Wildlife Photograph

'First Child in the Woods' introduced

Saturday September 27, 2008
Sponsored by the Knoxville News Sentinel and knoxmoms.com

By Paul James

Ijams is proud to launch a new educational initiative: "First Child in the Woods."

The series takes its name from the renowned book "Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder" by Richard Louv (Algonquin Books, 2005). Connecting children with nature and encouraging outdoor exploration are central themes and as you would expect, they also form the core of Ijams' mission.

Nature Preschool and Junior Naturalists have both been popular longstanding programs at Ijams, but "First

Child in the Woods" fills in the age gaps with new age-appropriate programs to create a cohesive, progressive experience for young children. Age-specific programs facilitate early learning experiences, parent-child interaction and enhance children's intuitive connections with the natural world. The five components, which are fee-based or free to Ijams members at the family level or higher include:

  • Wee Ones (2 and 3-year-olds w/adult partner)
  • Nature Preschool (4 and 5-year-olds w/adult partner)
  • Elementary Explorers (6 to 8-year-olds w/adult partner)
  • Junior Naturalists (9 to 14-year-olds)
  • Family Public Programs (Owl Prowls, Bug Night, Nature's Yuckiest, etc)

To help promote this new initiative, Ijams has been joined by Knoxville News Sentinel and Knoxmoms.com whom generously printed 1,000 color brochures for Ijams and are running frequent promotions online. Please join us by visiting our sponsors online at www.knoxnews.com and www.knoxmoms.com

If you have a young child or grandchild, come to the Ijams visitor center for a fun and informative experience. Often, the parents experience a similar re-connection with the natural world! Check inside "Earthwords" for the monthly calendar at www.ijams.org for program dates and times, plus a downloadable brochure.

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