Spark the natural curiosity in your “Wild One” as we take in the wonders of the outdoors. Inside our classroom, we'll discover leaves, pumpkins, seeds, and other autumn surprises with sensory play and exploration, stories, and themed activities. Then we'll head out for a nature walk around the pond and prairie, and over to visit the animals in the Nature Center. Dress for a mess. No class November 11 and 25.

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Climb to the highest of heights with these mountain friends. Explore the creatures that scale the slopes and make their homes well above the average altitude. Learn more about mountain goats, grizzly bears, and other mountain animals through hikes, crafts, activities, and stories.

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The hot sun may bake the sand, but many critters still live in this wild land! Learn about the desert and the creatures that live there through stories, animal crafts, short hikes, and many fun activities. Featuring hump-backed camels, stinging scorpions, and more! No class Nov 28 or 29.

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Take a journey through trees and into the forest in search of our Forest Friends. Greet the Wildwood animals, enjoy an animal tale about our forest creatures, create a craft, enjoy themed activities, and explore on a short nature walk outdoors (weather permitting). Forest friends features: moose, woodpecker, coyote, and chipmunks.

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Experience the wonders of animals, plants, and the outdoors with fun games, crafts, experiments, and activities. We are all about hands-on learning and discovery and venture outside for nature hikes. Different topics each session. No class Oct 14 or Nov 25.

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Interested in being a ranger at Wildwood? Get a hands-on taste of what it’s like to be a Wildwood ranger. Learn how to clean, feed, and care for the animals during this fun training session.

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Calling together the Adventure Club – come join Wildwood’s naturalists for weekly outdoor excursions. Explore the prairie looking for creatures big and small, grab a net to find bugs in the long grass or in the water, hike the Des Plaines River trail, and discover nature through experiments, projects, and exploration. The majority of the class takes place outdoors.

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Use pulleys, wheels, axles, and levers to create fun machines. Test a stomp catapult and see where the load and fulcrum must be to achieve maximum flight. Use pulleys to design a cable car transport system and design and test a marble roller coaster!

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Dive into the science of jet propulsion, then build and test rockets! See what the power of a little hot air can do as you build a model hot air balloon. Harness the power of gliding as you create your own long distance flyer, and learn more about adaptations that let animals leap - and soar! Explore early powered flight machines as well as the mechanics behind animal flight as we soar to new heights!

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Camp out with your family in the Park District’s backyard, outside at the Wildwood Nature Center. Enjoy a campfire dinner and s’mores on Friday night and breakfast on Saturday morning. After dinner, say hello to the Wildwood critters, borrow a fishing pole and visit the pond, and enjoy a family friendly movie before turning in for the night. Participants are required to bring their own tents and bedding. Fee is per person. Please let us know if you have any dietary concerns/allergies.

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The entire family will enjoy the peaceful night air while sitting around a fire listening to stories, singing songs, and making everyone’s favorite - s’mores! Enjoy a night hike around the pond. Flashlights are not needed, but feel free to bring a blanket or chair to sit on. Fee is per family.

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Turn your family into scientists and explore fun science concepts with us! Make cool discoveries through experiments, projects, and play. Different activities each class. Please register only one member of your family and dress for a mess! October: Ramp and Roll - design cars and marble roller coasters as we explore rolling downhill, centripetal force, and friction. November: Feathers and Flight – design wings and planes, test your aerodynamic designs and explore wind and air resistance and how they help (or hinder) animal or human powered flight.

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Ready for Wildwood’s twist on the classic tag? A popular Nature Camp and Discovery Crew game, Zombie Tag is a prairie wide invasion to escape and evade getting tagged by the group of Zombie players. Zombies are marked with an X, and getting tagged by a zombie player will result in one stripe across your own shirt. A second stripe makes you a full fledged ”Zombie" and you join the rest of the mob.

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