Here at the Green Mountain Audubon Center, we believe that outdoor play is one of the best forms of learning for children, while also being a great way for them to decompress after being in school all day. At our weekly afterschool class, students are able to do just that.

When the bus rolls up at 2:30 and everyone tumbles out, energy levels are high. “Are we going to the pond today?” “Look what I made in art class!” “Do you want to hear a joke?” The children run over to the front yard, throwing their backpacks in a pile and pulling out their snacks before plopping themselves on a bench where they fuel up and rattle on about whatever happens to be on their minds.

After a full day of being told what to do at school, we try to allow the kids to tell us what they are interested in learning about and exploring during their afterschool time. “We have some extra time today, do you want to hike down to catch salamanders at the pond?” “You all liked climbing trees last week, do you want to hike up to Mossy Rock so you can climb there?” “It’s a little chilly today. I think it would be a great day to have a fire at Forest Camp, do you want to help build it?” The kids bring the energy and all we have to provide is the know-how and the space for kids to play in the way that they need the most.

Sometimes this means I will sit with a few kids as we count the mushrooms on the underside of a log, while another educator watches kids climb trees, and another couple of kids play an imaginary game chasing each other around with sticks. Every child has had a different day at school and needs a different way to reset afterwards. The outdoors is a great place for each kid to decompress from the day in the way that works best for them.

As the day comes to a close, and the blue sky begins to fade, we return, often running, to the pile of backpacks in the yard. Adults begin to arrive and are greeted by running hugs and kids with hands full of forest treasures and mouths full of stories from their adventures. Boots are covered in mud and hair is full of leaves, but smiles are always wide, and they will all be back next week to explore some more.

This spring our weekly afterschool program will start on March 5th and run every Wednesday through May 21st. This includes extended afterschool days on early release days following the MMUUSD calendar. Bus drop-off is available from Brewster Pierce Memorial School and Richmond Elementary School. View this page for more information about the program and a link to register: Afterschool with Audubon Vermont | Audubon Vermont

This is the last season that we are running our afterschool program like this. We are excited to announce that next year we will be partnering with Mr. G and Vermont Outdoor Adventures to offer an afterschool program for MMUUSD students at our center. We look forward to this opportunity and to working with even more local students. If you are interested in joining, look out for information from Mr. G. View the Vermont Outdoor Adventures website here: https://www.vtoutdooradventures.com/