Knee-High Naturalists

Our educators will help you and your child explore nature through songs, crafts, and outdoor adventures.

Our Knee-High Naturalists program is held on the second consecutive Tuesday and Wednesday of the month, running September-November and March-June. Special events in January and February.

2019-2020 Dates and Topics

  • September 10th and 11th — Migration Headache
  • October 8th and 9th — Arthropod Explosion
  • November 12th and 13th — Math and Art in Nature
  • December — NO CLASSES
  • January 9th — One Night Only–Owl Prowl (all ages) 6 PM
  • February — Pop-Up Program–Snowfall Hike (weather dependent)
  • March 12th and 13th — Signs of Spring
  • April 14th and 15th — Amphibians and Reptiles
  • May 12th and 13th — The Forest for the Trees
  • June 9th and 10th — Water, Water

Teaching another topic with your homeschool group, mom’s group, or co-op? Contact us about booking a group program to meet your needs.

Drop-offs are available for all classes. All parents are welcome to stay and enjoy our grounds and Nature Center while your child is in class. If you decide to stay and observe your child’s class and your child has a younger sibling that is not enrolled in our program, please make sure that he or she is not being disruptive to the other children. If we find a younger sibling is being disruptive to the class, we may ask you to excuse yourself from our program. Parents are also required to sign a release form (PDF) so we have emergency contact information for all children.

Registration

Pre-registration is required and space is limited (sign-ups begin 2 weeks before the next scheduled class).

Cost and Payment

The fee is $10 per child, per class. Payment is required at the time of sign-up.

Prepayment

Due to the overwhelming demand for our classes and numerous last minute cancellations. We are now requiring that all classes will require prepayment at the time of registration. We will be unable to provide refunds or credits for changes in schedules/personal conflicts, illness, or other personal reasons. However, in the event of a class cancellation due to inclement weather we will offer all registrants a credit towards the next month’s class.

Student Age

Ages 3-5: Knee-High Naturalists and ages 6-12: Nature Nuts.

Ages 12-15 may register for our extended Eco-Explorers sessions.

Parents

You are welcome to attend any and all classes with your children and act as a chaperone. If you choose to attend, we would like to stress the importance of your active participation. We also ask that you turn off all cell phones and other distractions for the duration of the visit.

Weather

Our classes will be held even if weather is inclement. Only snow closings of the Medford Twp School District will close our classes. Please be sure your child is adequately prepared for weather conditions including rain, snow, sun, cold, and heat.

Class times

All classes begin at 10:00 a.m. or 1:00 p.m. and are 1.5 hours long. Please be punctual, as your child may miss some vital information at the start if they are late, and may also cause a distraction for those who are on time. If you will not be attending the class, be sure to pick your child up on time as well. Educators often have other assignments right after your class and are not available to supervise children waiting for rides.

Expected Behavior

Please prepare your child by helping him or her to understand appropriate group learning behavior. Raising hands before shouting out questions or ideas, taking turns, staying with the group, and being respectful to class-mates and teachers will be essential for a productive learning experience.