Little Naturalist Story Time
October through May | Twice a month | 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
We are excited to welcome back our littlest explorers at Swaner! Little Naturalist is the perfect program for 3 to 5 year olds who are curious about animals, their habitats, the environment, and exploring nature. Join us to read a specially selected nature-themed book, explore the natural world, and complete a craft. Some favorites include snowshoeing on the Preserve, interacting with live reptiles and amphibians, upcycling old materials into fun creations, and much more!
Cost is $4.00/session per youth participant (infants in arms are free).
Please dress appropriately for the weather that day!
| Date/Theme | Book |
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October 8th: Welcome Fall! The weather is changing and so are things on the Preserve! Come collect evidence of the new season in this explorative session. |
Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn by Kenard Pak |
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October 22nd: Nocturnal Animals Nighttime doesn’t always mean sleep. Come find out how nocturnal animals use their senses in the dark! |
Little Owl’s Night by Divya Srinivasan |
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November 5th: Busy Beavers What have the beavers at Swaner been up to? Find out in this session as we learn about beaver dams and their benefits! This session of Little Naturalist is FREE thanks to the Utah Department of Water Quality Nonpoint Source Management Program. |
Five Busy Beavers by Stella Partheniou Grasso |
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November 19th: Slow and Steady How does being slow, weak, or small help an animal to survive? In this session, we will be learning about some of the animals featured in our Survival of the Slowest exhibit! |
"Slowly, Slowly, Slowly," said the Sloth by Eric Carle |
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December 3rd: When Winter Comes Come find out how animals on the Swaner Preserve survive the harsh conditions of the winter season! |
Hibernation Station by Michelle Lepe and illustrated by Kurt Cyrus |
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December 17th: Imagination Station Bring your creativity to this session as we learn how to turn everyday items into something new! |
The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires |
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January 7th: Winter Weather Bundle up to investigate the secrets of snow in this wintery session! |
Blizzard by John Rocco |
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January 21st: Life Cycles Pull out your magnifying glasses to take a closer look at the life cycles of insects! |
Pipsie Nature Detective: The Disappearing Caterpillar by Rick DeDonato |
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February 4th: Tracking Wildlife What signs of wildlife can we look for on the snowy Preserve? Grab your snowshoes and become a winter detective! Snowshoes will be provided for participants and adult guardians. |
Someone Walks By: The Wonders of Winter Wildlife by Polly Carlson-Voiles |
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February 18th: Fantastic Frogs Hop on over to this session as we explore the physical features frogs have that help them survive in a wetland! |
A Frog Thing by Eric Drachman |
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March 4th: Whoosh goes the Wind! What's the difference between a breeze and a gust? Come find out as we experiment with wind! |
Kate, Who Tamed the Wind by Liz Garton Scanlon |
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March 18th: Sounds of Nature Drip, drop, splish, splash - what other sounds can water make? Participants will use their sense of hearing to discover different sounds in nature. |
Watersong by Tim McCanna and illustrated by Richard Smythe |
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April 8th: Sensational Spring Springtime is here! Get your hands dirty while learning about plants. |
The Curious Garden by Peter Brown |
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April 22nd: Planet Protectors Celebrate Earth Day with us as we learn how to protect and preserve the land around us! |
Compost Stew: An A to Z Recipe for the Earth by Mary McKenna Siddals and illustrated by Ashley Wolff |
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May 6th: Reptile Roundup Slither to this session and meet live reptiles from guest presenter, Kim's Cold-Blooded Creatures. |
Lizard from the Park by Mark Pett |
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May 20th: Spiders are Special Learn to love spiders as we discover the importance of these tiny friends! |
I'm Trying to Love Spiders by Bethany Barton |
