Grand Opening Saturday, August 9th, 9-Noon, program at 10:00am GREAT for the whole family!
“The Grove” is the name of the outdoor classroom coming this summer. We are excited about the project and greatly appreciated the work the Winnebago County Forest Preserve has done and is doing to help with the project. What you see here are black locust trees that are being used as support beams for a stage and pergola, only one part of a larger plan. An outdoor classroom is the bridge that the current generation of kids and families need to connect with the out of doors. Research now shows the GREAT importance that being outside has on the well rounded individual. What is an outdoor classroom? A nice definition is found on the Kids Play Parks website. “They are designed with the intent to bring children back to nature using: fallen logs, tree stumps for seating, vertical logs for forts, slides embedded in the side of hills etc… Outdoor classrooms offer a wide range of open ended play options for children while remaining safe.” They are a helpful tool to bridge a gap in nature exploration that is lacking in many children today.
