Four Winds
Nature Institute
Announcing Knee High Nature Workshops for Early Childhood Professionals
Four Winds Nature Institute is offering workshops for preschool and kindergarten educators and
childcare providers this summer and fall. In the Upper Valley, Knee High Nature workshops are
scheduled for June 21 and September 6 in Lebanon, NH; and on June 7 and October 4 in
Springfield, VT. Each four-hour course includes an introduction to nature study with young
children; two seasonally related themes with attention to Vermont Early Learning Standards
(VELS) and the Core Competencies; developmentally appropriate indoor and outdoor learning
activities; and teaching materials and resources.
Our two themes for June's workshops will be Honeybees and Hide and Seek in Nature. We'll live
the life of a bee through imaginative play and movement, observe bees at work outside, create a
flower garden, play Buzz Buzz Bee, enjoy some sweet honey, and more. Then we'll learn how
protective coloration helps animals survive in nature, play some matching games, design our
own camouflaged critters, and look for places where animals may be hiding outside.
October's workshop themes include Sensational Spiders and the Miracle of Metamorphosis.
We'll investigate the amazing life of spiders through song, interactive play, and outdoor
observation of spiders and webs. In the afternoon, we'll experience the life stages of insects
through role-playing and outdoor investigation, and we'll compare how different animals grow
and change throughout their lives.
This program is supported in part by a generous grant from the Upper Valley United Way. The
workshop fee is $50 per person and pre-registration is required. For information and to register,
call (802) 353-9440, email khn@fourwindsinstitute.org or visit www.fourwindsinstitute.org
Four Winds Nature Institute, 4 Casey Rd., Chittenden, VT 05737 802-353-9440
www.fourwindsinstitute.org