It was important for early naturalists to make field notes while they were out exploring nature. Since there were no cameras or phones at that point, it was important to make detailed notes and drawings of the living creatures they encountered. Join Hancock Park District as they will try this observation method with our Field […]
Photographs by James A Duffy Beavers are incredible animals. Not only do they build a home for themselves they build a home for other animals. A story about beavers and their interaction with one of their neighbors, the river otter, will be read by your friends at Hancock Park District. We will take a closer […]
The weather is colder, and it is a great time to explore the wetlands with Hancock Park District to see what is living there during this time of the year. There may be deer signs on the trail or some interesting birds nesting in the trees along the waterway. We may find burrows where the […]
Join your friends at Hancock Park District and create your own handmade Christmas card for a family member or friend. Each participant will receive a blank card to decorate. There will be crayons, markers, and color pencils for drawing winter and holiday scenes, and nature and holiday rubber stamps to decorate with. There will also […]
One of the best times to start birdwatching is in winter when you can find many of our common backyard birds and when it is easier to spot them in […]
Many animals have protective padding on their feet known as hooves. We call this group of animals, ungulates. Join Hancock Park District to learn about hooved animals, such as deer, cows, horses, elk, and pigs. Children will have an opportunity to make hoof tracks at our track station and complete a craft by making their […]
Many animals have the amazing ability to fly through the sky. These creatures come in many different sizes, some are covered in feathers, and some even have a hard exoskeleton. For this program, join Hancock Park District as they will be looking at the various animals that use wings to fly and ones that fly […]
Last year the American Ornithological Society, the group that decides the names of birds, announced that all North American birds named after a person or has a name that could be offensive or misrepresent will have its name changed. That means around 80 species of birds are having their names changed. You may be upset […]
During the Christmas season, it is a tradition to go out and count as many birds as you can in your area. Come along as Hancock Park District takes part in the Hancock County Naturalist’s Annual Christmas Bird Count. We will talk about the history of Christmas bird counts and what kind of birds we […]
Start the holiday season with a fun fireside story at the historical McKinnis House. The fire will be warm and cozy as we enjoy the story The Biggest, Best Snowman. After the story, we will make molasses-on-snow candy just as the pioneers did in 1847. Meet at the McKinnis House. This free program is open […]
Decorating a Christmas tree was a simple, but fun activity in the 1800s. Families might string strands of popcorn or cranberries to hang on the tree. Mom might even allow the children to bake gingerbread cookies as decorations. Dad and the boys would carve little animals as gifts. Visitors at Hancock Park District's McKinnis House […]
Find the moon with us as we hike around the meadow in the park. Join your friends at Hancock Park District as they see if animals, like white-tailed deer or raccoons are daring to stir on this late fall night. Check out the night sky for Jupiter and winter constellations, Orion and Canis Major. Meet […]
Opossums are amazing animals that live in Hancock County. They are resourceful scavengers that find whatever food they can get. Along with the scraps they find, opossums can eat lots of harmful ticks. Also, the opossum is the only marsupial in the United States. Marsupials include kangaroos and koalas. Join Hancock Park District and look […]
“Static” means to stay in one place. In static electricity, the charges are all staying in one area. Join Hancock Park District and make a static flyer as one of our experiments. Making your hair stand on end using a balloon is another fun activity using static electricity. Kids will have fun trying all nine […]
The holidays are right around the corner. If you still have some last-minute present wrapping to do, why not make the gift more special by wrapping it in wrapping paper decorated by your child? Each child will receive a length of easel paper to decorate as holiday wrapping paper. Your friends at Hancock Park District […]
Shop for local products during the Bluffton Farmers' Market! Held on the third Saturday December - March at the Senior Citizens Center from 8:30 a.m. - Noon!
The snow that falls in winter is a great base for checking out animal tracks. Join Hancock Park District and learn the tracks of native animals that are still active during the winter, including eastern cottontails, fox squirrels, raccoons, and coyotes. We will take a hike in search of footprints and other signs that those […]
Learn about snowflakes. A story about snowflakes will be read by your friends at Hancock Park District. Afterward, we will talk about snowflakes, what they are, how they form, and their special powers. Children will have an opportunity to create their own unique paper cut out snowflakes. Meet at the Discovery Center. This free program […]
Build a shelter using what can only be found in the woods. Hancock Park District will talk about the qualities of a good shelter, different types of shelters, and where it is safe to build a shelter, and then we will go in the Nature Play Area, split into groups, and build shelters using natural […]
All animals love to eat. Food is important for giving energy to animals to keep them moving. Teeth make eating extremely easy for animals. In this program we will look at the many kinds of teeth in the animal world. Join Hancock Park District and observe teeth made for only eating plants or meat and […]
Due to the angle of the sun in the winter, the sun may seem dull, but it is still sending out strong rays of light. Because of snow’s bright white color, it can reflect a lot of sunlight and can even hurt people’s eyes. Hancock Park District will talk about snow goggles, an invention made […]
During the holidays, all the puppets escaped and were running around the Discovery Center. Help Hancock Park District find the puppets that are hiding and put them back in their totes. After you find the puppets, have fun playing with them and performing a show on our puppet stage. Meet at the Discovery Center. This […]
Come out and join Hancock Park District at the Richard S. “Doc” Phillips Discovery Center to play games this winter evening. There will be classic board games and card games, puzzles, and some new games to play as a family. Displays and live animals will be available for viewing. Meet at the Discovery Center. This […]
Many fossils are frozen in time by ice, tree sap, and hot lava. Kids will chisel away at blocks and cubes of ice, find the treasure, and then create a story about how the item became frozen in time. Hancock Park District will have fossil books to look at and a story to go along […]
