Visiting Wild Wednesdays at the Lakeview Nature Center in Oakbrook Terrace is wonderful way to spend the morning or early afternoon. We've been the the nature center several times already, but this was really different. When we arrived, a large crowd gathered around a woman who read books and put on a puppet show for the kids. I really wasn't expecting such a large crowd. Maybe it was just because this was the first day of the program, but we'll see.
After a quick bathroom break, we walked over to the pavilion where we had a close-up look at a chipmunk. A staffer was on hand to offer info about the animal and answer questions.
Before heading out on a short hike around the pond, we investigated the bushes near the water. A little boy in our Meet-up.com group spotted a monarch caterpillar. He was amazingly knowledgeable about moths and butterflies.
The nature center handed out flyers with pictures of different things we might spot on our walk such as ducks, leaves, and even scat!
You could even borrow a pair of binoculars for your hike, too. We loved walking down by the pond and exploring there.
Most of the kids couldn't resist a good roll down the hill.
We finished the day with a quick stop at the playground. The kids found a few friends, and they really had a hard time leaving them. Before we left, we turned in our hiking sheets and binoculars, and the kids received a little prize of Playdough.
Each week there is a different animal, stories and hike. And the best thing.....it was all free! Why aren't there more free opportunities like this?
1 comment:
Love Nature Centers, especially when they are free. That seems like a fun program to get to go to every week.
Blessings
Diane
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