Our educational programming at Silver Lake Nature Center focuses on environmental education for all ages!

 

We welcome schools, preschools, camps, meetup groups, adults, homeschool groups, scouts, workplace teams, senior groups, families, and all others.

**Please note for all programs scheduled for a group: A deposit of $100.00 is required to secure date. Balance due on or before day of program. No refund of deposit unless program is canceled by SLNC.**

Preschool Programming

Our preschool programs are dependent on the time of the year. In spring, summer and fall we can go on a Nature Discovery Walk, meet Bugs and Beasties, learn about what Life in a Log is like, or discover who lives in Ponds and Puddles.

In winter we can bring the Hibernation Happens program where children learn about how animals survive the winter outside! We also can learn about the Ponds in Winter or a Winter Bugs and Beasties program.

 

If you are interested in our preschool programming and would like more information, click here.

 

 

School Groups

All of our school group programs are taught at Silver Lake Nature Center as a field trip OR we can bring the program to you! Programs are available for all school age children and are modified for the time of the year. Would you like your students to learn about Watersheds & Wetlands, go on a Pond Study, explore our Earthship Lab, traverse our trails on a Nature Discovery Hike, discuss the many Habitats at our park, or investigate our grounds during an Insect search?

If you are interested in a school group program and would like more information, click here.

 

 

 

 

Afterschool Nature Classes

During the school year, students can sign up to visit Silver Lake Nature Center from 4:00 – 5:30pm for our afterschool series. Each class at Silver Lake is unique, engaging, and hands-on for the students. We will do a multitude of activities that may include: educational games, crafts, hikes, team building activities, scavenger hunts, and many more!

If you are interested in looking into what programs we are doing this year, please click here.

 

 

 

 

Homeschool Enrichment

Yes! We even have a Homeschool Enrichment series! These programs occur seasonally: spring, fall, and winter. We like to change up these programs to keep them fresh every year. This series is for students aged 5-14 and the programming is focused on topics that your student will see in their curriculums. We have both AM and PM homeschool enrichment programs. Topics may include: mutualism, competition, invasive species, meadow interactions, tree identification, adaptations of wetland plants, pond studies, and MANY MORE!

If your homeschool group would like a specialized program, please reach out! We are more than willing to take your requested topic and turn it into a 90 minute lesson for your group! If you are interested in looking into what programs we are doing this season, please click here.

 

 

Scout Programs

Silver Lake Nature Center offers a variety of scout programs for all ages and group sizes. These programs include Daisy Petals, Brownie Badges, Junior Girl Scout Badges, Cadette Badges, Wolf Badges, Bear Badges, Webelos Badges, and Boy Scout Merit Badges. If there is a natural badge that you or your troop is looking to earn and you do not see it in our list, please reach out and we can create the program for you!

We also would love to work with you for your service badge. We have had a number of scouts finish their service badges including: adding a bug hotel, helping with the trails, posting bat boxes, and many more.

If you are interested in these programs and would like more detail about individual badges or programs, please click here.

 

 

Birthday Parties

You can have your next party here at Silver Lake Nature Center! Our birthday parties are two-hour time slots and include: one theme-related party craft, indoor activities in case of inclement weather, nature walk with theme-related activities, use of indoor auditorium or outdoor pavilion, tables/chairs, kitchen, & restrooms. Party also includes a 1/2 hour for setup and a 1/2 hour for cleanup in addition to the two-hour timeslot. You can choose from a variety of themes including: Butterflies and Moths, Itsy Bitsy Spiders, The Frog Prince, Insect Inspection, Damsels and Dragons, Dinosaurs and Cousins, Tracks and Scat, or a Night Hike Party with a Campfire.

If your child is considering a birthday party at Silver Lake Nature Center and you would like more information, click here.

 

 

Day-off Camps

Silver Lake Nature Center has developed a very specialized version of camp. Instead of having an entire week of camp, during the school year SLNC has “Day-Off” Camps. These camps are only on days when there is a day off of school. Students who have a day off of school and are looking for something fun to do can sign up for a day off camp! This camp is all day from 9am – 4pm with before and after care available.

Are you looking to send your student to camp on their day off? These camps are packed with fun, engaging, and interactive activities, games, and hikes. If you would like more information on our day off camps or would like to see our upcoming topics, please click here.

 

 

 

Summer Camp

We have a wonderful time during our Summer Camp program. Registration for the summer opens January of the same year. Camp runs Monday – Friday from 9am-4pm with before and after care available. All of our staff and counselors are college educated and excited to teach your students about the natural world. We spend our days hiking, playing nature games, doing educational crafts, and having a blast while getting dirty and learning about the world around us.

If this sounds up your student’s alley and would like more information on our upcoming summer camp, please click here.