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Nature Club

After School Programs

Critter Club

For 1st through 3rd-grade students at the Lafayette Nature Center

Every log, leaf, and puddle hides a neighbor!

Critter Club is an after-school program where 1st through 3rd graders get to know the animals who share the land with us—from the beetle under the log to the fox on the trail.

Through hands-on exploration and playful discovery, students:

  • Find, watch, and get to know the critters who live here: bugs, birds, frogs, and furry neighbors

  • Unplug while building naturalist skills, growing their connection to the outdoors

  • Explore the homes animals make in the creek, the grass, and the trees

  • Make friends who share their curiosity

Each new neighbor opens deeper questions about the land, its ecosystems, and our role as stewards.

Outdoor Skills Club

For 3rd through 5th-grade students at the Lafayette Nature Center

Where sticks become spoons and sparks become fire!

Outdoor Skills Club is an after-school program where 3rd through 5th graders learn hands-on skills for living well outdoors: carving, cordage, fire, shelter, and more.

Through real tools and real projects, students:

  • Learn to use a knife safely and carve something they'll keep

  • Build fires, tie knots, stitch leather, and raise a shelter that holds

  • Unplug while building the confidence that comes from making things by hand

  • Make friends who like to build, tinker, and try again

These skills have been passed down for generations. Here, students practice them the old-fashioned way: with effort and repetition.

For more information about Field Trip Programs contact Christian Fowler (Lead Instructor) // christianf@thornenature.org

A young blond boy looks out of binoculars. He is wearing a green and yellow Thorne hat.
Two girls wearing bright colors face the camera and make silly faces while looking through binoculars.
A young girl holds a field guide toward the camera in a Thorne program. The field guide displays flowers and birds.

Nature Club FAQ

  • Yes. Parents bring their child to the site and pick them up. There is no school bus transportation. This lets us welcome kids from any school in the area.

  • Drop-off runs 3:15–3:30 (soft start, arrive anytime in that window). Pickup is at 5:00. Both are at the Lafayette Nature Center, not at school.

  • All staff are trained in risk management, and every session includes trail agreements and tool-safety instruction before any projects or building begins.

  • Every week has a shelter-based activity for when the weather is truly unsafe.

    We will go out in light rain, in fact, especially for Critter Club because many critters may be more active and approachable. FULL POLICY

  • Weather-appropriate clothing and closed-toe shoes. We provide binoculars, journals, tools, and all materials. Personal items like magnifying glasses, bug boxes, or binoculars are welcomed. A water bottle and snack are recommended.

    If you are in Outdoor Skills Club, please leave any whittling knives at home.

  • Yes. Critter Club kids have help build and install either a real nest box or insect hotel that they can take home or leave at the LNC.

  • The season arc is designed so each session stands on its own. Missing a week won't leave them lost. The opening circle brings everyone back in. We do not offer refunds or credits for individual missed classes. FULL POLICY

  • Drop-off is designed as a parent-free experience so kids build independence and focus. We share highlights at pickup, and you can ask your child about the Critter of the Day on the way home!

  • Cancel within 1 week for a refund minus a $20 fee. After 1 week, receive a full-value credit before the program begins. No refunds for missed classes, with exceptions for extended medical absences. See our website for full policy details. FULL POLICY