Rockingham's Arbor Day Festival fun for all ages

If you want to be your child's hero, take them to the free Arbor Day Festival on Friday at the Rockingham County Partnership for Children.

Not only do children have a blast at the festival, they can learn a lot about nature and science as well, said Jean Ann Wood, community awareness educator for the Partnership.

"The idea is for children to have fun by getting outdoors with nature and learning and exploring," she said. "That's how we learn to grow."

A highlight of the fourth annual educational event from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 7572 N.C. 87 in Reidsville will be the chance to see raptors up close and learn about their habits. It's the second year in a row the N.C. Raptor Center's birds of prey will be part of the festival. The shows are 10:30 a.m., 11:45 a.m., 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

"It will be the same, but different," Wood said. "They'll have a different show with different characters this year."

The raptor shows were a hit with families and the child-care facilities that attended last year's event, Wood said.

"They loved the birds, and that is why we brought them back this year," she said. "I think it's important to learn about birds that are native to North Carolina."

Another way participants can get back to nature is by taking a hayride or nature walk with one of the Partnership's staff.

"We've had the pond trail cleared and we've been feeding the fish," Wood said. "We saw a wild turkey the other day and there are turtles. And today our praying mantis hatched."

As in previous years, there will also be story-times, arts and crafts, a bounce house, a graffiti wall, bubbles and sand play. In addition, there will be a trees and plants station, a rocks and minerals station, butterfly and ant displays and the Exploration Station, where children can experiment hands-on with different science projects, including magnets.

"We like to provide some of the sensory things that are harder to do at home for families on a budget like the moon sand," Wood said. "We're also doing a different a different craft. We're making crafts that they can take home."

For those who work up an appetite from all the activities, the partnership provides snacks and water throughout the day, and families are welcome to pack a picnic lunch to share on the grounds, Woods said.

Pizza will be served for those attending after 5 p.m. All activities are free and open to the public. The event is also open to child-care centers, Head Start and preschool classrooms as well as families. Early childhood programs should call Wood in advance to sign up at (336) 342-9676. Since the theme of the festival is Arbor Day, the first 1,000 children will get to take home a free tree to plant.

"The tree this year is a crepe myrtle," Wood said. "We always have plenty."

Lisa Snedeker is a freelance writer who lives in Madison.