The Nature Explore outdoor classroom will be experiencing a new addition. A $14,000 treehouse play structure is set to arrive next week. The treehouse will be placed inside the concrete wheeled toy path.
The Nature Explore area is only for early childhood students (ages 3-7). Plantings and furnishings have been provided through grant funds, including $5000 from Great Plains Communication, $4500 from the Statewide Arboretum Trees For Nebraska Towns, and $5000 from the Lower Elkhorn Natural Resource District. The Nebraska Assocation For the Education of Young Children provided a landscape designer to draw up a plan for the Nature Explore area. The playground planting plan was developed by Christy Hoyt of the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum. Plants were purchased and planted by Berried Treasures of Thurston.
The Nature Explore classroom has several play areas including: an entry, a climbing area, a messy materials area, a building area, a nature art area, a music and movement area, a garden area, a gathering area, a storage area, a wheeled toy area, and a greenhouse.
