Educational Activities To Do At Home With Kids

Resources added weekly.

All About Trees
Animals of Oakwoods Metropark Word Search
Find and Count Pond Creatures
Frog Identifier/Caller (From Froggyvoice.com)
Hibernation Songs and Activities
How Do Animals Spend the Winter
Make a Mokuk
Make A Leaf Man
Melt-An-Ice Cube Game
Plant Life Cycles
Predator/Prey Adventure Crossword | Answers
Tree Rings
Turtle Puppet and Play
Wildflowers of Oakwoods Metropark Word Search
Winter Walk: Animal Tracks
Word Scramble

Preschool Pre-program Packets

Crawling Cuties
Life When It’s Snowy
Mammals Are Marvelous
Outstanding Owls
Shells Scales and Pollywog Tails
We’re Fond of Ponds
When I Was A Baby (Life Cycles)

Dear Kevin…

You may have heard of “Dear Abby”, or maybe you haven’t, but your Metroparks have a new spin on it. We have “Dear Kevin”. Our Interpretive Centers are closed right now, and our interpreters miss your questions as much as you miss visiting. If you or your family have nature, science, agriculture or regional history questions, you can still ask Kevin and get an answer!

Maybe you have a question about the frogs and birds you’re seeing in your backyard right now or your kids want to know why frogs croak or who used to live in the area that is now Oakwoods Metropark. Whatever your question is, write into Dear Kevin by emailing us at marketing@metroparks.com or sending us a private message on Facebook or Instagram. Kevin will post questions and answer back in our Facebook and Instagram stories, so be sure to follow our accounts and check our stories for the day’s answers.

P.S. – Parents, this could be a great way for kids to practice their typing and letter writing skills!

Read our Nature Blog

Get to know nature and your Metroparks through the eyes of our Interpreters. Take a walk down a trail, identify an interesting plant or take a journey through time and learn some history. Visit our Nature Blog

Learn about our Birds of the Week

Quarantine got you feeling birdy? Your Metroparks are here to help! Birding is a hobby you can certainly do in the parks, but you can also have birding adventures in your own backyard. That’s why each week we will be sharing a #BirdOfTheWeek. Follow us on social media or read our Bird of the Week Blog where we’ll feature different species each week that you can find in our region. Learn a bit about them and then go on a birding search yourself. We challenge you to share your sightings by tagging us and using #BirdOfTheWeek. Visit our Bird of the Week Blog

Educational Programming Video Series

Animals

• Animals of Oakwoods Metropark Word Search
• Beavers Along The Trail – Take a virtual trip with us and learn all about the beavers that live in Oakwoods Metropark!
• Deer Along The Trail – Take a virtual trip with us and learn about the deer that live in your Metroparks.
• Egg Anatomy – Let’s take a closer look at what makes up an egg!
  Eggs and Chicks – Watch baby chicks hatch from their eggs!
• Feeding Helga The Tiger Salamander – It’s feeding time for Helga the tiger salamander!
  Feeding Snappy The Snapping Turtle – It’s feeding time for Snappy the snapping turtle!
• Find and Count Pond Creatures
• Frog Identifier/Caller (From Froggyvoice.com)
• Get To Know Michigan Turtles – Learn all about Michigan Turtles and see how you can help a turtle cross the road safely!
• Hibernation Songs and Activities
• How Do Animals Spend the Winter
• Meet Bud and Buster The Belgian Draft Horses – Watch with us as you learn about Belgian Draft Horses!
• Meet Felix The American Toad – Learn about this toad species, their characteristics, what their call sounds like and more!
• Meet Lucky The Blanding’s Turtle – Join us in learning all about blanding’s turtles!
• Meet Severus The Corn Snake – Watch with us as you learn about corn snakes!
• Meet The Awesome Opossum – Watch with us and learn about these fascinating marsupials!
• Meet The Eastern Box Turtle – Join your Metroparks and meet the eastern box turtle!
• Meet The Eastern Fox Snake – Join your Metoparks in learning about the eastern fox snake!
• Meet Woody The Wood Turtle – Join your Metroparks in learning about wood turtles!
• Predator/Prey Adventure Crossword | Answers
• Preschool Turtle Time – Join your Metroparks as we have fun learning about turtles!
• Turtle Puppet and Play

Birds

• Basics of Bird Identification – Learn the basics of how to identify different birds you might see or hear.
• Bird of the Week Blog
• Birding & eBird – Join your Metroparks in learning more about birding and how to use eBird!
• Learn All About Ranger the Red Tailed Hawk – See why Ranger’s home is at your Metroparks.
• Momma Bird Raising Her Babies – Preschool – Hear a story, sing a song and watch a puppet show!
• Skunks Along The Trail – Take a virtual trip with us and learn all about skunks!
• Stevie Squirrel And His Cousins – Preschool – Sing a song and watch a puppet show that’s all about squirrels!
• What Is Bone? – Join your Metroparks in taking a look at what makes bones so unique!

Crafts

• DIY Bird Feeder Using Plastic Recyclables – Watch how you can make your very own bird feeder out of plastic recyclables!
• DIY “Hand”made Flowers – This is an easy do it yourself craft that the whole family can be a part of!
  DIY Homemade Magnifier – Learn how to make your own magnifier that you can use on a micro hike outside.
• Fingerprint Art: Bug Edition – Let’s draw together and get a little bit messy with this easy fingerprint art project! [Jar.jpg]
• Hand Print Art – Learn how to make an owl using your hand print!
• Make A Leaf Man
• Make a Mokuk

Nature

• 50 Years of Earth Day – Learn how Earth Day has evolved to be the world’s largest environmental movement.
• All About Trees
• Binoculars 101 – Join your Metroparks as we learn all about binoculars!
• Maple’s Sweet Story at Kensington Metropark – Take a virtual tour of the farm’s Sugar Bush.
• Museum Moment: I See A Saw – Learn about the types of saws in Lake Erie Metropark’s Marshland Museum’s collection!
• Plant Life Cycles
• Removing Invasive Species: Garlic Mustard – Learn how to identify garlic mustard and the proper way to remove it.
• Tree Rings
• Wildflowers of Oakwoods Metropark Word Search
• What’s That Smell? – Learn about skunk cabbage that can be found in your Metroparks.
• Word Scramble
• Visit our Nature Blog

Trail Adventures

• Winter Walk: Animal Tracks
• Bike Safety At The Metroparks – Make your bike ride more enjoyable with these bike safety and courtesy trail tips!
• Exploring The Marsh In Spring At Lake St. Clair Metropark – Take a look at different plants and animals around the marsh!
• Micro Hike With Your Metroparks! – Come take a micro hike with us and get up close to nature. After, try it out at home!
• Relaxing Canoe Trip In Stony Creek Metropark – Come take a virtual canoe trip with us!
• Relaxing Walk In Stony Creek Metropark – Come take a virtual walk with us. Take in the views and peaceful sounds of nature!
• Spring Hike To Explore Ecosystems At Indian Springs Metropark – See what is going on in the spring time ecosystems!
• Sounds Of The Marsh – Listen with us to hear nature calling.

Scavenger Hunts

Trail Guides

Explore Park Maps and Trails

Coloring Pages

Color the Trees