Nature Camps & Fun for Families
Our nature camps and kids activities get children outdoors—where they should be! With over 500 acres to explore, the Nature Center is the perfect outdoor classroom to encourage a child’s interest in the natural world. So, bring the family, learn about nature, enjoy the outdoors, and have fun!
For more information about these activities or to register, contact:
Jessica Glasscock, Education Coordinator
education [at] cdri [dot] org or 432.364.2499
Fun for the Family!
Year Round
Discover the Desert Scavenger Hunt
Bring the family and enjoy a fun desert exploration acivity. Designed for parents (or grandparents!) and children to work on together. You’ll receive an activity booklet with things to find and think about as you explore the botanical garden or go on a hike. When you’ve completed the activities, bring the activity booklet back to the Nature Shop and your child will receive a certificate of completion, a Nature Center patch, and a sticker.
Year round activity, $5 per child.
Mission ImPossible: Nature Challenge 2011
Date: All summer long
Kickoff event: May 7, 2011
Location: Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center and locations throughout West Texas.
West Texas is full of amazing opportunities to introduce your family to the wonders of nature!
Join the CDRI and the Texas Forest Service for Mission ImPossible, a challenge to you and your family to discover nature this summer. You and your kids will explore West Texas parks and recreation areas to complete missions that involve finding the “Coolest Place in the Chihuahuan Desert.” In a little friendly competition, you can compete with other families for awards such as “Most Parks Visited”, “Best Picture” or “Best Story.”
Families will complete booklets (to be stamped at each park), take pictures, keep a scrapbook nature journal, and write about what they see and experience. No “competition” is necessary, but we would like to see and hear about your adventures during the wrap-up event at the end of the summer (date to be announced).
Sign up at the kickoff event at the Nature Center of May 7 or online at the Mission ImPossible website. There are no fees except for park and recreation admission costs. Read more.
Thanks to a Community Outdoor Outreach Program grant from Texas Parks and Wildlife, we are able to offer a limited number of state park passes to families participating in Mission ImPossible. Contact Jessica Glasscock at 432.364.2499 or education [at] cdri [dot] org for more information about the availability of these passes.
Dates: Monday through Friday, June 20—24, 2011
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
Location: Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center
Fees: $80 members; $100 nonmembers
Children love day camp! Where else do you get to go on walks, make crafts, tell stories, and read books—all centered on a different nature theme each day?
Early exposure to nature can result in a life-time of benefits and memories—from inquisitiveness and focus in school to appreciation, action, and even social interaction later in life. This preschool enrichment program is offered to children aged 4 to 6. Class size limited to 10 children.
The Desert Rat Club: Summer Day Camp for Elementary-Age Children
Dates: Monday through Friday, July 18—22, 2011
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
Location: Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center
Fees: $80 members; $100 nonmembers
Desert Rat Club participants will explore the flora, fauna, and geology of the natural world on a slightly more sophisticated level than the Critter Club. Kids will learn about the desert region and grow to appreciate nature through walks, journaling, careful observation, and experimentation. Emphasis will be placed on encouraging the children to think like a scientist as we explore the natural world. Ages 7 to 10. Class size limited to 12 children.
Date: May 14, 2011
Time: 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM
Place: Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center
Cost: Free! (Due to support from a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Community Outdoor Outreach Program Grant)
In celebration of International Migratory Bird Day, we’re hosting a workshop on bird house construction. Drop by the Nature Center and choose the style you like, the bird type you’d like to build for, or even the amount of “building” you’d like to do. Supplies, including a selection of gourds, pre-cut lumber, and recycled materials, will be available.
Date: June 25, 2011
Time: 10 AM to 3 PM
Location: Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center
Cost: FREE! (Thanks to a grant from Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Community Outdoor Outreach Program.)
Come join us for Pollinator Palooza—a family field day in celebration of National Pollinator Week. Children and adults will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of naturalist-led activities designed to increase awareness of the diversity of pollinators.
July 16 & 30 (starting around 10:30 p.m.)
Following the Desert After Dark hike, plan on exploring a new frontier: the night sky! David Oesper and the Big Bend Astronomers will help you identify the constellations, star clusters, nebulas, and the planet Saturn with its spectacular rings. The program is $5.oo per person (which includes the Desert After Dark hike, so come for both!).
Date: Friday, October 28, 2011
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Cost: $10 per family
Spooky stories, flickering campfire light, noises in the dark, a make-and-take activity, and a walk into the unknown —how else would you celebrate a hallowed eve? Join Dr. Jennifer Jordan and other volunteers as you and your munchkins experience Halloween with all your senses. (Yes, taste, too!) Wear costumes you can walk in and dress warmly. Open to children up to 10 years old.
