SEQUIM — The sun is peeking out of the clouds, birds zigzag overhead and sounds of the river and children’s laughter fill the air. Adventure Club is getting started for two hours of play and learning outdoors.
Adventure Club is a multi-age discovery group for families at Railroad Bridge Park at 2151 W. Hendrickson Road in Sequim. The group starts in front of the Dungeness River Audubon Center at the park every Thursday at 10 a.m. — rain or shine — until Thanksgiving.
The drop-in program allows parents to explore with their children. They are urged to bring a snack, a change of clothes and waterproof shoes.
The cost is $5 per child or $10 per family.
Children learn about nature plants, play games on the trail and end up at the river to listen to oral stories and create projects in the sand and water.
“Maybe you find going outdoors with your child intimidating, or you want them to have more time with peers, or you want to meet more families. … Those are just some of the reasons we run Adventure Club,” said Sarah Salazar-Tipton, executive director of Olympic Nature Experience which created the club.
”Our goal is to provide a safe, supportive, community-minded environment to explore together,”
Studies show that time in nature can reduce stress, increase focus, create higher levels of problems solving and be excellent for brain development in young and old alike, Salazar-Tipton said.
“At Adventure Club, both children and their parents have the opportunity to become familiar with the plants and animals in the changing seasons of the place we call home,” said Ellie Rose, a longtime parent at Adventure Club.
“Adventure Club brings families together to explore, play and experience nature in new ways,” she said.
“My daughter and I look forward to the ritual of putting on our owl eyes and fox feet to discover what the changing seasons will reveal every week at the river.”
Olympic Nature Experience runs programs and community events including summer camps, preschool, after school and home-school enrichment classes for children ages 3-12.
To learn more about Adventure Club, visit www.olympicnatureexperience.org.
To learn more about the Dungeness River Audubon Center, visit www. dungenessrivercenter.org
