Spending the Morning at the Family Play Day

Spending the Morning at the Family Play Day

by | Jul 21, 2026 | Events, Stories

This morning, I had the pleasure of joining Ithaca Forest Preschool for one of our Free Family Play Days! During these play days, families with children aged 0-5 are invited to see what a typical day at our forest preschool looks like. Five families joined us today so we had a big group! I was excited to see both new and familiar faces. 

Photo by Hallie Allport

Photo by Hallie Allport

To start off, we all went down to our beloved Trillium Camp to do our opening circle. Opening circle is always an important time that sets the tone of our day. We did introductions, sang a song, and learned about the day. After opening circle, the families got to explore and play in our many cool spots around camp. Kids were hanging out on the climbing hill, splashing in the creek, walking on the balance logs, playing in the sandbox, and other fun activities. At snack time Lyla told a story! Lyla’s story was about the three sisters: corn, beans, and squash. Kids listened eagerly as they ate their snacks. After snack time, we took a trip up the hill to the Meadow to visit our garden where the three sisters are planted! The kids got to look for hidden treasures in the plants, which included a jar of popcorn kernels, maple syrup, oil, salt, and a pot! We then took our new goodies back down to Trillium Camp where Fionna made a fire. The kids looked enamored by the sounds of the popcorn kernels popping and the crackle of the fire. The smoke has a nice earthy scent that kept away the bugs. Lyla and Fionna then served everyone some yummy maple popcorn! After our popcorn treat, the kids had more free play time before we closed out the day with closing circle. 

Join us at our next Free Play Day on September 15! 

Gallery – Photos by Hallie Allport

Preschool Graduation

Preschool Graduation

by | Jun 11, 2026 | Events, Photo Gallery, Stories

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of joining Ithaca Forest Preschool at their graduation ceremony. Students and families gathered at Trillium Camp, where there was a yummy potluck. The graduating preschoolers each got a large turkey feather necklace as a symbol of their graduation. It was all smiles from the graduates as they shared nice moments with their instructors!

There was also a showcase of the crafts the students had worked on. Parents and families were very excited to see the amazing creations the students had made. This ceremony was also the last preschool celebration for two of our instructors, Fionna and Liz. Thank you Fionna and Liz for your dedication and knowledge these last years at Ithaca Forest Prechool! We will miss you!

Pre-School Field Trip

Pre-School Field Trip

by | Jun 8, 2026 | Events, Stories

This week, Ithaca Forest Pre School took an awesome field trip to Turtle Crossing Wildlife Rehabiltation Farm, which is in-part led by one of our own staff Dina! The farm is nestled in the lively forests of Ellis Hollow and houses varieties of birds, turtles, geese, and other rescued animals. These injured or orphaned animals are rehabilitated for release back into their natural habitat. I was immediately enchanted by the ambient bird chatter and leaves in the wind. 

The pre-schoolers were very excited to see the animals and were even able to interact with them! We split into small groups led by our instructors Fionna, Lyla, and Liz, with support from Dina and rehabilitator and founder Cheryl. In one of the stations, we got to visit birds! The birds were very energetic and friendly. The pre-schoolers were ecstatic because they were able to pet baby ducklings! Cheryl also showed us a large habitat for a bird she is rehabilitating that cannot fly. The kids were enamored by the liveliness of the birds. 

In another group, we got to step inside the enclosure where baby geese live! The kids got to run around with the baby geese and pet them. These goslings had lost their mother, so they instead would look to Dina for guidance! Nearby the goslings, a sheep and turkeys said hello to us and put on quite the show of noise! 

At the final station, the kids got to feed the animals by throwing food in their pond. We also had lots of visitors such as baby chipmunks scurrying nearby. 

Kids looking at turtles

Student looking at large goose

Kids looking at a baby duck

Baby geese in a pool

To close out the day, Dina introduced us to Leo and Pearl, two large tortoises hanging out in a grassy enclosure. They were very friendly, so the kids were able to pet them on their shells and feed them grass. It was a great day interacting with the animals and learning about the rehabilitation work that Cheryl, Dina, and volunteers do to help our wildlife!

 Check out more information about Turtle Crossing farm at sites.google.com/turtlecrossingfarm.org 

Instagram: turtlecrossing_wrf

Facebook: Turtle Crossing Wildlife Rehabilitation Farm Inc

Check out more photos from the field trip at https://primitivepursuits.com/pre-school-field-trip/

 

Office Location:
Cornell Cooperative Extension, 615 Willow Ave., Ithaca, NY 14850
607-272-2292 | email Us

Preschool Location:
4-H Acres, 418 Lower Creek Rd., Ithaca, NY 14850


Ithaca Forest Preschool is a nature immersion program for children ages 3-5. Our program is run in cooperation with Primitive Pursuits, a project of Cornell Cooperative Extension.