BookHounds Storytime is BACK! For the month of February in preparation for National Reading Month (March), our friends at GoodKids are hosting a special storytime for your whole family with authors and book lovers from around the Twin Cities.
BookHounds ClubHouse: GoodKids, 4758 Banning Ave, White Bear Lake, Minnesota 55110
BookHounds Storytime Schedule Saturdays in February, 10 am
All January we longed for the snowfall, didn’t we? And February has more than granted our wish, dumping deep drifts onto the Twin Cities that beg to be purposed into sledding hills, snow forts and the scenic backdrop for wintry activities. We’ve got lots of suggestions for getting out to play with the family this weekend; for more inspiration, check our February Family Guide or our Family Fun Calendar. Read More
March 2nd is Dr. Seuss’s birthday and each year the NEA(National Education Association) celebrates Read Across America Day in his honor. What is your favorite Dr. Seuss book? Ours is The Sleep Book, while we don’t read it every night, it comes out often.
Play games and learn more about Dr. Seuss at Seussville.com.
The Twin Cities is joining the fun with 2019 celebrations at these locations:
March is maple syrup month in Minnesota, and with an abundance of nature centers around the Twin Cities, we have ample opportunities to learn about and participate in the maple syruping process. We’ll keep adding events as they trickle in – usually by late February. Look for one or more of the following activities: tapping the maple trees, collecting the sap, boiling it into syrup, and the best part — according to my kids, anyway — a sample of the finished product.
2/23/19: Make Your Own Maple Syrup | Lowry Nature Center, Victoria | 10am-12pm | $5/pp | Age 10+ | Discuss history and the evolution of maple syruping. Learn what you need at home, what to do and when. Reservations recommended.
3/2/19: Maple Syrup Time | Richardson Nature Center, Bloomington | 2-3pm | $5/pp | Learn to identify a maple tree and collect sap. Watch sap boil in an evaporator and taste test real maple syrup. Drop-ins welcome (space permitting). Reservations recommended. Activity #2RNC3050.
3/2/19: Maple Syrup Time | Lowry Nature Center, Victoria | 1-2:30pm | $5/pp | Learn to identify a maple tree and collect sap. Watch sap boil in an evaporator and taste test real maple syrup. Drop-ins welcome (space permitting). Reservations recommended. Activity #.2LNC3055
3/2/19: Maple Syruping Day | Warner Nature Center, Marine on St Croix | 12-4pm | $5/pp | Enjoy on-going family-friendly activities, such as demo tree tapping, sap boiling, maple syrup sampling, crafts, refreshments, and more. Pay at the gate with cash.
3/3/19: Sap to Syrup | Eastman Nature Center, Dayton | March Sundays, 1-4pm | FREE | All ages drop in program. Discover maple syruping history and techniques. Taste the final product. Activity #2ENC0050.
3/9/19: Maple Syrup Time | Richardson Nature Center, Bloomington | 2-3pm | $5/pp | Learn to identify a maple tree and collect sap. Watch sap boil in an evaporator and taste test real maple syrup. Drop-ins welcome (space permitting). Reservations recommended. Activity #2RNC3050.
3/9/19: Laura’s Adventures: Sugar on Snow | Lowry Nature Center, Victoria | 12:30-2:30pm | $7/pp | Age 5+ | Learn about Laura’s life in the big woods from one of her books, hands-on learning, and old-fashioned crafts and treats. Visit the forest, tap a maple tree, and see how syrup is made. Taste syrup on snow or ice cream, and make a small hand-sewn nine-patch quilt. Reservations required.
3/9/19: Pancake Breakfast | Dodge Nature Center, West St Paul | 8am-10:30am | FREE (Donations Welcome) | Enjoy pancakes and pure maple syrup. Explore this Minnesota tradition with a naturalist-led hike to learn about the process of maple sap collection and syrup production. This is a free event, walk-ins are welcome, and donations are appreciated.
3/10/19: Maple Sugaring | Pond House, Bloomington | 2pm-4pm | FREE | All Ages | Outdoors, learn about choosing trees to tap, collecting the sap, and boiling it down to make syrup. Inside the house, watch syrup transform into sugar and sample maple candy. Drop-in program.
3/10/19: Sap to Syrup | Eastman Nature Center, Dayton | March Sundays, 1-4pm | FREE | All ages drop in program. Discover maple syruping history and techniques. Taste the final product. Activity #2ENC0050.
3/10/19: Making Maple Syrup Public Program | Carpenter Nature Center | 1-3pm | $6/pp | Listen to a story about maple syruping, go outside to tap a maple trees, and sample some maple syrup. Ages 2-5 with adult. Pre-register/Limited space, call 651-437-4359.
3/10/19 Maple Syrup Festival | French Regional Park, Plymouth | 1pm-4pm | $6/pp |Tap a tree, collect sap, and watch it boil down. Sample the park’s natural sweetness with pancakes. Drop in anytime.
3/12/19: My Preschooler & Me: Early Explorers – Maple Syrup | The Landing, Shakopee | 10am-11:30am | $5/pp | Explore historic Eagle Creek with your child. Play, sing, read stories and create a craft. Reservations required. Ages: 2-5, plus adult.
3/15/19: Preschool Story Time: Syrup Season | Carpenter Nature Center | 10-11am | $5/child | Hike to the “sugar-bush” to tap maple trees, watch the process of turning sap into syrup and sample the final product. The program starts indoors, but be ready to hike in the spring snow and mud. Pre-register/Limited space.
ROAD TRIP: 3/16/19: Maple Open House | B&E Trees, Cashton WI | 1-5pm | FREE | Tours of the farm and sugar house, self-guided tours, outdoor games, and more. Visitors are invited to taste maple syrup hot off the evaporator, tap a tree, and come along for a day of adventure. Bring your boots, and be ready to get muddy.
3/16/19: Tap & Sap Family Event | Maplewood Nature Center | 1:30-3pm | $5/child |Families with children ages 6+ can learn about how trees wake up in the spring. Get acquainted with maple tree tapping tools and equipment, and help tap a real tree. Taste maple sap and real maple syrup! Pre-Registration required. Activity #16350
3/16/19: Maple Syruping | Dodge Nature Center, West St Paul | 1-2:30pm | $7/pp | Tree tapping demo, collect sap, visit the evaporator, and sample maple syrup. Geared for K+. Pre-registration required.
3/16/19: Sap into Syrup | Tamarack Nature Center | 1-3:30pm | $7/child | Sign up for one of three sessions. Learn all about tapping trees, collecting sap and making syrup!
3/17/19: Maple Syrup Festival | Wargo Nature Center, Lino Lakes | 2-4pm | $5/pp+ vehicle fee | Learn about the tradition of gathering maple sap and cooking it down to make maple syrup and sugar. Make maple crafts and go on a scavenger hunt. Pre-Registration required. (Keyword: Maple)
3/17/19: Sap to Syrup | Eastman Nature Center, Dayton | March Sundays, 1-4pm | FREE | All ages drop in program. Discover maple syruping history and techniques. Taste the final product. Activity #2ENC0050.
3/17/19: Walk When the Moon is Full: Maple Moon | Eastman Nature Center, Dayton | 7-8:30pm | $5/pp | Walk the sugar bush under the moonlight and discover how sap transforms into maple syrup and sweet treats. Enjoy maple syrup on ice cream. Registration Required. Activity #2ENC0050.
3/17/19: Making Maple Syrup Public Program | Carpenter Nature Center | 1-3pm | $6/pp | Listen to a story about maple syruping, go outside to tap a maple trees, and sample some maple syrup. Ages 2-5 with adult. Pre-register/Limited space, call 651-437-4359.
3/21/19: Nature After Dinner: Maple Syrup Time | Dodge Nature Center, West St Paul | 6:30-7:30pm | $10/child (Parents Free) | Learn about making sugar and syrup from maple sap, how to identify the maple trees and taste the whole process. For kids ages 3-8 with an adult. Families welcome. Pre-registration required.
3/23/19: Maple Sap into Syrup With ECFE | Maplewood Nature Center | 10-11:30am | $5/child | (Birth-PreK) Parents stay with their children during the entire class. Preregistration is required. To register contact ECFE: 651-702-8411 or register online at www.isd622.org/ecfe. Fee is $5 per child per class.
3/23/19: Sap Into Syrup Family Event | Maplewood Nature Center | 1:30-3pm | $5/child |Fpr families with children ages 6+. How many buckets of tree sap do you need to get a bucket of Maple Syrup? (Hint- it is probably more than you think!) Find out the answer to this question, and more as you help tap a real tree, and check the previously tapped trees to see if the sap is running. Taste real maple sap and real maple syrup. Pre-Registration Required. Activity #16351
3/23/19: Maple Syrup Time | Richardson Nature Center, Bloomington | 2-3pm | $5/pp | Learn to identify a maple tree and collect sap. Watch sap boil in an evaporator and taste test real maple syrup. Drop-ins welcome (space permitting). Reservations recommended. Activity #2RNC3050.
3/23/19: Maple Syruping | Dodge Nature Center, West St Paul | 1-2:30pm | $7/pp | Tree tapping demo, collect sap, visit the evaporator, and sample maple syrup. Geared for K+. Pre-registration required.
3/23/19: Sap into Syrup | Tamarack Nature Center | 1-3:30pm | $7/child | Sign up for one of three sessions. Learn all about tapping trees, collecting sap and making syrup!
3/23/19 Maple Syrup Festival | French Regional Park, Plymouth | 10am-1pm | $6/pp |Tap a tree, collect sap, and watch it boil down. Sample the park’s natural sweetness with pancakes. Drop in anytime.
3/24/19: Sap to Syrup | Eastman Nature Center, Dayton | March Sundays, 1-4pm | FREE | All ages drop in program. Discover maple syruping history and techniques. Taste the final product. Activity #2ENC0050.
3/25/19: Base Camp Pre-K Days: Searching for Spring | Base Camp, Saint Paul | 9am-Noon | $8/child ages 2-5 | Sessions include free play, circle time, games, story and a craft project – this month, tap a maple tree. Pre-Registration Required.
3/25/19: My Preschooler & Me: Puppet Escapades: Maple Syrup | Lowry Nature Center, Victoria | 10-11am | $4/pp | Age 2-6 | Watch a silly puppet show with your preschooler. Explore activity stations before the performance. Bring a picnic lunch for after or hike on your own. Children 17 years and younger must be accompanied by a registered adult. Reservations required.
2/23/19: Make Your Own Maple Syrup | Lowry Nature Center, Victoria | 10am-12pm | $5/pp | Age 10+ | Discuss history and the evolution of maple syruping. Learn what you need at home, what to do and when. Reservations recommended.
3/30/19: Maple Syruping Family Program | Wargo Nature Center, Lino Lakes | 1-3pm | $5/pp+ vehicle fee | Get an in-depth look at tree ecology and maple syrup production. Hike through the woods to identify maple trees, learn different ways of collecting sap and how to refine sap into maple syrup. Taste some fresh maple syrup too. Pre-Registration required. (Keyword: Maple).
3/30/19: Maple Syruping | Dodge Nature Center, West St Paul | 1-2:30pm | $7/pp | Tree tapping demo, collect sap, visit the evaporator, and sample maple syrup. Geared for K+. Pre-registration required.
3/11/19: Homeschool: Maple Syrup | Lowry Nature Center, Victoria | 10am-12pm | $5/pp | Ages 5-16 | Explore the process from its history to how it is done today. More sessions 3/18, 3/25 & 4/1 – attend all or one. Reservations required.
3/18/19: Homeschool: Maple Syruping | French Regional Park, Plymouth | 1:30-3pm | $6/pp | Ages 5-17 | Identify maple trees, tap them, and collect the sap. See how sap boils into syrup and taste a delicious sample. Reservations required by two days prior.
3/21/19: Homeschool: Maple Syruping | Cleary Lake Park, Prior Lake | 1:30-3pm | $6/pp | Ages 5-17 | Identify maple trees, tap them, and collect the sap. See how sap boils into syrup and taste a delicious sample. Reservations required by two days prior.
3/21/19: Homeschool Programs | Wargo Nature Center, Lino Lakes | 2 session times; 2 age groups | $5/pp+ vehicle fee | Naturalists work with homeschoolers with hands-on activities. Pre-registration is required and these are filing fast.
3/30/19: MapleFest| Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Chaska | 8:30am-2:30pm | $15/pp ages 13+, under 13 admitted free (attend a brunch for an additional $10-$15/pp) | Hike the maple trail to learn about the syruping process, then get a taste of it in the Sugarhouse. Special brunches will take place on the weekend for an additional charge.
3/11/19: Scouts: Maple Syruping | Baker Near-Wilderness Settlement, Maple Plain | 12pm-2pm | $5/pp | Ages 5-17 | Identify and tap maple trees. Collect the sap and cook it to make tasty maple syrup or sugar. Reservations required.
3/18/19: Scouts: Maple Syruping | French Regional Park, Plymouth | 4:30-6pm | $5/pp | Ages 5-17 | Identify and tap maple trees. Collect the sap and cook it to make tasty maple syrup or sugar. Reservations required by two days prior.
3/19/19: Scouts: Maple Syruping | Lowry Nature Center, Victoria | 4:30-6pm | $5/pp | Ages 5-17 | Identify and tap maple trees. Collect the sap and cook it to make tasty maple syrup or sugar. Reservations required.
3/21/19: Scouts: Maple Syruping | Cleary Lake Park, Prior Lake | 4:30-6pm | $5/pp | Ages 5-17 | Identify and tap maple trees. Collect the sap and cook it to make tasty maple syrup or sugar. Reservations required by two days prior.
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