Beaver Lodge for Young Explorers
WHERE
Educational Exhibits, across from the HawkFly
Welcome to the Beaver Lodge for Young Explorers, VINS Nature Center's newest interactive space designed especially for our youngest visitors! Just as beaver kits learn about their world through play and exploration, this immersive exhibit invites children to engage all their senses while discovering the fascinating world of Vermont's most influential ecosystem engineers.
Inside our newest exhibit, little adventurers will find:
- A climbing structure to improve gross motor skills and provide opportunities for imaginative play
- A gentle slide mimicking how river otters slip down a bank into the water
- Crawl-through tunnels to get inside the lodge with a small beaver hidden underneath
- Child-height mirrors where young ones can pull up and see themselves
- A tactile station featuring natural materials like sticks to experience different bark textures
- Custom artwork of animals and plants found around a beaver lodge
- Soft play area with a thick rug for crawling babies
- Flip doors with latches to build fine motor skills
- Spinning fish, frogs, and butterflies for a visual and auditory experience
- A marble wall for a visual and auditory experience
This space will foster the natural curiosity and physical development of children ages 3 and under. The Beaver Lodge for Young Explorers offers the perfect blend of education and entertainment, creating meaningful connections to nature for our next generation of environmental stewards. Come play, learn, and grow with us!
This exhibit is made possible by a generous grant from The Butler Foundation.