Preschool to Grade 3

Preschool, Kindergarten, and Division 1 School Programs at the John Janzen Nature Centre

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Year Round Programs for Schools

Seasonal Programs for Schools

Children's Theatre with Kaybridge Puppets — The Frog Prince

 

2015-2016 Year Round Programs for Schools

Seasonal Super Sleuth

Grades: Preschool - Grade 2

Students will use their senses and observation skills to search for clues of the season! Transform your students into nature detectives as they explore nearby trails or your local school yard to discover the secrets of seasonal changes. From catching snowflakes to searching for insects, your students will be engaged in active learning fun! Students will learn about local Edmonton wildlife through hands-on activities and games, and discover what animals do to cope with the changing seasons.

Program Length: 1.5 - 2 hours
Location & Fees: $135 at Nature Centre, $165 for 2 hours OR $150 for 1.5 hours at Your School or River Valley Park*

Seasonal Adaptations

Grades: 1 - 3

How does Edmonton’s wildlife survive and thrive throughout the seasons? Through a variety of discovery-oriented activities and nature games, your students will increase their awareness and understanding of the amazing adaptations exhibited by the plants and animals of Edmonton’s river valley. Students will explore the nature centre trails or your local schoolyard to look for bugs, birds, and trees. In winter, your students will try their hand at tracking wild animals, too.

Program Length: 2 hours
Location & Fees: $135 at Nature Centre, $170 at Your School or River Valley Park*

2015-2016 Seasonal Programs for Schools 

Dinosaur Adventures

Grades: Preschool - Grade 2

Travel back in time to the world of dinosaurs. Your students will have an opportunity to compare dinosaur sizes with themselves and familiar objects, examine real and model fossils, and do some dinosaur dancing. Transform your students into palaeontologists and search your classroom for hidden dinosaur puzzle pieces! What kind of dinosaur will they construct when all the pieces are put together? This gigantic adventure is not to be missed!

Program Length: 1.5 - 2 hours
Location & Fees: 1.5 hours: $150 at Your School, 2 hours: $170 at Your School *
Available: September - April

Peter Rabbit Comes for a Visit

Grades: Preschool - K

Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit is in town this winter and it’s his birthday! The whole neighbourhood is invited to celebrate, but only the winter residents are able to attend. Students will learn about the creatures that have stayed in Edmonton for the winter: what do they eat, where do they sleep, and how do they keep warm? Using natural materials, games and activities, learn about snowshoe hares, chickadees, squirrels and more!

Program Length: 1.5 hours
Location & Fees: $135 at Nature Centre, $150 at Your School
Available: November - February

Snowshoe Safari

Grades: 1 - 6

Discover the wonders of winter on snowshoes. This program introduces your students to the exciting art of snowshoeing and how to identify animals by the evidence they leave behind in the snow. Students will increase their awareness of how plants and animals have adapted to our cold winter environment.

Program Length: 2 hours
Fees: $135 at Nature Centre
Available: December - February (as snow conditions permit)

Busy Bees and Bugs

Grades: Preschool - Grade 2

Discover the fascinating world of bees and bugs! Peek inside an active honeybee hive, do a bee dance, taste honey from the comb, and dress up a student (or a teacher!) as an insect. Students will learn some interesting bee facts and explore the insect world that bees share by going on a bug hunt.

Program Length: 1.5 - 2 hours
Location & Fees: $135
Available: May - June

Life Cycles

Grades: 1 - 5

Eggs, tadpoles, larvae, and cocoons–what do all of these words have in common? Students will play nature games, explore the woods, and examine real artifacts in order to learn about the life cycles of a variety of living things, including insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. At the Nature Centre, pond dipping can be included with this program. Please let us know when booking if you’d like to add this component.

Program Length: 2 hours
Location & Fees: $135 at Nature Centre, $170 at Your School or River Valley Park*
Available: September, May & June

Pond Exploration

Grades: 2 - 3

Where do mosquitoes and dragonflies start their lives? How does a tadpole become a frog? Visit our wetland to find the answers to these and other fascinating questions! In addition to playing nature games and exploring the pond with dip nets, students will meet an animal who was born near a pond and now lives at the John Janzen Nature Centre.

Program Length: 2 hours
Location & Fees: $135 at Nature Centre
Available: September, May & June

*An additional interpreter fee of $20/hour or part thereof will be added to the cost of the program if the length of time between the first and second scheduled program in the same day exceeds one hour.

Children's Theatre with Kaybridge Puppets

The Ugly Duckling

Grades: Preschool - Grade 1

This timeless and compassionate tail by Hans Christian Andersen comes alive with puppetry and music. There’s a big surprise down by the lake as Mama Duck’s final egg hatches! Students will meet many animal friends as they tell this story about fairness, friendship, and true beauty. Kaybridge Puppets, led by award winning artists, Kate and Maralyn Ryan, use their unique style of performance and decades of experience to bring classic tale to life with a ton of music, colourful characters, audience participation, and of course, fun.

Program Length: 1.5 hours

• 30 minute performance
• 25 minute puppetry workshop led by the puppeteer
• 25 minute visit with spring animals

Location: John Janzen Nature Centre
Times: 9:30 - 11am OR 12:30 - 2pm
Fees: $6.50/child (no refunds for absent children on the day of the performance)
Available: March 7-24, 2016

Your class will be sharing the performance with a maximum of 100 children. Workshop and animal visits will be shared with a maximum of 50 children. If this arrangement is not suitable to meet the needs of your class, you may book a private performance and program for a fee of $650.

The teacher and one adult supervisor per 5 children will be free of charge. All additional adults will pay $6.50 each. Siblings not enrolled in your school's program, but accompanying adult supervisors, will be charged the regular fee of $6.50.

In order to stay within fire code regulations, all people, including parents and siblings accompanying your field trip, must be booked with your registration.

Regular cancellation policies apply. Minor adjustments to the number of guests attending can be made up to 2 weeks prior to the performance date.

*For students younger than four years old, a visit to the Tegler Discovery Zone will be substituted for the puppetry workshop.

 

For More Information

John Janzen Nature Centre School & Group Programs

Location
7000 143 Street
Whitemud Drive & Fox Drive

Shared parking lot with Fort Edmonton Park

Mailing Address
P.O. Box 2359
Edmonton, AB  T5J 2R7

Telephone	780-442-1442
Email	cmsschoolbookings@edmonton.ca