Education & Community

What inspires us at Lil' Kickers? Kids! Plain and simple: we are a family business. When we started Lil’ Kickers in 1999 we wanted to build a kids’ program that was fundamentally sound and outrageously fun. What we started at Arena Sports indoor soccer facilities in Seattle, Washington, has now grown into a national franchise with more than 100 locations in 27 states and provinces, with a total enrollment of 900,000 kids and growing!

We are now in Woodbury, MN! Come join us for our free Lil' Kicker classes. Read more about Lil' Kickers is coming to Woodbury!

Earn your stripes and join the Minnesota Zoo for their annual Tiger Tracks 5K to raise money for wildlife conservation. The race starts at the Shady Oaks Picnic area and follows a course through the zoo on outdoor trails. Registered participants will receive free admission to the zoo on the event day and a commemorative t-shirt. Strollers are welcome. Read more about Tiger Tracks 5K and Family Run/ Walk

Celebrate the annual great migration of the monarchs from Minnesota to Mexico at Lake Nokomis this fall. Break out your best orange and black to walk in the costume parade or learn more about these incredible butterflies by tagging and releasing your own. You can explore the butterfly naturescape by the lake and even find out how you can help to protect the species in the future. Read more about Minneapolis Monarch Festival

Experience a Taste of Greece at the Minneapolis Greek Festival at St. Mary’s Greek Orthodox Church. Try authentic Greek food, from gyros to baklava, while participating in the various cultural experiences available. It will be a weekend full of bookstores, boutiques and dancing finished off with a 5K run for Chloe’s Fight Rare Disease Foundation. Read more about Minneapolis Greek Festival

Join us for the 2nd Annual ‘Shout Out Loud’ Suicide Prevention and Resource Awareness event! Our main goal with Shout Out Loud is to normalize the conversation about suicide prevention in our community and encourage participation in local wellness resources. Our goal with Shout Out Loud is to normalize the conversation about suicide prevention in our community and encourage participation in local wellness resources. Read more about Shout Out Loud Minnesota - A Suicide Prevention Charity Event

(ALL AGES)

It is FUN to be outside in the wintertime! Take a hike or snowshoe down to the pond for a fun exploration then make S’mores.

Fee: $5/person. Register by Thursday, Dec 28  Read more about S'more Nature Fun

(ADULTS; CHILDREN AGES 8 AND UP WITH ADULT)  

Drop in to watch and record winter birds on our trails or at our feeders. Enter your sightings using the eBird app or hand-write a list for the naturalist. Double the fun by renting a pair of snowshoes for $5/pair (if 6” snow on ground)!

FREE! Drop-in Program.  Read more about December Brrrrd Count

Walk when the Moon is full to listen and look for these flying mousetraps! Great horned and barred owls make the nature center home. Back inside, dissect an owl pellet to identify the teeth and bones of the creatures they eat. Learn to identify 5 owl calls and practice calling, too! Bring a mug for a hot beverage afterward! Small scout or youth groups welcome.

Fee: $5 per person, Register online by Tuesday, December 10. Read more about Full Moon Walk

Learn how to read weather radar for your home, drive, and for events planning.  Learn more about what those forecasts really mean, and what to watch for during Minnesota Winters.  Learn about cloud formations and take home your very own cloud chart. This program is great for folks who have just moved to Minnesota, AND life-long Minnesota dwellers alike!  Learn winter preparedness tips and tricks from the Naturalist including how to keep warm and stay safe in winter.  Read more about Wild Weather in Minnesota With Pete Boulay

Make and take a scented bath bomb using simple, environmentally friendly ingredients. Add a few dried flower petals for some extra pizazz! Bring home two bombs (one for you and one for a gift), a recipe, handouts and a mold. Wear old clothes, bring an ice cream bucket or large bowl, large stirring spoon and a Ziploc bag to transport your creations home.

Fee: Prepay $8/person by Wednesday, November 20. Read more about I's the Bomb!