A loop trail system leads through a live oak hammock that connects to the Sugarfoot Prairie Conservation Area.


Click here for a map

Check the library’s online calendar for details on special events, kids programs, and story times.   All the libraries have a children’s area with couches, chairs and a small rug for snuggling up to read books together.   Some branches also feature educational computer games.

www.aclib.us

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday
All ages
FREE

Alachua County libraries offer a variety of story times for children and babies.   Check the website for specific branch schedules.

www.aclib.us/events

Every Wednesday 3:00PM -3:45PM
All ages
FREE

All Morningside Nature Center Programs have paused for the summer and will resume in September.

Morningside Nature Center has a farm, ee—i—ee—i—oh! On this farm, youngsters with an adult can meet and greet animals by helping staff with afternoon feeding. With a sheep here—and a cow there—learning about heritage breeds is fun!

Barnyard Buddies, Frogs and Friends Fridays and Living History Days are suspended until September. Take a cool break and visit one of the many nature parks in the City of Gainesville! Gainesville’s premier nature park, Morningside Nature Center is open daily 8:00 am – 8:00 pm (May–Oct), has more than six miles of trails that wind through sandhill, flatwoods, and cypress domes. The park has wheelchair accessible restrooms, ample parking, and it will be sure to become a favorite destination. The Living History Farm is open from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm, Tuesday through Saturday. A Cell Phone Tour will guide you through the Living History Farm. Visit today and find your favorite nature park!



www.natureoperations.org

The Cellon Live Oak was named for its former owner, Ralph W. Cellon, and now sits in Cellon Oak Park, Owned by Alachua County, three miles south of LaCrosse, Florida.  It’s the largest live oak tree in Florida, and is a nice place for kids to play.  There are large limbs parallel to the ground that kids can easily climb on, and a large field in which to picnic.


Click here for for more information
Click here for a map

This recreation park was developed for community use by Gainesville Regional Utilities.   The park includes a large network of nature trails that wind around and behind the park's soccer fields and its numerous ponds, streams, waterfalls and fountains, all of which are supplied by reclaimed water.   The pond is a popular birding spot, so keep your eyes peeled for waterfowl and other winged wildlife.


www.gru.com/OurCommunity/ParkProjects/chapmanspond.jsp

One Sunday a month 3:30PM
All ages
FREE

Contadores de Estórias de Gainesville is a storytelling group in Portuguese that meets once a month at the Millhopper Branch Library. Our goal is to celebrate various brazilian holidays and interact our children with the brazilian culture and traditions through songs, games, books and storytelling. All the meetings are spoken in portuguese to preserve our language.

contadoresgnv@gmail.com
www.contadoresdeestoriasgainesville.shutterfly.com

Save your bread crusts or other bread/ cracker products and head to North Florida Medical Center on Newberry Road across from the mall.  Park in the parking garage for free, or on the street right near the pond.  Feed the ducks (and turtles) and take a nice walk around the pond on the path.

All the permanent exhibits are kid-friendly and many have hands-on features just for kids.  Check the website for information about special exhibits.  

Permanent exhibits include:
Florida Fossils: Evolution of Life and Land; Northwest Florida: Waterways and Wildlife; South Florida People and Environments; and the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, which features the screened, outdoor Butterfly Rainforest exhibit.*NEW Our Energy Future: Tips about reducing energy use at home and hands-on activities

Traveling Exhibit: Titanoboa: Monster Snake | January 26th - August 11th 2013
Florida Museum of Natural History scientists recently discovered 60-million-year-old remains of the largest snake in the world, Titanoboa cerrejonensis, in a Colombian coal mine. Measuring 48 feet long and weighing 2,500 pounds, this massive predator could crush and devour a crocodile! The new exhibition Titanoboa: Monster Snake tells the incredible story of this massive creature. Featuring a full-scale model of Titanoboa and clips from a Smithsonian Channel documentary, the exhibition delves into the discovery, reconstruction and implications of this enormous reptile. Fossil plants and other animals found at the site also reveal the earliest known rain forest, teeming with life and dating to the Paleocene, the lost world that followed the demise of the dinosaurs.

The Discovery Room: A hands-on activity area for kids featuring arts and crafts, books, activities, puppet shows, and more.

www.flmnh.ufl.edu

1st Friday of every month 2:00PM - 3:00PM
All ages
FREE

All Morningside Nature Center Programs have paused for the summer and will resume in September.

Join the fun, get the facts! Youngsters, with an adult, can join a Morningside Nature Center animal caretaker for amphibian and reptile feeding.

Barnyard Buddies, Frogs and Friends Fridays and Living History Days are suspended until September. Take a cool break and visit one of the many nature parks in the City of Gainesville! Gainesville’s premier nature park, Morningside Nature Center is open daily 8:00 am – 8:00 pm (May–Oct), has more than six miles of trails that wind through sandhill, flatwoods, and cypress domes. The park has wheelchair accessible restrooms, ample parking, and it will be sure to become a favorite destination. The Living History Farm is open from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm, Tuesday through Saturday. A Cell Phone Tour will guide you through the Living History Farm. Visit today and find your favorite nature park!


www.natureoperations.org

Third Thursday of the month 9:30AM - 11:00AM
Ages baby to 12 years old
Ages 4-12 are $5 | Kids under 4 are FREE

Join Gainesville Ecotours as part of Children and Nature Network and Get Outdoors Florida to get kids in nature and provide exercise! Gainesville Ecotours will plan an environmental education program for kids. The program will provide for some guidance for parents as they guide their child through hiking trails, with most time allotted for free play and hiking in nature. Examples of educational programs include nature scavenger hunts, nature photography, using the five senses to discover nature, examining plants, insects, and wildlife, and more. Adults must accompany their children. The club will meet at different City of Gainesville Parks, Alachua County conservation land, or water management district conservation areas each month.

Terri@GainesvilleEcoTours.com
www.GainesvilleEcoTours.com

In a cooperative project with the Alachua Astronomy club, artist Elizabeth Indianos created monuments to represent the planets of our solar system.   Each of the ten, fourteen foot tall concrete monoliths is covered with tactile and visual information including: scientific facts, symbols and poetry.   The linear path of monoliths stretches along 8th Avenue, spaced in ratios of the actual distances between the planets on a scale of 4 billion to 1.


www.floridastars.org/solarwalk/solarwalk.html
www.gvlculturalaffairs.org/website/services/APPT/APPT_projects.html

Gainesville's trails are connected.   The Waldo Road Greenway, Depot Avenue Trail, Downtown Connector, and Gainesville-Hawthorne trail can be used to provide a 22-mile (35 km) continuous bike trail from the Gainesville Regional Airport to Hawthorne.
Click here for more information

Gainesville Depot Avenue Trail 2.1 miles (3.4 km), paved
This trail follows a former rail corridor through residential and industrial areas in southeast Gainesville.   It connects to the Gainesville-Waldo Road Greenway on its eastern end, allowing for an extended trail experience.   These trails are part of a growing network that will ultimately provide access to the Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail State Park via the Gainesville-Downtown Connector.
Click here for more information

Gainesville- Downtown Connector 1.8 miles (2.9 km), paved (under construction)


Gainesville-Hawthorne State Trail 16 miles (26 km), paved (asphalt 10' wide)
Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail State Park stretches 16 miles from the City of Gainesville's Boulware Springs Park through the Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park and the Lochloosa Wildlife Management Area.   As such, the trail takes you through some of the finest natural areas in north central Florida.   It is wooded and quiet even though it travels close to busy highways and country roads.   The entire trail is a pleasure to ride, and there are even a few hills to climb and speed down.   If you take your time and visit La Chua trail in Paynes Prairie, you might even have an opportunity to see bison, wild horses and sandhill cranes.
Click here for more information
www.floridastateparks.org/gainesville-hawthorne

Parking is provided at three trail heads:
3300 SE 15th Street in Gainesville, at Boulware Springs City Park
7902 SE 200th Drive, off of CR2082 west of Hawthorne
2182 SE 71st Avenue in Hawthorne

Primitive restrooms are located at mile markers 1.0 and 6.6.


Kermit Sigmon Trail - Paved
Named for a local doctor, the trail leads west past both Shands and Veterans hospitals, and hospital employees use it as a commuter corridor.   Although the route continues another two miles west, it's probably best to end your trip here; the Archer Road crossing poses a significant hazard, and its narrow sidewalk flanks the wrong side of the road for westbound cyclists.
www.traillink.com/ViewTrail.aspx?AcctID=6167133

Gainesville-Waldo Road Greenway -2.6 miles (4.2 km), paved This nicely landscaped trail follows a former rail corridor through residential and industrial areas in southeast Gainesville.   It connects to the Gainesville-Depot Avenue Trail at its southern end, allowing for an extended trail experience.   When renovated, the Old Depot will provide trailhead access to the trail.   In the meantime, access is available at many crossroads running the length of the trail from the Shands Hospital area to the trail's connection to the Gainesville-Waldo Road Greenway.

Click here for more information

Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices.   The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share your experiences online.   Geocaching is enjoyed by people from all age groups, with a strong sense of community and support for the environment.

www.geocaching.com

The Great Florida Birding Trail (GFBT) is a program of the FWC.   At its core is a network of 489 sites throughout Florida selected for their excellent birdwatching or bird education opportunities.   This 2000-mile, self-guided highway trail is designed to conserve and enhance Florida's bird habitat by promoting birdwatching activities, conservation education and economic opportunity.   Check the website for trail locations in your area.

www.floridabirdingtrail.com

First Friday of the month 11:00AM - 12:00PM | Last Tuesday of the month 3:30PM - 4:30PM
Ages 2-5
FREE

Tot Time at the Harn Musuem: Children ages 2-5 and their parents learn about art by touring Harn galleries, exploring art materials, books, games and age-appropriate concepts.   Programs are offered twice a month, and children must be registered to attend in advance.

To register, contact Lisa Stevens (352) 392-9826 x112
lstevens@harn.ufl.edu
www.harn.ufl.edu

The Samuel P. Harn Museum opened in 1990, dedicated to promoting the power of the arts to inspire and educate people and enrich their lives.More than 8,000 works are represented in the museum’s various collections, which include photography and Asian, African, modern and contemporary art. The museum also displays numerous traveling exhibitions throughout the year. As an accredited museum, the Harn has been recognized as a leader in its field by the American Association of Museums.   In addition, there are several rotating or special collections.   Check website for details.

www.harn.ufl.edu

1st Saturday of every month 9:00AM - 12:00PM
Ages 5-12
FREE

The Kids Workshops are FREE how-to clinics for children.   Projects include the creation of toolboxes, fire trucks and mail organizers, as well as more educational projects, such as a window birdhouse, bughouse or Declaration of Independence frame kit.   The workshops teach children do-it-yourself skills and tool safety, while at the same time helping to instill a sense of accomplishment.  Additionally, this fun time allows for quality one-on-one time between adults and children.   In addition to the newly constructed project kit, each child receives a kid-sized orange apron, similar to The Home Depot associates' aprons, and an achievement pin.


Click here for more information

Lake Alice is a signature feature of the University of Florida campus.   It is a proven sanctuary to alligators as well as many birds.   On Lake Alice's northern side, there is a boardwalk that leads visitors through the woods and swamp to a viewing platform to see live alligators and turtles.

Wednesdays at 10:30AM   /  Please call ahead to register.
Ages 2-6
FREE

The Learning Path Store offers a weekly Story Time that will feature seasonal picture books and crafts for children.    Because we are including crafts, we need to have parents and caregivers register by phone before the event.

Letterboxing is an intriguing pastime combining navigational skills and rubber stamp artistry in a charming "treasure hunt" style outdoor quest.   A wide variety of adventures can be found to suit all ages and experience levels.  There are over more than 15 letterboxes hidden around Alachua County alone!

www.letterboxing.org

2nd Saturday of the month 10:00AM
Ages 5-12
FREE

From project basics to giving your child the opportunity to say, "I built it!", our Build and Grow kid's clinics are a great way to help build confidence!   Bring the kids into any Lowe's store and build a FREE wooden project.   Each participant also receives a free apron, goggles, a project themed patch, and a certification of merit upon completion of their project.   Advanced registration is not required, but supplies are limited.   Workshops are held 1-2 times a month.   Advanced registration is not required, but supplies are limited.


www.lowesbuildandgrow.com

Saturday 11:00AM - 3:00PM
All Ages
FREE
Bring a bag (or bags) of carrots to feed the horses. Carrots are available for purchase at the gate.

The Retirement Home for Horses gives lifetime care to horses seized by law enforcement; those rescued by the SPCA or Humane Societies; horses retired from government service such as police patrol, state or federal parks; horses used by handicapped riding programs; circus horses; those used in experiments or similar cases.

.
rhh@millcreekfarm.org
www.millcreekfarm.org

Saturdays 9:00AM - 4:30 PM
All Ages
FREE

All Morningside Nature Center Programs have paused for the summer and will resume in September.

Living History Days: Step back in a time when the roosters’ crow and the rising sun, not an alarm clock, welcomed a new day!   The Living History Farm comes to life with staff interpreting day-to-day life on a rural Florida farm.   Sample biscuits, fresh butter and a slice of life from 1870!   The heritage breed farm animals are fed twice daily around 9:00 am and 3:00 pm. FREE.

The Living History Farm is open to the public from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm Tuesday through Saturday.
Morningside’s Living History Farm is a ten-acre re-creation of a single-family rural holding in the year 1870.  The Farm centers on the McCarroll’s, an Alachua County Irish immigrant family who built the oldest of the structures: Hogan’s Cabin.  The farm includes the 1840’s cabin, 1900’s board and batten kitchen, 1880’s twin-crib barn, Half-Moon one-room school house, reproduction out-buildings, heirloom garden and field crop areas and live heritage breed farm animals.  You can step into the life of an 1870’s family during special events and programs.

Barnyard Buddies, Frogs and Friends Fridays and Living History Days are suspended until September. Take a cool break and visit one of the many nature parks in the City of Gainesville! Gainesville’s premier nature park, Morningside Nature Center is open daily 8:00 am – 8:00 pm (May–Oct), has more than six miles of trails that wind through sandhill, flatwoods, and cypress domes. The park has wheelchair accessible restrooms, ample parking, and it will be sure to become a favorite destination. The Living History Farm is open from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm, Tuesday through Saturday. A Cell Phone Tour will guide you through the Living History Farm. Visit today and find your favorite nature park!


www.natureoperations.org

Fridays 9:30-10:30AM
Ages 1-4
FREE
A free weekly program of songs, stories and crafts for Jewish children and their parents.


Click here to go to the website

Kids love to learn and explore.   Here are just a few ideas to make your hikes more interesting and enjoyable.   These scavenger hunts will also help to improve your child's observation skills and will increase their interest in and understanding of our natural environment.

www.scavengerhuntsforkids.com
www.scavenger-hunt-guru.com
www.parenting-our-kids.com
www.lovetheoutdoors.com

Located directly behind the Museum, the park is a joint effort of the Matheson Museum and the City of Gainesville.   The park is an outdoor museum in the heart of the city.   A Walk Through History, a 12-panel local history exhibition, lines the walkways that meander through the Park; the area?s natural history is interpreted in native plant clusters and a formal Southern garden.   Also as a neighborhood and community space, the park offers quiet benches along Sweetwater Branch Creek, the city's original eastern boundary, and a children's playground.

2nd Friday of every month at 8:00PM
Check the website for specific movie details.
All ages
FREE

Movies on the Square:   Enjoy classic family movies under the stars on the lawn.   Pack your picnics and don'f forget a blanket or lawn chair.   Vintage cartoon at dusk and feature film begins at dark.   No time to pack your snacks?   Food & drinks will be available throughout the center.


http://tiogatowncenter.com

The university built this 18-by-18-foot bat house in 1991 as a replacement home for bats living in campus buildings.  It is now gaining fame as the world's largest bat house.  In late spring, summer, and early fall, at nightfall, visitors can watch the nightly emergence of between 40,000 and 70,000 Southeastern and Mexican free-tailed bats from a fenced observation area that has benches and an informational kiosk.


www.flmnh.ufl.edu/bats/

The University of Florida Natural Area Teaching Laboratory (NATL) is dedicated to teaching students and the public about ecology and biotic diversity.   It consists of 60 acres in two contiguous tracts in the southwest corner of campus.   The larger tract, known as NATL-west, has 49 acres and is west of Natural Area/Surge Area Drive.   The smaller tract, known as NATL-east, has 11 acres and is east of Natural Area/Surge Area Drive.   NATL has significant samples of three upland ecosystems characteristic of north peninsular Florida: hammock, upland pine, and old-field succession.   It has a variety of wetland habitats, including a 9-acre marsh in NATL-east that drains into a pond and sinkhole in NATL-west and a 3-acre ecologically engineered retention basin (SEEP) in the northeast corner of NATL-west.

Visit the website for maps and guides to the 4 Florida ecosystem trails.
1- Wetlands - ¾ mile
2- Upland Pine - ¼ mile
3- Old Field - ¼ mile
4- Hammock - ¼ mile


natl@ufl.edu
http://natl.ifas.ufl.edu

The Department of Physics Lobby Exhibits opened in December 2002. The science exhibits include a T-Rex Hologram, Parabolic Dishes, a Large Plasma Ball, a Giant Guitar String, the Anti-Gravity Mirror, and a “Real-Image” Object display that changes objects periodically, the Spectra exhibit and the Chaotic Pendulum.


Click here for more information

Next to the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, there is a labyrinth made of rocks.   The labyrinth is one of the oldest contemplative and transformational tools known to humankind, used for centuries for prayer, ritual, initiation, and personal and spiritual growth.   Its archetypal image is found throughout history in cultures including Ancient Egyptian, Cretan, Celtic, Scandinavian, and Native American.   The most famous labyrinth from ancient times was the Cretan one, the supposed lair of the mythological Minotaur which Theseus slew with the aid of Ariadne and her spool of golden thread.   When early Christians could not make their pilgrimages to Jerusalem, the church adopted labyrinths to offer the faithful a way of fulfilling their sacred vows.   Christians made their pilgrimages to Chartres, Rheims or Amiens to complete their physical and spiritual journeys in the cathedral labyrinths.

The UUFG labyrinth is modeled after the one in the stone floor of Chartres Cathedral, just outside of Paris, France. Inlaid into the Cathedral floor in 1201, the Chartres labyrinth has eleven concentric paths that wind through four quadrants of a circle.   As you journey through our labyrinth, to its center and back, we trust that you will rediscover a long forgotten tradition made new in our day.


Click here for more information