It was recently my turn to host a playgroup, and I invited everyone to meet my 22-month-old daughter and me at the New Canaan Nature Center (144 Oenoke Ridge Road, New Canaan. We were excited to share this place with everyone, especially after most people said they’d never been. Now, I want to share it with any of you who haven’t had the chance to visit!
We’ve only visited a few times, but we enjoy it; there are various toddler-friendly things to do, and free admission.
The first time we visited the New Canaan Nature Center, I wasn’t sure what to expect beyond the gardens, greenhouse, and trails detailed on their website and Michelle’s promise that there’d be animals. But we were pleasantly surprised when we entered the Children’s Play Garden.
The Children’s Play Garden is an alternative playground. It includes a boxwood maze (my favorite!), a treehouse, tree stump stepping stones, a climbing net, and more. There’s also a little wooden picnic table, perfectly sized for little ones if you want to bring a snack or activity.
As a side note, on the day of our playgroup, I brought along a nature scavenger hunt. This was my daughter’s first scavenger hunt, so we started with just a few photos of items like leaves, pinecones, acorns, and a branch. I gave her a bag and let her see what she could find. Nature center or not, I think this might be a new favorite activity!
Inside the Visitors Center is the Discovery Room. Just before you enter the room, there’s a coloring station with nature-themed coloring pages and crayons. The room has nature-themed toys, games, puzzles, dress-up clothes, and more. If you’re hoping to see some animals, there is a rabbit, turtles, snakes, and a bee exhibit around the room’s perimeter. After an hour or two exploring outside, my daughter could easily and happily spend another hour or two inside this room.
There’s even more outside to explore on the trails.
