April School Vacation Week Nature Activities
Bring the kids and head out on the trails to search for frogs or build fairy houses in the forest. There are turtle races, owl pellet dissections, crafts, games and more! Audubon offers vacation week fun at six locations across the state to keep the kids busy, engaged and immersed in nature.
Registration is required for most programs unless noted - click the program titles for details and to register!
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Exeter, RI
Fisherville Brook Wildlife Refuge
99 Pardon Joslin Road, Exeter, RIRegistration Required
Teatime and Fairy Houses
April 13, 2024; 10:00 – 11:30 am
Do you love fairies or small little woodland critters? Come to Fisherville Brook and create a "Fairy House" with natural materials that your favorite woodland friends can visit! After working hard on your house, come back to the Children's Garden for some tea and snacks. You will have a chance to visit with some fun, fluffy creatures: a bunny, chick, and duck! Please be prepared to hike a short distance into the woods.
Advance registration required. Ages: 5 and up. Fee: $10/member adult, $5/member child; $14/non-member adult, $7/non-member child -
Smithfield, RI
Powder Mill Ledges Wildlife Refuge
12 Sanderson Rd, Smithfield, RIRegistration Required
The Wild Garden: Storytime and Planting Seeds
April 16, 2024; 10:00 – 11:00 am
Enjoy a story about Jilly and her grandfather, who live in a village where the people love their community garden. Find out what happens when Jilly and her grandfather show them the Wild Garden that grows beyond the edge of the village. After the story, plant some seeds to take home and grow.
Advance registration required. Ages: 4 and up. Fee: $8/member child; $10/non-member child. -
Seekonk, MA
Caratunk Wildlife Refuge
301 Brown Avenue, Seekonk, MARegistration Required
Frogs in the Forest
April 15, 2024; 10:00 am-12:00 pm
Massachusetts and Rhode Island have several remarkable amphibians that are active from late winter into mid-autumn. Join Audubon for a morning presentation and walk at Caratunk to learn about amphibians, their habits, and a favorite habitat: vernal pools. Learn who lives on the property and when they can be heard or sometimes seen. Includes an easy hike to the forested areas of Caratunk, so please dress for the weather and wear comfortable walking shoes.
Advance registration required. This is a family program for children ages 4 and up. Fee: $10/member adult, $5/member child; $14/non-member adult, $7/non-member child.A Froggy Night at Caratunk
April 17, 2024; 7:00-8:30 pm
Come for an evening hike to learn and listen to the calls of spring peepers and wood frogs found in the forested wetland of Caratunk! You might see deer or hear owls and other night active birds too. Be sure to dress for the weather and bring a flashlight. Meet in the barn for a short introduction to frogs, then head out on the trails!
Advance registration required. This is a family program for children ages 10 and up. Fee: $10/member adult, $5/member child; $14/non-member adult, $7/non-member child. -
North Smithfield, RI
Fort Wildlife Refuge
1443 Providence Pike, North Smithfield, RIRegistration Required
Frogs in the Forest
April 18, 2024; 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Rhode Island has several remarkable amphibians that are active from late winter into mid-autumn. Join Audubon for a morning walk at Fort Wildlife Refuge to learn about amphibians and a unique habitat: vernal pools. Learn who lives on the Fort Wildlife Refuge and when they can be heard or sometimes seen. Includes a hike to forested areas so please dress for the weather and wear comfortable walking shoes. This is a family program for children ages 8 and up as the trail is a large loop with some steep hills.
Advance registration required. This is a family program for children ages 8 and up. Fee: $10/member adult, $5/member child; $14/non-member adult, $7/non-member child.A Froggy Night at Fort Wildlife Refuge
April 19, 2024; 7:00-8:30 pm
Come for an evening hike to learn and listen to the calls of spring peepers and wood frogs found in the forested wetlands of Fort Wildlife Refuge! You might see deer, hear beavers on the pond or owls and other night-active birds, too. Be sure to dress for the weather and bring a flashlight. Meet in the parking lot for a short introduction to frogs and then head out on the trails! This is a family program for children ages 10 and up.
Advance registration required. This is a family program for children ages 10 and up. Fee: $10/member adult, $5/member child; $14/non-member adult, $7/non-member child. -
Bristol, RI
The Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium
1401 Hope Street, Bristol, RIWeekday Programs free with admission: Registration not required.
Admission Fee: Members (2 adults and up to 4 children) free; Non-Member Adults $6.00; Non-Member Senior $5.00; Non-Member Child (4-12) $4.00; Children 3 and under free. Registration is not required. Ages: All.Daily Schedule:
10:00 am: Nature Story
10:00 am - 3:00 pm: Nature Crafts
11:00 am: Animal Interview
1:00 pm: Special Program (see below)**
2:30 pm: Animal Interview**The following special programs are available each day at 1:00 pm and are geared for children ages 6+: Registration is not required.
Monday, April 15, 2024: Turtle Races
Get ready for spring with our turtle ambassadors. Learn how they survive winter in the wild and watch them race across the finish line. Vote for your favorite competitor and see who is the fastest! Ages 6+.Tuesday, April 16, 2024: Owl Pellet Dissection
Join Audubon naturalists in dissecting real owl pellets and discover what owls like to eat! Ages 6+.Wednesday April 17, 2024: Fairy Fort Building
Head outside to the woods and build tiny forts and shelters for fairies and other small critters. (Weather dependent.) Ages 6+.Thursday, April 18, 2024: Life Cycle Board Games
Join Audubon and learn about the simple and complex life cycles of different animals, then play a fun life cycle board game! Ages 6+.Friday, April 19, 2024: Pom Pom Bird Crafting
Join Audubon in creating a soft and squishy pom pom bird to take home with you. All materials provided. Ages 6+.Weekend Programs: Registration Required.
Meet and Greet Darwin the Turtle
April 21, 2024; 10:00 – 11:00 am
Join an Audubon naturalist and education ambassador Darwin the Turtle for a family-friendly meet and great. Learn about Darwin's natural habitat, why he lives at Audubon, how he is cared for, and the amazing adaptations that turtles have. Stay after to create a turtle-themed craft! Advance registration required.
Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium, 1401 Hope Street, Bristol, RI; April 21, 2024; 10:00-11:00 am; Fee: $8/member adult/child pair, $5/each additional member; $12/non-member adult/child pair; $7/each additional non-member. Ages: All. -
Coventry, RI
NEW! Maxwell Mays Wildlife Refuge Art Studio
2082 Victory Highway, Coventry, RIRegistration Required
Earth Day 2024: Recycled Creations
April 16, 2024; 10:00 am – 12:30 pm
Indoors and out, recycled and reused items surround us. In this entertaining and energetic art class, repurpose found items by discovering new ways to use them in a creative way! Your two and three-D art-making imagination will be sparked with new ideas for recycling junk and daily use materials. For grades 1 - 5. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Meet in the parking lot.
Advance registration required. Ages: 6 and up. Fee: $45/member, $55/non-member.Print Making and Nature Journals
April 18, 2024; 10:00 am – 12:30 pm
Come to Audubon and discover the fascinating textures, shapes, and colors in our natural surroundings. The Maxwell Mays Art Studio will be our base for a short scavenger hunt as children explore the refuge with their caregivers. Returning to the studio, children will create a personal art journal using animal tracks and other natural materials that they discovered. For grades 1 – 5. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Meet in the parking lot.
Advance registration required. Ages: 6 and up. Fee: $45/member, $55/non-member.
