Big Bird, Little Bird offers fun at Helen Schuler Nature Centre

By Cal Braid - Lethbridge Herald Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on December 2, 2022.

Herald photo by Cal Braid Program coordinator Ruth Gangur-Powell leads a group of preschoolers as part of the Big Bird, Little Bird program at the Helen Schuler Nature Centre.

The Helen Schuler Nature Centre is home to Big Bird, Little Bird, a preschoolers program built around nature themes.

Ruth Gangur-Powell is the program coordinator, and explained it as an ongoing opportunity for young children to learn, play, and socialize.

“In the midst of COVID, we decided we’d try to run this program not just as one-offs, but as three week sessions each month. We are running all year and this is our second year of doing it all year. People come in the cold of winter and we dress for the weather and go in and out.”

She said that children often return for multiple sessions becoming “total regulars, but each three-week session, we tend to have somebody new each time.”

On Thursday, they held two class times, 9:30 – 10:30 a.m and 11 a.m. – noon.

“This morning we had 10 people registered and that was our maximum. Some people signed up already for January, so that’s a good news story for us.”

She said they are running only one class in December due to the busy schedule surrounding the holidays. Thursday’s group started with storytime, then the class made bells together before the group dispersed to stations where they had the opportunity to make up to six more crafts.

Big Bird, Little Bird resumes in January for children ages two to five. Call to register at 403-320-3064.

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