Nature Play Experiences

​Over the past 2 years, we have:

• Held 13 programs at parks around Erie and Niagara county with 100 participants

• Visited local community centers 9 times for nature play lessons with inner city children

• Held 7 larger events for club recruitment at various cultural institutions and community centers

• Reached over 2,500 people with our Nature Play programming

• Welcomed 147 new families to the WNY Family Nature Club

• Conducted a study to learn more about nature play barriers and how we can overcome them

• Started creating take home worksheets to encourage continued play at home

• Created a Facebook page with event invites and nature play challenges to inspire different types of play

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During our programs, we have:

• Gone on scavenger hunts

• Made greeting cards out of natural materials

• Created obstacle courses for squirrels

• Prepared Thanksgiving lunch for the animals

• Gone bird watching

• Tracked animals 

• Searched for bugs in a garden

• Built homes for tiny creatures

• Explored the local botanical gardens

• And more!

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Feedback from our programs:

• Families are taking more walks in nature during winter

• Kids are willing to go places they have never been when the club provides programming

• Children don't ask for their technology during nature play experiences

• Parents have realized how involved their children get when playing in nature

• Children that once were grossed out by dirt enjoy running their fingers through it and smelling it

• Participants at community centers can't wait to tell their parents about the fun activities they did