Wildwood Group Programs

Wildwood program fees are per child, with a minimum payment for fewer than ten children equivalent to the fee for ten children. Several programs can be brought to your location for a higher offsite fee (these programs denoted with an asterisk next to the program title).

120-minute Program

• Resident - $6.50 per child (minimum $65.00)
• Non-Resident - $7.00 per child (minimum $70.00)
• Offsite Resident - $7.50 per child (minimum $75.00)
• Offsite Non-Resident - $8.25 per child (minimum $82.50)

• For a 90 minute program, we have preschools pick 2 themes and do a themed hike.
• For a 60 minute program, we can do 1 theme and a hike, or 2 themes.
• Each program theme includes age-appropriate themed activities and a short circle time.

Animal Show (including reptiles, mammals, insects, and amphibians)

• Animal Tracks and Scat
• Birds
• Reptiles
• Mammals
• Dinosaurs
• Space
• Science Experiments

Fall (September – December)

• Leaves and Trees
• Flowers
• Pumpkins
• Apples
• Harvest
• Hibernation
• Migration
• Animals in Winter

Winter (January – March)

• Animals in Winter
• Snow
• Ice
• Hibernation
• Migration

Spring/Summer (April – August)

• General Insects
• Specific Insect/Bug Groups
  • Ants
  • Butterflies
  • Bees
  • Ladybugs
  • Spiders
• Insect Lifecycles
• Flowers
• Amphibians and amphibian lifecycles
• Fish and Pond

We also can present programs about other science or nature themes, if desired. 

Fall Seasons Changing (mid to late fall program)

Explore the changing of the seasons in the natural world. Find out how seeds travel to their final destination before settling in for the winter, and explore the world of leaves. Then look into the changes happening in local animals with a fun game, and meet 2 animals to learn what they do in winter.

Papermaking (anytime)

Learn how paper wasps create their homes, and recreate that process by making your own paper from old scraps. Students will also explore trees and leaves. Students will take home one piece of homemade paper.

Birds (spring when birds rearrive or fall when they are migrating)

Learn all about birds – from beaks to talons – in this interactive program. Kids will use tools to match beaks to their preferred food, showing how beak shape affects food choices. Then take an optional hike to explore the outdoors and search for native Illinois birds

Snow and Ice (winter when there is a lot of snow and ice around)

Explore snow and ice through science and art. Look at how water changes in winter, and explore freezing and snowflakes.

Solids, Liquids and Gases (Science) (indoor program for bad weather/colder months)

Explore the states of matter through experiments and sensory based activities. Mark down observations in special science journals

Weather (Water Cycle/Clouds) (late winter/early spring)

Check out the water cycle through fun activities. Where does rain come from? Explore the water cycle with experiments. Create a cloud viewer craft to take home.

Insects, Metamorphosis or Pond Dipping (late spring)

• (Insects/Metamorphosis) - Meet some insect friends and explore the insect lifecycle. Play games to learn about the insect body. Meet amphibian friends, check out the lifecycle of frogs and toads.
• (Insects/Pond Dipping) - Meet some insect friends and explore the insect lifecycle. Then use nets, buckets, scoops, and sieves to catch the insects and other animals that live in the pond.
• (Insects) - Meet some insect friends and explore the insect lifecycle in depth – can be done in any weather.
• (Metamorphosis/Pond Dipping) - Meet some insect friends and explore the insect lifecycle. Play games to learn about the insect body. Meet amphibian friends, check out the lifecycle of frogs and toads.

Dinosaurs (anytime)

Learn about the dinosaurs, those ancient, giant reptiles. Dig for fossils and create volcanos as we talk about the extinction of the dinosaurs

Animal Show (anytime)

Explore the different classes of animals – mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and insects through animal artifacts and special animal visitors

We also can present programs about Space, Rocks, Reptiles, Navigation, or more.

Programs include a hike and visit with the animals.

Pond Study (Late April – Early October, weather dependent)

• Do a pond dip, explore the macroinvertebrates that live in the pond with different types of tools
• Make a pond viewer to look through on your exploration and take home with you
• Classify different types of macroinvertebrates
• Do a test of the water chemistry to identify levels of chemicals in the water

Getting Ready for Winter (November – March)

• Go outside on a hike to find tracks, scat, and other signs of local animals.
• See different tracks that Wildwood’s animals make with a picture made by the animals
• Explore heartrates and learn about hibernating animals
• See the homes of winter insects, and try to find some insects hiding in the soil
• Explore insulation and its effect on temperature by building an insulation bag to protect your thermometer from the cold

Geocaching and Navigation (best late spring – early fall)

• Learn how to use a compass to navigate
• Explore maps and mapmaking
•  Use a GPS enabled smartphone to find local geocaches
• Complete a scavenger hunt around Wildwood and Maine Park grounds using map reading skills

Animal Behavior (all year)

• Animal show and a subsequent look at human and animal behavior, how scientists study animal behavior, and learn how to make enrichment toys for animals
• Test the enrichment toys with the Wildwood animals

Bones, Tracks, Scat (all year)

• Identify bones based on their structure, using a dichotomous key, measuring
• Measure different types of animal tracks, and explore their similarities and differences
• Learn what makes scat (animal poop) a vital research tool for many scientists.  Dissect pretend scat to discover what an animal might have eaten, then go back and make some (fake!) scat of your own

Trees, Leaves and Papermaking (Fall)

• Explore parts of the tree and do science experiments with leaves
• Study and identify different trees on Wildwood’s grounds
• Make recycled paper

Amphibian and Insect Lifecycles (late spring – early fall)

• Meet insects and amphibians (can’t hold the amphibians) and look at life cycle models for different types of animals
• Discuss the differences between complete and incomplete metamorphosis
• Do a pond dip and/or look for insects in different places
• Mark and recapture butterflies or pillbugs (dependent on weather)

Physics Lab – Flight (all year)

• Explore stations relating to paper airplanes, rockets, flying/gliding animals, kites, etc
• Use wind tunnels to design parachutes and explore lift
• Design and test stomp rockets (indoor gym space or good weather) or kites (windy weather) or water rocket (good weather)

Physics Lab – Forces (all year)

• Explore stations relating to simple machines, trajectory, angles and force.
• Create a marble roller coaster from recycled materials

Birds, Nests and Eggs (all year)

• Explore stations relating to feathers, flight, eggs, beaks, and nests
• Experiment with real chicken eggs
• Design and test a nest that will keep an egg safe

Earth Science (all year)

• ID rocks, try to determine from scratch testing and streak plates what type of rock you are looking at.
• Explore the science of plate tectonics, make different types of volcanos from common household ingredients to explore how lava flows

Other Topics We Can Explore

• Fall
• Physics Lab - Sound and Light
• Astronomy/Space
• Meteorology/Weather
• Paleontology/Dinosaurs
• Oceanography
• Anatomy/Human Body/Animal Physiology
• CSI/Detective
• Reptiles
• Mammals
• Plants