Programs

Youth and Family Programming

Adventures await... enjoy unique experiences that teach, engage and connect your family to the natural world! Get ready to explore with our Adventure and Discovery Backpacks, get up close and personal with our turtles during Turtle Tuesdays, grab a Walkie-Talkie and Check in with our Educators-on-Call during your adventure, listen and learn during our Preschool Story Times and have fun as a family during our Family Fun Nights and Seasonal Celebrations! And, don't forget our fall favorite for a decade - Trick or Tweet!

Adventure and Discovery Backpacks - Get Ready to Explore!

Want to grab an adventure and go? Ready to see what you can discover? The center offers a variety of nature-themed backpacks for you and your family! Our Adventure Backpacks are geared to school-aged children and our Discovery Backpacks are geared to you and your little one (preschoolers). Usually you can stop by the front desk to check one of these backpacks out; however, in promoting keeping everyone safe, please be sure to sign up for a backpack by clicking here to register ! During this time limited backpacks will be available on Tuesdays and Thursdays between the hours of 10 am and 11:30 am and families will be able to check out a backpack for an hour and a half at a time, adults will just need to leave an id at the front desk until each bag is returned. Pre-registration is required. This activity is free but we welcome donations.

Turtle Tuesdays at 11 am -

Join our animal care specialist and assistant to learn all about our turtles; and, even watch a live feeding! You'll get to learn about each of our turtles, their habitat, diet and behavior and then watch as their food is prepared and served infront of your very eyes! You don't want to miss this exciting experience! Click here to register! Pre-registration is required. This activity is free but we welcome donations.

Grab a Walkie-Talkie and Check in with our Educator-on-Call While You're on Your Adventure!

Looking for a fun way to keep your young explorer engaged? Need a break from virtual learning during the day? Stop by our front desk between 10 am and 2 pm on Wednesdays and Fridays to check out a walkie-talkie and take an adventure for up to an hour! Parents/guardians will need to leave an id at the front desk to borrow our walkie-talkies. While outside, give our educators a call if you find something interesting or have a question. Currently, we're asking visitors to help us locate monarch caterpillars in our native plant gardens, but we'll be adding specific things to look for throughout the year! This activity is free but we welcome donations. Thank you in advance for your patience if you arrive and all of our walkie-talkies are checked out - they'll be returned and cleaned within an hour so you don't miss out!

Virtual Preschool Story Time on Facebook

Earlier this spring, due to the Covid-19 pandemic and center closure, we went virtual with our Story Times! You can still enjoy our virtual Story Time at 10 am on Thursdays and Saturdays at least through the end of August - stay tuned for updates. Click here to check out our Facebook page where you'll find prior Story Time videos anytime and join us live on Thursday morning at 10:15 am. Saturday story time will be posted by noon each Saturday so be sure to join us for some stories when it's convenient for you and your family.

Preschool Story Time at the Grange Insurance Audubon Center

We're bringing back Preschool Story Time at the center on Thursdays at 10:15 am! To keep everyone safe during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, we'll be requiring registration on Eventbrite and registration will be limited. Join us in person to enjoy listening to nature-based stories being read-aloud on our deck under the mulberry tree (or in the multi-purpose room in the event of inclement weather). After the stories, your little ones can visit our turtles or romp and play in our outdoor play area. Pre-registration is required. This activity is free but we welcome donations.Can't get to the center - don't worry, you can always join virtually by clicking the links above for our virtual storytime!

Click here to register!

Due to continued safety measures, our library and playroom remain closed and our activity backpacks and manipulatives will be stored a little bit longer. All visitors over the age of 10 must wear a mask while inside the center so be sure to bring them with you just in case we're inside due to inclement weather. Face masks are strongly encouraged during our outdoor storytime. Thank you for your understanding!

While Story Time is usually a free, drop-in program with no registration required, due to Covid-19 participants must be registered ahead of time at our Eventbrite link. Story Time will remain free. Doors open at 10 am, please be sure to check in at the front desk and our friendly greeter will send you in the right direction. For more information, please contact Allison Clark, Education Program Manager, at aclark@audubon.org or 614-545-5482

Please follow us on social media or check with local news stations for information regarding closings due to inclement weather or Covid-19, special events or emergencies. Thank you!

Upcoming Seasonal Celebrations

Join us as we welcome each new season throughout the year!

Fall Into Fun - Family Fun Night - Friday, September 18th from 6-8 pm! Click here to register!

Families, fall into fun by starting the season off right with activities, crafts, games and stories to welcome the new season. Stick around to see the ceremonial changing of the bird on Friday, September 18th during our 6-7 pm session - which bird will it be? And don't worry, during our 7-8 pm session, we'll pay special tribute to our seasonal bird. Due to our current limited numbers, please be sure to sign up for either the 6-7 pm session or the 7-8 pm session. Activities and fun will be found at stations geared toward families with preschool and school-aged children so bring the family, stay socially distanced from others and join the fun!

Fall Into Fun - Saturday Self-Guided Seasonal Celebration Drop-In, Saturday, September 19th from 10 am - noon!

Families with preschoolers, fall into fun by starting the season off right with self-guided activities, crafts, games and stories to welcome the new season. We'll also pay special tribute to our seasonal bird during each session. Activities and fun will be found at stations to help our visitors stay socially distanced from others.

Winter Warm Up - Family Fun Night - Friday, December 18th from 6-8 pm! Check back for links to registration coming soon!

Your family will stay warm enjoying an evening infront of the fire, participating in scavenger hunts, wintery science experiments, games, crafts and stories as we welcome winter at the Grange Insurance Audubon Center! See which bird will take watch over the center for the winter season on Friday, December 18th during our 6-7 pm session or stop by the river on Saturday, December 19th to see if you can spot his real-life friends! Due to our current limited numbers, please be sure to sign up for either the 6-7 pm session or the 7-8 pm session. Activities and fun will be found at stations geared toward families with preschool and school-aged children so bring the family, stay socially distanced from others and join the fun!

Winter Warm Up - Saturday Seasonal Celebration - Saturday, December 19th from 10 am - noon! Check back for links to registration coming soon!

Families with preschoolers, your family will stay warm during a wintery hike, participating in scavenger hunts, wintery science experiments, games, crafts and stories as we welcome winter at the Grange Insurance Audubon Center! See which bird will be taking watch over the center for the winter season and stop by the river to see if you can spot his real-life friends! Due to our current limted numbers, please be sure to sign up for either the 10-11 am or 11 am - noon session. Activities and fun will be found at stations to help our visitors stay socially distanced from others.

Trick or Tweet - Saturday, October 31st (geared toward families with preschoolers and children grades K-2)! Check back for links to registration coming soon!

Join us for a popular fall treat! Bring your preschoolers and children grades K-2 on Saturday, October 31st for some not-so-scary fun. Costumes are fun and encouraged, especially for our costume parades throughout each event! Your children will delight in games, scavengers hunts, short hikes, crafts, sing-a-longs, read-alouds and even a snack to take home! Three sessions will be offered throughout the day 10-11 am, 11:30 am - 12:30 pm and 1-3 pm.