Ijams Nature Center hosts open house for Play Club and Preschool
The Ijams nature center will host virtual and in-person open houses about their upcoming Play Club and Preschool.
Students at the Ijams Nature Center expiriencing learning in nature.
Looking for a way to get your child back into nature after being stuck in the house for far too long? Ijams Nature Center has a solution.
The Ijams Nature Center in Knoxville is hosting virtual and in-person open houses for their new Play Club and Preschool.
Both the Play Club and Preschool classes will begin in August 2021. The classes are designed to implement traditional classroom learning with the exploration of nature. Children will spend quality time outside where they will be able to learn and play in a COVID-19 safe environment. The classes are designed to follow COVID-19 safety procedures and cautions.
“The programs encourage curiosity, cognitive growth and motor skills through unstructured, child-led outdoor adventures,” Ijams Development Director Cindy Hassil said. “Children build problem-solving, math and engineering skills through hands-on experiences, and cultivate social skills through group play and opportunities for cooperative learning.”
Play Club and Preschool
The part-time Play Club is completely outdoors and open to kids ages three to five. Ijams hopes to provide a fun and educational experience for children and their families that will help them connect with the world that surrounds them.
The full-time Preschool is open for children ages three to five. It will focus on age-appropriate learning and children will spend at least half the day outside immersed in the 315 acres of wooded land, nature trails and lake.
Classes will begin Aug. 9 and takes place every Monday and Wednesday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m for Play Club and Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for Preschool. In-person open houses for both are Feb. 27 and Mar. 6 from 2 to 5 p.m. They will take place at the Ijams Miller Education Building, located at 2915 Island Home Ave. Virtual open-houses are also available on Feb. 25 and Mar. 11, from 6 to 7 p.m.
Those interested will need to register for an open house date.
Further information for either the Play Club or Preschool can be found on the Ijams website. In addition, those with questions may contact Leslee Moore, the Ijams Nature Preschool and Play Club Administrator by phone at 865-679-5491 or by email at preschool@ijams.org.
The Ijams Nature Center has been educating people about the natural world since 1975. The regions leading wildlife sanctuary and environmental learning center contains 315 acres to explore. For information about the Ijams Nature Center and the activities offered visit the Ijams website.
Edited by Ashley Depew and Maddie Torres
Featured Photo Courtesy of Ijams Nature Center
