ages: 3yrs - 5yrs

• Fee: $5.00 - ticketleap.events/events/quintamazatlan

• Program description: Drop in with your tot and participate in an Outdoor Learning Environment (OLE!) and nature-based driven curriculum where seasonal phenomena will be explored though story, sensory play, nature art and walks through the forest.

Participants will:

• Develop an understanding of seasonal changes in the Rio Grande Valley by exploring plant and wildlife.
• Learn ecological processes through age appropriate activities.
• Practice stewardship and reciprocity through acts of service and kindness around our urban sanctuary.
• Gain confidence and autonomy through socialization between children of a similar age range and the ecological community.
• Generate a lasting and caring relationship with the more-than-human world, developing leadership and interest in civic engagement.

 

 

May 5 - What Wild! These Flowers!

It's National Wildflower Week and we're taking the time to experience their full wonder and resilience. Bring your tot to walk with the flowers, identifying natives, understanding their shapes and learning what pollinators they may attract.

Tots will:

  • · Begin with Welcoming Song and a Tree Trunk Story.
  • · Participate in flower pattern provocation.
  • · Engage in Wildflower Scavenger Hunt!
  • · Practice noticing patterns by investigating wildflowers on the trails, the way they grow, and the beings which surround them.

 

May 7 - Songs of the Forest

There are plenty of sounds in the forest to discover, some are natural, some are urban, some are delightful, and some may be disturbing! Tots will map the sounds of the forest on a guided walk and follow the sounds of native fauna exploring the Tamaulipan ecosystem.

Tots will:

  • · Begin with Welcoming Song and a Tree Trunk Story.
  • · Participate in forest layers provocation. 
  • · Engage in Sound Mapping Trail Walk. 
  • · Practice phonemic awareness by attentive listening to sounds in the forest, and identifying who is making these sounds. 

 

May 12 - Shrubby Blue and other Plants in Bloom

Spring is in peak bloom for most plants in the brush! From aromatic gems like Shrubby Blue to simple-leaf trees like Coyotillo, their individual structure, color and form are what make ecosystems so unique. Bring tots to learn more about plant parts, and what it means to be a flower.

Tots will:

  • · Begin with Welcoming Song and a Tree Trunk Story.
  • · Participate in buds, fruit and bloom flower sorting.
  • · Engage in natural weaving frame.
  • · Practice pattern recognition through exercising fine motor skill and learning parts of plants.

 

May 14 - Celebrating Native Bees

Being a bee is a busy life, though they like to balance their time between pollinating, or working in the hive, to sleeping in flowers and even making time for play! Tots will learn what bees are native to the area, in hopes to spot a few nearby on the flowers.

Tots will:

  • · Begin with Welcoming Song and a Tree Trunk Story.
  • · Participate in native bee exploration station.
  • · Engage in Iridescent Wing Interactive: Celebrating Carpenter Bee.
  • · Practicing attaining new knowledge about native bees and making observations of bee behavior.

Classes & Programs

Show Your Support

Show Your Support Image Classes w Kiskadee copy

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.