MASON CITY – Looking for a good way to entertain your kids this summer? Lime Creek Nature Center has an excellent resource for you. Lime Creek has created three theme based backpacks containing materials and activities designed to engage elementary aged children in outdoor experiences and help them connect to the natural world. Explore Outdoors Packs are great for parents and children as well as groups like a scout troop or youth group. Each backpack will have books, games, activity guides, nature guidebooks and many other objects you can use to explore. They are ideal for your backyard, a city park, county conservation areas or a weekend camping trip.
Outdoor fun is in store for anyone who checks out a backpack and completes the activities inside. Lime Creek Nature Center has three Explore Outdoors Packs available for check-out: Birds, Trees and the brand new Insect pack. You could learn about what makes an insect an insect, do a bug scavenger hunt, and observe insects up close with the Insect Pack. With the Bird Pack, you can test your skills at building a bird nest, learn the basics of bird watching, play bird behavior bingo, and construct a bird feeder from recycled materials. You might want to check out the Trees and Forest Pack to learn how to identify different trees, make an edible leaf and find out what animals lives in the Rotten Log Hotel. These backpacks are a great way to spend the weekend learning as a family.
These packs can be checked out for a two week period, free of charge from the Lime Creek Nature Center office Monday through Friday between 7:30 AM and 4:00 PM. A signed personal check must be provided as collateral for any lost or damaged items at the time of check-out. If you have any questions or wish to reserve one of the Explore Outdoors Packs, please call 641-423-5309. You can look for additional packs with themes like Prairies, Water and Wetlands, and Reptiles in the future. Go out there and explore outdoors!
