(WNY News Now) – Jamestown, N.Y. – “With day campers using our Green Play Area and second-floor exhibits the rest of the week, we’re happy to provide special opportunities there for other youngsters on Mondays.”
That’s how Audubon Community Nature Center Education Coordinator Sarah Hatfield explains why Audubon has designated Mondays as Green Play Days.
The outdoor, fenced Green Play Area is designed for young children, complete with a mud kitchen, water wall, and more. This safe environment allows for the unstructured outdoor play so beneficial to a child’s physical and mental development and to their understanding and appreciation of the natural world.
On Mondays through August 12, 2–6-year-olds and their favorite adult(s) can drop in for Green Play Days any time 10 a.m.–3 p.m. An educator or volunteer is available throughout the day to assist. Adults must stay with their children and may want to bring a chair, snacks, and water or a drink.
The open house-style program aims to inspire both kids and adults to make discoveries and feel more comfortable about the natural world through play.
Be sure to dress for the weather. Clothes and footwear that can get wet and dirty are recommended for the children, and a change of clothes or a towel for the car ride home can be a good idea.
In the case of severe weather, the Green Play Area will close.
No reservations are required for this program that is included with building admission. Members and SNAP/EBT cardholders are free. Non-member adults (ages 16+) are $6. Non-member children ages 3-15 are $2; ages 2 and under are free. Maximum cost for a family is $15. (Building admission is free for all on Sundays.)
For more information, call (716) 569-2345 during business hours or go to AudubonCNC.org and click through Programs and Events.
Audubon Community Nature Center is located at 1600 Riverside Road, one-quarter mile east of Route 62 between Jamestown, N.Y., and Warren, Pa. You can visit the nearly 600-acre nature preserve, check in on the live birds of prey, enjoy the native tree arboretum, gardens, picnic area, and hike over five miles of trails dawn until dusk daily for free.
The three-story Nature Center building houses interactive displays, a collection of live animals including the Hellbender exhibit, and the Blue Heron Gift Shop. Visitors are welcome Mondays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., and Sundays, 1 – 4:30 p.m.
To learn more about Audubon and its many programs, call (716) 569-2345, find Audubon Community Nature Center on Facebook, or visit AudubonCNC.org. Check out AudubonCNC.org/about for a quick fly-by visit.
Audubon Community Nature Center builds and nurtures connections between people and nature by providing positive outdoor experiences, opportunities to learn about and understand the natural world, and knowledge to act in environmentally responsible ways.
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