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 “Healing the broken bond between our young and nature is in our self interest, not only because aesthetics or justice demands it, but also because our mental, physical, and spiritual health depends on it.” —Richard Louv

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To learn more visit:

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Children & Nature

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Family Nature Clubs: A Path to Happier Communities and a Healthier Planet | Natural Start

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A Parent’s Guide to Nature Play: How to Give Your Children More Outdoor Play …and Why You Should!

Nature Play: Nature Play is Child Led Play by Clare Caro

Upon arrival. Please sign in on the sign-in and liability waiver sheet upon arrival.

We suggest you come prepared.

Check List for Participants

Essentials: Water, Layered clothes appropriate for weather, Backpack, Snack or picnic lunch, Sunscreen, Hat, Wet-play coveralls, etc.

Safety: Cell Phone, Whistle, Band-Aids, A participant with CPR training (Susan Bernstein, Maplewood C.D.C. Director), First-aid Kit (Provided by Maplewood C.D.C.).

Extras: Change of clothes, Stroller or Wagon for tired legs, Pad and pencil, Magnifying glass, Bug box, Bucket, Butterfly nets, Binoculars (Provided by North Park Village Nature Center), Field guides or ID cards, etc.

Diapering & Toileting. North Park Village Nature Center’s bathroom is located inside the Center and Walking Stick woods has a bathroom nearby in the Peterson Park Field House. We suggest you come prepared with all the diapering and toileting supplies you need and to have a bathroom break BEFORE class starts. Diaper changes and Toileting is strictly prohibited outside the Center’s and Fieldhouse’s bathrooms.

Transportation. North Park Village Nature Center has a designated free parking lot closest to the Center – the adjacent lot is reserved for the North Park Village Condo residents. Walking Stick Woods shares a parking lot with Peterson Park Field House. CTA bus routes 53 to Pulaski/Admore will bring you within a 6 minutes walk to the Center and 13 minutes walk from Walking Stick Woods, just continue down Ardmore Street for a block or two.

Snacks, Lunch & Dinner. It is best to have your child eat a morning snack at 10 am and afternoon snack at 3:00 pm with the group so they may participate in the nature explorations and you havetimeto joininon group discussions (the adult education aspect). If you should need to provide additional snacks for your child during the session, the picnic area just outside of the Center or in Walking Stick Woods are avaliable. No food is allowed on the Nature Preserve Grounds or in the woods at Walking Stick Woods. Please leave food in your travel bag or in your car when you are not in the picnic areas. Nursing and bottle fed babies may feed when hungry wherever your child and you feel most comfortable.

Lunch & Dinner. We will finish each session with a 11:45 am or 4:45 pm lunch or dinner picnic in the picnic area just outside of the Center. Children are often very hungry after these adventures and sometimes the wait to get home can be too long.

*Clean up after eating, the wildlife have their own food! 🙂

Social Give Back Opportunities. One of Maplewood’s goals for the community is social giveback. This year we are supporting the Chicago Abused Women Coalition (CAWC – www.cawc.org) and the Irving Park Community Food Pantry (IPCFP –www.irvingparkfoodpantry.com).

—-> Maplewood Book Exchange Library: Take a book, leave a book. Please bring gently used books (children’s and young adult books).

—-> Maplewood Helping families 1-1. Please consider donating to CAWA. Maplewood will match your donation up to $50.00.

—-> Maplewood Food Drive. All non perishables and cash donations will go to IPFP.

 Schedule of Classes

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*Nature Club Gatherings may be requested when class size of four (4) adult:child pairs are enrolled in advance.

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“An observant parent will be alert both to small clues and to large patterns of behavior. By noticing these, a parent can often offer appropriate suggestions and experiences, and also, learn whether the help and explanations already given have been adequate.

Children have their own styles of learning, everyone unique. They also have their own timetables, according to which they are ready to do things, speeds at which they want to do them, and time they want to wait before doing a new thing. When we try to direct or interfere with, or change these learning styles and timetables, we almost always slow or stop them.”
– John Holt