Fontenelle Forest Trail Closure: All Fontenelle Forest trails, Riverview Boardwalk, Acorn Acres, and Raptor Woodland Refuge are CLOSED from Monday, December 2 through Thursday, December 5 as we conduct our annual managed deer hunt.

Fontenelle Forest Trail Closure: All Fontenelle Forest trails, Riverview Boardwalk, Acorn Acres, and Raptor Woodland Refuge are CLOSED from Monday, December 2 through Thursday, December 5 as we conduct our annual managed deer hunt.

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Mudpies

November 7 @ 9:30 am - 11:00 am

Event Series Event Series (See All)
An image of a young girl and her mother smiling at one another overlayed by the Mudpies logo.

Mudpies is a structured program for children ages 3-5 that encourages exploration of nature and interaction between a child and their caregiver. Each week, a natural science topic is explored through crafts, outdoor exploration, songs, stories, hikes and more!

An orange web header with images of children playing in Fontenelle Forest.

 

Tuesday and Thursday mornings at the Forest

Looking for a unique setting in which to have fun with your child while learning about the natural world?

Mudpies is a structured program for children ages 3-5 that encourages exploration of nature and interaction between a child and their caregiver. Each week, a natural science theme is explored through crafts, outdoor exploration, songs, stories, hikes and more! Each session will feature a different craft or activity, along with storytime and a guided hike. Come discover the joy of sharing nature with your child!

This program is for children ages 3-5 accompanied by a caregiver.

 


 

When: Every Tuesday and Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Where: Fontenelle Forest Nature Center, Habitat Hollow, Mudpies Education Room (Lower Level)

Member price: $8 per child. Members must sign in to receive discount. Non-member price: $8 per child + daily admission for each accompanying adult(s). Click here to see daily admission prices. Please note that prices have increased for 2024. 

Pre-registration is required. Class size is limited to 15 students.

Registration is available by individual session – OR – you can also sign up for a full month of Mudpies at a time (a new feature this year)!   

Mudpies will run following the Bellevue Public Schools calendar and will not run during the summer.

Please see our most recent COVID-19 guidelines here.

 

September Schedule

Tuesday, September 3

Theme: Beavers, Session 1

Discover how beavers build and live in their lodges and dams as we learn about these engineers of the wetlands!

Thursday, September 5

Theme: Beavers, Session 2

Come learn about the tools beavers use to engineer their environment! These tools aren’t hammers and nails, but teeth and tails!

Tuesday, September 10

Theme: Weather, Session 1

What makes thunder? Lightning? Tornadoes? Come learn about storms as we explore weather this week!

Thursday, September 12

Theme: Weather, Session 2

What makes the weather? Come learn about how seasons affect weather!

Tuesday, September 17

Theme: Insects, Session 1

What makes up an insect? Come learn about heads, thoraxes, abdomens, and more as we learn about insect body parts!

Thursday, September 19

Theme: Insects, Session 2

How many types of insects can we find in Fontenelle Forest? Grab your nets and bug catches and come explore the insects of the Forest!

Tuesday, September 24

Theme: Sense of Taste, Session 1

How does a butterfly eat? Come learn about butterfly proboscis and how they use them to eat from flowers!

Thursday, September 26

Theme: Sense of Taste, Session 2

Does a butterfly taste with its’ tongue? Or something else? Come learn about butterfly feet and the weird ways animals taste their food!

Register for September Classes

 

October Schedule

Tuesday, October 1

Theme: Spiders, Session 1

How do spiders make a web? Come learn about how spiders are different than insects and how they make their homes!

Thursday, October 3

Theme: Spiders, Session 2

Come learn about spider webs and all the different ways they engineer homes and traps with their silk!

Tuesday, October 8

Theme: Hawks, Session 1

What makes hawks different from songbirds? Come learn about all the features that make these birds special!

Thursday, October 10

Theme: Hawks, Session 2

How do hawks survive the winter? Come learn about how hawks migrate and how far they go!

Tuesday, October 15

Theme: Bats, Session 1

Do bats turn into vampires? Or drink blood? Come discover something new about bats and learn about their 6th sense – echolocation!

Thursday, October 17

Theme: Bats, Session 2

How do bats find their food in the dark? Or avoid crashing into trees? Get ready for a batty good time as we explore these creatures of the night!

Tuesday, October 22

Theme: Leaves & colors, Session 1

What happens when fall rolls around? What are some signs that summer is ending and fall is here? Come learn about the changing seasons!

Thursday, October 24

Theme: Leaves & colors, Session 2

Come learn about fall leaves and why they change colors as we examine the changing seasons!

Tuesday, October 29

Theme: Biomes

Explore the world with us today as we investigate biomes, from oceans to prairies to rainforests!

Thursday, October 31

Theme: Halloween

Feeling spooky? Come learn about bats, spiders, snakes, and more during some Halloween-themed mythbusting!

Register for October Classes

 

November Schedule

Tuesday, November 5

Theme: Woodpeckers, Session 1

Investigate these winged engineers that make the Forest trees their home! Come learn about woodpecker nests and how they’re made!

Thursday, November 7

Theme: Woodpeckers, Session 2

Join us for a peck-tacular day of Mudpies as we explore the world of woodpeckers, from how they drum on trees to the different species we have at the Forest.

Tuesday, November 12

Theme: Bullsnakes, Session 1

Come learn what makes up a snake, from their tongues to the tips of their tails!

Thursday, November 14

Theme: Bullsnakes, Session 2

Join us as we learn about the largest snake in Nebraska and meet the Forest’s resident bullsnake!

Tuesday, November 19

Theme: Sense of Smell, Session 1

How do turkey vultures find the carrion that they eat? With their nose, of course! Come learn about nature’s scavengers and their strongest sense!

Thursday, November 21

Theme: Sense of Smell, Session 2

Come explore turkey vultures. Meet a resident turkey vulture and learn about their (usually) smelly adaptations!

Tuesday, November 26

Theme: Turkeys, Session 1

Learn about the largest (and noisiest!) bird at Fontenelle Forest just in time for turkey day!

Register for November Classes

 

December Schedule

Tuesday, December 3

Theme: Squirrels, Session 1

Explore some of the most unexpected engineers of the animal kingdom – squirrels! Come learn how they engineer their homes!

Thursday, December 5

Theme: Squirrels, Session 2

Discover something new about the fluffy critters you find in your backyard! Learn about how squirrels engineer the ecosystems they live in!

Tuesday, December 10

Theme: Animal Coverings, Session 1

Fur, feathers, and scales, oh my! Come learn about animal coverings and how they help animals survive!

Thursday, December 12

Theme: Animal Coverings, Session 2

Why don’t fish have fur? Why don’t foxes need scales? Does a frog need feathers? Learn about animal coverings and how they help animals adapt to their environment!

Tuesday, December 17

Theme: Happy Holidays!, Session 1

Come learn about the shortest day of the year and other exciting holiday celebrations around the world!

Thursday, December 19

Theme: Happy Holidays!, Session 2

How do you celebrate the holidays? Join us as we explore holiday celebrations, from your neighborhood to people across the world.

Register for December Classes

 

Note: Mudpies follows the Bellevue Public Schools calendar and will not run during winter break.

Details

Date:
November 7
Time:
9:30 am - 11:00 am
Series:
Event Categories:
,

Venue

Fontenelle Forest
1111 Bellevue Blvd North
Bellevue, NE 68005 United States
+ Google Map
Phone
4027313140

Fontenelle Forest is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt nonprofit.

Make a tax deductible donation NOW

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