Collecting Rainwater

Wild Food Exploration for Kids and Families
2025-05-18 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago) | LaBagh Woods, West Foster Avenue, N Cicero Ave, Chicago, IL, 60630, United States
Get to know the local plants around us! Family focused wild food workshop for kids 2-10.
Join forager Natalie Evans for this family friendly workshop to learn about the wild foods growing all around us. The workshop will begin with a quick talk on how to harvest wild food safely and ethically, then families can explore different wild food stations:

The taste station will have some handmade wild snacks and beverages to try.
The puzzle station will have plant id information to see if you can find wild food based on some clues.
The plant station will have some seasonal wild foods like violets and dandelions for families to touch and smell.
The art station will have coloring pages about wild food.
The chill out station will have books on wild food that you can sit and look at.

$20 per family, please reach out for sliding scale options.
Register Here (registration required)
***Please note there will be no foraging at this event. Careless foraging can lead to certain plants becoming endangered and it is illegal to forage in the forest preserves. However, Natalie will provide handouts with lots of great resources that can be used if you decide to harvest plants in acceptable locations in the future.

Free Forest School at Forest Glen Woods
2025-05-15 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-05-08 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-05-01 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-04-24 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-04-17 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-04-10 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-03-21 10:00 - 12:00 | Forest Glen Woods, 5420 N Forest Glen Ave, Chicago, IL, 60630, United States
Unstructured, Child-Directed Play at Forest Glen Woods
Join other area caregivers and kids on Thursday mornings for unstructured forest playtime. The goal of this event is to give kids a chance for unstructured outdoor play. We encourage adults to take a step back and let the kids lead the way!
This week we’ll meet at Forest Glen Woods. Park towards the back of the parking lot and we’ll meet on the grass near the picnic shelter. We’ll start the meeting with a snack and introductions and then take off down the path around 10:15am.
Time for Uninterrupted Free Play
The goal of this event is allow children time and space to play together in unstructured outdoor play. It’s very rewarding when we can stand back and let the children take the lead in what they notice and what they want to engage with. Some weeks it will be one thing that catches their interest, and other weeks it may be something entirely different. By not having a set curriculum, we are free to follow where the children’s curiosity takes them. In these Free Forest School gatherings, we resist our adult urges to point out what we are drawn to and do our best to follow where the children’s curiosity is taking them.
If you’d like more info about how to facilitate child-led play, you can check out this document I’ve written (still a work in progress).
Age Range
Kids of all ages are welcome at this event! Kids tend to be between 0-8.
What to Bring
Snack, water, extra gear in case it gets wet.
What to Wear
While it’s cold, it’s helpful to have layers. Base layers (wool or synthetic), followed by fleece layer, then insulating layer. It’s also helpful to have rain/wet gear in case it’s muddy. I also created this one with the gear that I use and would be happy recommending.
Safety
Keep an eye on the children in your care and establish the safety boundaries that make sense for your family.
The event will continue rain or shine. We will cancel in case of severe weather (lightning).
Snack
We will start off with a snack before we head down the trail. We will end at 12pm but many of us stay for a picnic lunch back at the pavilion near the cars.
Bathrooms
The forest preserve bathrooms are no longer open at this location but there is a porta potty.

Observation-Based Play Group: Babies
2025-05-12 11:15 - 12:15, 2025-05-05 11:15 - 12:15, 2025-04-28 11:15 - 12:15, 2025-04-21 11:15 - 12:15 | Thaddeus S. “Ted” Lechowicz Woods, 5901 N Central Ave, Chicago, IL, IL, 60646
Click here for more info about Observation-Based Play Groups.

Observation-Based Play Group: Toddlers/Kids
2025-05-12 09:00 - 11:00, 2025-05-05 09:00 - 11:00, 2025-04-28 09:00 - 11:00, 2025-04-21 09:00 - 11:00 | Thaddeus S. “Ted” Lechowicz Woods, 5901 N Central Ave, Chicago, IL, IL, 60646

Observation-Based Play Group: Babies
2025-04-14 11:15 - 12:15 | Thaddeus S. “Ted” Lechowicz Woods, 5901 N Central Ave, Chicago, IL, IL, 60646
Free Trial Day!
Click here for more info about Observation-Based Play Groups.

Observation-Based Play Group: Toddlers/Kids
2025-04-14 09:00 - 11:00 | Thaddeus S. “Ted” Lechowicz Woods, 5901 N Central Ave, Chicago, IL, IL, 60646

Free Forest School at Forest Glen Woods
2025-04-03 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-03-27 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-03-20 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-03-13 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-03-06 10:00 - 12:00 | Forest Glen Woods, 5420 N Forest Glen Ave, Chicago, IL, 60630, United States
Unstructured, Child-Directed Play at Forest Glen Woods
Join other area caregivers and kids on Thursday mornings for unstructured forest playtime. The goal of this event is to give kids a chance for unstructured outdoor play. We encourage adults to take a step back and let the kids lead the way!
This week we’ll meet at Forest Glen Woods. Park towards the back of the parking lot and we’ll meet on the grass near the picnic shelter. We’ll start the meeting with a snack and introductions and then take off down the path around 10:15am.
Time for Uninterrupted Free Play
The goal of this event is allow children time and space to play together in unstructured outdoor play. It’s very rewarding when we can stand back and let the children take the lead in what they notice and what they want to engage with. Some weeks it will be one thing that catches their interest, and other weeks it may be something entirely different. By not having a set curriculum, we are free to follow where the children’s curiosity takes them. In these Free Forest School gatherings, we resist our adult urges to point out what we are drawn to and do our best to follow where the children’s curiosity is taking them.
If you’d like more info about how to facilitate child-led play, you can check out this document I’ve written (still a work in progress).
Age Range
Kids of all ages are welcome at this event! Kids tend to be between 0-8.
What to Bring
Snack, water, extra gear in case it gets wet.
What to Wear
Now that it’s getting cold, it’s helpful to have layers. Base layers (wool or synthetic), followed by fleece layer, then insulating layer. It’s also helpful to have rain/wet gear in case it’s muddy. I also created this one with the gear that I use and would be happy recommending.
Safety
Keep an eye on the children in your care and establish the safety boundaries that make sense for your family.
The event will continue rain or shine. We will cancel in case of severe weather (lightning).
Snack
We will start off with a snack before we head down the trail. We will end at 12pm but the majority of us stay for a picnic lunch afterwards. We have lunch at the pavilion next to the parking lot so you can leave your lunch in the car.
Bathrooms
The forest preserve bathrooms are no longer open at this location but there is a porta potty.

Free Forest School at Forest Glen Woods
2025-02-27 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-02-20 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-02-13 10:00 - 12:00 | Forest Glen Woods, 5420 N Forest Glen Ave, Chicago, IL, 60630, United States
Unstructured, Child-Directed Play at Forest Glen Woods
Join other area caregivers and kids on Thursday mornings for unstructured forest playtime. The goal of this event is to give kids a chance for unstructured outdoor play. We encourage adults to take a step back and let the kids lead the way!
This week we’ll meet at Forest Glen Woods. Park towards the back of the parking lot and we’ll meet on the grass near the picnic shelter. We’ll start the meeting with a snack and introductions and then take off down the path around 10:15am.
Time for Uninterrupted Free Play
The goal of this event is allow children time and space to play together in unstructured outdoor play. It’s very rewarding when we can stand back and let the children take the lead in what they notice and what they want to engage with. Some weeks it will be one thing that catches their interest, and other weeks it may be something entirely different. By not having a set curriculum, we are free to follow where the children’s curiosity takes them. In these Free Forest School gatherings, we resist our adult urges to point out what we are drawn to and do our best to follow where the children’s curiosity is taking them.
If you’d like more info about how to facilitate child-led play, you can check out this document I’ve written (still a work in progress).
Age Range
Kids of all ages are welcome at this event! Kids tend to be between 0-8.
What to Bring
Snack, water, extra gear in case it gets wet.
What to Wear
Now that it’s getting cold, it’s helpful to have layers. Base layers (wool or synthetic), followed by fleece layer, then insulating layer. It’s also helpful to have rain/wet gear in case it’s muddy. I also created this one with the gear that I use and would be happy recommending.
Safety
Keep an eye on the children in your care and establish the safety boundaries that make sense for your family.
The event will continue rain or shine. We will cancel in case of severe weather (lightning).
Snack
We will start off with a snack before we head down the trail. We will end at 12pm but feel free to stay after for a picnic lunch. (Owen and I will be staying).
Bathrooms
The forest preserve bathrooms are no longer open at this location but there is a porta potty.

RIE-Inspired Class Series (Sep 9 – Sep 30)
2024-09-30 10:00 - 12:00, 2024-09-23 10:00 - 12:00, 2024-09-16 10:00 - 12:00 | Thaddeus S. “Ted” Lechowicz Woods, 5901 N Central Ave, Chicago, IL, IL, 60646
Registration Required – Learn more here

RIE-Inspired Class Series (Sep 9 - Sep 30)
2024-09-09 10:00 - 12:00 | Thaddeus S. “Ted” Lechowicz Woods, 5901 N Central Ave, Chicago, IL, IL, 60646
