PEEC’s Explorers Hike and Play Club starts Wednesday. Photo Courtesy PEEC

PEEC NEWS

Your kids will love exploring the outdoors with PEEC this school year! Our Forest Explorers Hike and Play club provides the opportunity for kids, ages 5 through 8, to go on hikes from the nature center for child-directed play in the canyons, creeks, and surrounding forest. Children will build forts, make seasonal observations, and learn to identify different plants and animals.

Forest Explorers, taught by educator Denise Matthews, allows children to have fun outside while working cooperatively, building gross motor skills, and learning more about the local ecology.

Forest Explorers winter/spring session will meet every other Wednesday afternoon from 1 to 3 p.m. from January 23 to May 1. Parents will drop off and pick up their child at the Los Alamos Nature Center. This Forest Explorers session will meet on the following Wednesday afternoons: January 23; February 6 and 20; March 6 and 20; April 3 and 17; and May 1. Space is limited to 15 explorers, so please reserve your place soon!

Participants should come prepared to be outside for the entire time. This is an all-outdoor program and children should wear/bring clothing to stay warm and dry in all weather conditions. Children also need to bring a backpack with a water bottle and snack.

Denise Matthews leads the Nature Playtime program for PEEC and also serves as an instructor for our year-round school field trips and classroom visits. She has taught science in the classroom and as an environmental educator for the past 12 years. Denise is passionate about providing kids with the opportunity to connect with the local environment through child-directed outdoor exploration and inquiry.

Admission: $175/non-member, $150/PEEC member.