Education
Parents
Help Your Child Learn to Love Nature!
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Forest Friends
07sepAll Day27novForest FriendsA hybrid virtual & in-person nature education experience
Event Details
Forest Friends is a hybrid virtual/in-person experience for young children and their families We invite you to be part of a connected community
Event Details
Forest Friends is a hybrid virtual/in-person experience for young children and their families
We invite you to be part of a connected community of like-minded families that value nature-based, whole child, sensory-rich educational experiences.
• Weekly parent-child, small group, teacher-led hikes will be held at Woodend Sanctuary on Mondays with 6 families in each hike (9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m.). Each group will include time to sing, share discoveries, socialize, play, and marvel at the incredible natural world together.
• A weekly materials kit will be distributed each Monday. The kit will include daily activities and suggestions on ways to connect with your child(ren). Materials are geared toward 3-to-5-year-old children; however, activities will be open-ended, nature-based, and creative and may therefore appeal to a wider range of children.
• Optional Zoom meetings (Wednesdays and Fridays) will focus on connection and interaction with one another and working on projects together with materials from our kits. We’ll suggest outdoor activities around your home, at a nearby park, or your own independent visits to Woodend Sanctuary.
• Parents can also participate in weekly online meetings held during the evening. These meetings will focus on supporting and learning together as we parent in the time of COVID-19.
Fall trimester is 12 weeks running September 7 through November 27 (no Zoom meeting on 11/27 in observance of Thanksgiving). Enrollment is for the full 12 weeks.
Tuition is $1,500 for 12 weeks ($125 per week) for ANS members, and $1,800 for non-members. Tuition must be paid in advance.
If you paid a deposit for Audubon Nature Preschool last spring, you may apply that deposit to your child’s enrollment for Forest Friends.
Individualized support for families enrolled in MCPS as well as families choosing to home school is a separate add-on program. Please email Stephanie.Bozzo@ANShome.org for more details.
Register HERE
Time
September 7 (Monday) - November 27 (Friday)
Location
Woodend Nature Sanctuary
8940 Jones Mill Road, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
Summer Camps
Camp Audubon (Pre-K through High School)Nature Summer Camps
Event Details
Event Details
Camp Audubon provides day, travel, and overnight camps for families in the DC metro area. Located on a 40-acre nature sanctuary, our camps provide high-quality environmental science education and good old-fashioned camp fun!
All camps are taught by experienced environmental educators, maintaining a child-teacher ratio of 8-1.
Camps run from 8:45 am to either 3 pm or 4 pm with an extended care option until 6 pm.
For questions about the summer camp program, including camp-specific inquires, accommodations for special needs, medical issues, and scholarship information, please call Nora Kelly (June Bug), the Camp Director, at (301) 652-9188 x15.
Time
Year Around Event (2018)
Location
Woodend Nature Sanctuary
8940 Jones Mill Road, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
Days Off Camps
september
Event Details
Make the most of school holidays and days off by “unplugging” and getting your children outside in nature! Days Off Camps (Grades K-9) Do you want your children to be
Event Details
Make the most of school holidays and days off by “unplugging” and getting your children outside in nature!
Days Off Camps (Grades K-9)
Do you want your children to be outside in nature learning and having fun on their day off from school? Then send them to our School’s Out Camp! We’ll explore the Woodend Nature Sanctuary, get muddy in the pond, build forts, and play games. REGISTER HERE for Days Off Camps.
Spring Break Camp (Grades K-9)
Experience the wonders of Spring at Camp Audubon! Catch frogs in the pond, hike to Rock Creek, and get your hands dirty in our Children’s Garden! Grades 6-9 can earn up to 20 SSL hours doing sanctuary stewardship activities. REGISTER HERE for Spring Break Camp.
Time
Year Around Event (2020)
Free Family Events
september
Nature Walks & Nature Backpacks at Woodend
Event Details
First Saturday of Each Month - Weekend Walk in the Woods Walks are currently on hold due to CDC/state/county regulations. Please watch this space for when we
Event Details
First Saturday of Each Month – Weekend Walk in the Woods
Walks are currently on hold due to CDC/state/county regulations. Please watch this space for when we can reopen these walks.
Join our Master Naturalists on the first Saturday of each month from 9-10am for a nature hike around Woodend Sanctuary. Each hike will have a unique and engaging natural history theme. Programs are appropriate for members of all ages. Please come prepared to hike in sneakers, and don’t forget your water bottle.
Meet at the gazebo by the main house.
Programs are free but require registration. REGISTER HERE
Every Day: Nature Backpacks
Visit our Naturalist Shop to check out a backpack (ID required) that will have tools and activities you and your family can use to explore nature at Woodend Sanctuary. Backpacks are free for check-out in the shop but must be returned by 4:30pm.
Shop hours are M-F 10-5; Sat 9-5; Sun 12-5.
The Nature Backpacks are made possible thanks to the generous support of REI and the Chesapeake Bay Trust.
Time
Year Around Event (2020)
Birthday Parties
september
Nature Themed Birthday Parties
Event Details
A nature-themed birthday party at Woodend Sanctuary is a perfect way to provide a special memory for your child while also supporting
Event Details
A nature-themed birthday party at Woodend Sanctuary is a perfect way to provide a special memory for your child while also supporting the conservation work of ANS.
Spend an hour with a naturalist exploring nature & enjoying nature-themed activities and games, and bring your own party refreshments to enjoy afterward in our Teale Learning Center classroom.
Party themes include Wiggly Worms, All About Birds, Ponding, Insect Investigations, Reptiles & Amphibians, Animal Clues, and Winter Detectives
Learn More About Party Themes
Choose from the following party times:
Saturdays or Sundays from 10:30am-12:00pm or 1:30-3:00pm
Note: You may arrive 15 minutes before this window to set up and stay 15 minutes afterwards to clean up.
Fees:
For up to 14 children: $240 for members; $275 for nonmembers (includes a one-year membership to ANS).
Additional child: $15 per child up to a maximum of 18 children.
Additional half hour: $55.
Maximum number in the party room is 26.
Given the uncertainty of the Covid-19 situation this fall, we are not offering birthday parties for the rest of 2020. We hope to see you for a birthday party in 2021! The link to sign up will be here in late 2020.
Time
Year Around Event (2020)
Afterschool Clubs
september
Event Details
Get your child off the screen and into the green during this after school program, offered on T/Th from 3:30-6 pm or
Event Details
Get your child off the screen and into the green during this after school program, offered on T/Th from 3:30-6 pm or M/W from 3:30-6 pm on Mondays and 1-5 pm on Wednesdays. We’ll have a snack, build forts, catch frogs, and let kids be kids! Click to read about our Fall Covid-19 Health Plan.
Fee: Tuesdays/Thursdays – $500 for ANS members; $600 for nonmembers
Mondays/Wednesdays – $650 for ANS members; $780 for nonmembers
Second Fall session runs October 19 – November 20, 2020
REGISTER HERE
Scholarships available
Contact Nora Kelly for more information – nora.kelly@anshome.org; 301-652-9188 x15.
Time
Year Around Event (2020)