Sachem Public Library
Discovery Grove
Children continue to flourish in nature while visiting Discovery Grove. They build with the huge blocks, dig deep in the dirt digging area, make castles in the sand, read books in the shade of our living willow structure, and “cook” dinner in the mud kitchen with delicious rocks as potatoes, tree bark as steaks, and fallen leaves as a yummy side salad. Don’t forget the mud brownies for dessert! Children’s creativity is limitless in this environment.
On International Mud Day, even parents think it’s fun to let their children take a swim in our pool of mud! Who could resist? Or enjoy target practice with some mud balls. If that’s not their speed, they can attend our yearly bubble program, where huge bubbles are created with five-gallon buckets filled with magical rainbow fluid. Children can also learn how to put up a tent, campfire safety, and sing a few songs in our Family Camping program. Maybe they’re artistic. In that case, they can come to one of our many nature craft programs and learn the ancient art of Japanese fish scale stamping or build and decorate a fairy house or learn how to press or dry flowers and then use them to create something truly beautiful.
If crafting isn’t what the children are into, but they like to get outside and get some exercise, we offer the opportunity to experience that in the space, too. We brought a coach in to teach two and three year-old’s how to play baseball and the school age children have experienced the lively game of gaga ball. We set up seasonal obstacle courses all year long and we like to dance and march around with nature instruments for exercise, too!
On our off-site field trips, we’ve gone to a children’s science center and watched worms wiggle away from the light of a flashlight, learned about the animals we saw on a winter beach hike and about the plants we passed by on a walk through the woods with a nature guide. Of course, one of our best days was getting to see a chipmunk that was hibernating after being rescued when we visited a wildlife rescue center, enchanting.
We are committed to keeping children connected to nature and getting them outside and modeling for them and their parents all of the wonderful ways that nature can be enjoyed and experienced. There are a multitude of ways to protect our environment as well. It is vital for us to continue this important work so we have beautiful, healthy, natural places for our children and their children and beyond to continue to enjoy and thrive in.
Learn more about this classroom on their certification page!
