With Spring Break just around the corner, Scout Island is ready to give youth in the lakecity something to do that will keep their bodies active and minds stimulated.
Scout Island Nature Centre’s executive director Sue Hemphill said Nature Exploring and Art in Nature is a great way for children to spend their free time over the Spring Break. Running from March 17 to 19 this class is designed for students from Grades 1 through 6.
The class is being taught by Kim Zalay, a retired teacher who has been teaching Scout Island nature programs for a couple of years now, with the assistance of high school student Alana Witte a former student of hers. Each day they’ll be covering a different topic including mammals, plants and invertebrates and birds.
“Parents may have recognized in their own children what’s called a naturalist intelligence, kids that are right down there looking at the bugs who are automatically interested and just really notice things. It will be a good program for all children but especially for those children because we really do work on kids noticing things and being involved with them and learning,” Hemphill said.
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The program will start each morning at 8:30 a.m. and go until 4 p.m. with independent activities, so parents can drop children off when convenient. It costs $35 a day for one student with a maximum number of 12 spots available each day.
“We really like to keep our numbers low, because when the kids are in school all the rest of the time they have to march around with 25 others,” Hemphill explained, adding they’re able to spend more one-on-one time with the children this way.
People can sign up by calling the Scout Island Nature Centre at 250-398-8532 or e-mail Hemphill directly at shemphill@explornet.com.
Spots are anticipated to fill up fast, Hemphill said, as she believes she got her first call about a spot the minute after she posted the poster for the class on Facebook.
Hemphill advises those parents who do sign their children up to send an extra pair of clothes and boots with them as they spend a lot of time outside and March tends to be a wet month. At the end of the day though, no matter how wet they might get, Hemphill said the children tend to have a good time.
“I encourage parents to have their kids come out to the program because it’s outdoors and if you don’t want your kids in a program then take your kids outdoors yourself,” Hemphill said. “Use Spring Break to be outside.”
patrick.davies@wltribune.com
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