Programs

Calling together the Adventure Club – come join Wildwood’s naturalists for weekly outdoor excursions. Explore and discover nature through experiments, projects, and exploration. Class takes place outdoors as much as possible. Please pack a water bottle and dress to be comfortable outdoors.

Sections & Details

Explore mythological creatures - the legends and the science - through stories, experiments, engineering and crafts. How might dragons produce fire? How do mermaids and sea monsters float? Whose horns or tusks might have inspired the legend of a unicorn's horn? Make a merperson tail blanket, craft unicorn or centaur horns, design a dragon egg, dissect a kraken's distant cousin, and attempt to catch Big Foot on video!

Sections & Details

Turn your family into scientists and explore fun science concepts with us! Make cool discoveries through experiments, projects, and play. Different activities each month. Please register only one member of your family. January: Satisfying Sounds - make instruments and explore how materials mix to create a wide variety of satisfying sounds February: Inventors' Workshop - with common classroom materials, build toy cars, elevators, and more!

Sections & Details

Wildwood's nature focused program for children ages 3-4 infuses traditional readiness learning and preschool activities with an emphasis on the natural world and daily outdoor discovery. The curriculum incorporates the Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards. In addition to their ABC’s and 123’s, preschoolers hike the trails around the pond, prairie, and woodland, draw in their journals, turn over logs to look for insects and worms, and get to know the animals at Wildwood all while developing lifelong learning skills in the classroom and outside. Nature Preschool rotates curriculum, exploring different seasonal topics. This allows your child to attend a unique program for two years. All children must be completely toilet trained to participate. Age is 3-4 years old as of September 1. No Class October 13, November 24-28, December 22-January 5, January 19, February 16, and March 23-27, April 3. Registration for Fall 2025 Registration for Nature Preschool is for the full school year. There is a $100 non-refundable deposit due at the time of registration that deducts from the total fee for the program. When you register you can select to pay in full or select the payment plan option. If you choose the pay in full (PIF) option, the remaining balance will come due on your account on 8/15/2025. If you choose the payment plan option, it will show a balance of $100 in your cart for the deposit, and they remaining fee is split into 8 equal payments on 8/15, 9/15, 10/15, 11/15, 12/15, 1/15, 2/15, and 3/15. Registration Dates - February 10 at 12:00 pm- Nature Preschool students enrolled in the current school year can register for Nature Preschool for 2025-2026 School Year - February 24 at 12:00 pm – Registration open to current Maine Park Preschool and Toddler Tree School families. - March 10 at 12:00 pm– Open Registration for all new students Registration for the program is online. If you have never registered for a Park District program, you will need to set up your Household account with the Park Ridge Park District to create an account. Please reach out to the Registration Office at 847-692-5127 for more information about setting up an account.

Sections & Details

Wildwood's nature focused program for children ages 3-4 infuses traditional readiness learning and preschool activities with an emphasis on the natural world and daily outdoor discovery. The curriculum incorporates the Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards. In addition to their ABC’s and 123’s, preschoolers hike the trails around the pond, prairie, and woodland, draw in their journals, turn over logs to look for insects and worms, and get to know the animals at Wildwood all while developing lifelong learning skills in the classroom and outside. Nature Preschool rotates curriculum, exploring different seasonal topics. This allows your child to attend a unique program for two years. All children must be completely toilet trained to participate. Age is 3-4 years old as of September 1. No Class October 13, November 24-28, December 22-January 5, January 19, February 16, and March 23-27, April 3. Registration for Fall 2025 Registration for Nature Preschool is for the full school year. There is a $100 non-refundable deposit due at the time of registration that deducts from the total fee for the program. When you register you can select to pay in full or select the payment plan option. If you choose the pay in full (PIF) option, the remaining balance will come due on your account on 8/15/2025. If you choose the payment plan option, it will show a balance of $100 in your cart for the deposit, and they remaining fee is split into 8 equal payments on 8/15, 9/15, 10/15, 11/15, 12/15, 1/15, 2/15, and 3/15. Registration Dates - February 10 at 12:00 pm- Nature Preschool students enrolled in the current school year can register for Nature Preschool for 2025-2026 School Year - February 24 at 12:00 pm – Registration open to current Maine Park Preschool and Toddler Tree School families. - March 10 at 12:00 pm– Open Registration for all new students Registration for the program is online. If you have never registered for a Park District program, you will need to set up your Household account with the Park Ridge Park District to create an account. Please reach out to the Registration Office at 847-692-5127 for more information about setting up an account.

Sections & Details