FREE EVENT

Explore your community for a fun day of nature play!

Saturday, May 17, 2025

Saturday, May 17, 2025 is Nature Everywhere Day in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul — and beyond. We’re highlighting low-cost and free nature-based outdoor activities for your family happening throughout the week in your community. Check back often for updates!

Do you have questions about Nature Everywhere Day or is your organization or community group interested in event promotion? We are accepting activities through 4/21. Contact us at conference@dev.childrenandnature.org, or complete the Google Form.

Brought to you by the Children & Nature Network

FEATURED EVENTS

Duluth Nature Play Collaborative: Annual Nature Play & Learning Gathering

Saturday, May 17 | 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM
University of Minnesota Duluth
1049 University Drive
Duluth, MN 55812

Early Childhood (0-3) Educators and early childhood education supporters are invited to the annual Nature Play & Learning gathering in Duluth, MN. This event is FREE and organized by the Duluth Nature Play Collaborative, Minnesota Early Childhood Outdoors, Hartley Nature Center, and the UMD Department of Applied Human Sciences, with support from the Jeffers Foundation. Participants can attend the keynote and panel from 8:30 – 10:30 am and tour Duluth’s many nature preschool and elementary sites from 11am – 3pm. There is an option to register just for site tours as well.

This event is intended for nature-based educators and advocates.

Additional Info:
It is a 2.5 hour drive from Saint Paul. Enter the UMD campus from St. Marie Street and park in Lots C, E, or G. These lots are free on weekends. Walk along University Drive and then Ordean Court to enter Montague Hall near lecture room 70.

EcoAlpha: Minneapolis Sculpture Garden Cleanup

Sunday, May 11 | 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Minneapolis Sculpture Garden
14357 Loring Greenway
Minneapolis, MN 55403

EcoAlpha is hosting a Minneapolis Sculpture Garden Cleanup, bringing together volunteers to help remove litter and debris from one of the city’s most iconic public spaces! This event is an opportunity to give back to the environment, preserve the beauty of this beloved landmark, and ensure a cleaner, healthier space for visitors, pollinators, and wildlife.

Volunteers of all ages are welcome to participate, and EcoAlpha will provide gloves, trash bags, and necessary cleanup supplies. By joining this effort, community members can take an active role in environmental stewardship, helping to maintain a cherished landmark while fostering a cleaner and greener Minneapolis.

Participants will meet at the Giant Blue Rooster Sculpture.

This event is intended for all ages and registration is required: https://forms.gle/V7SJyTCWWNkJBQ8DA

Dodge Nature Center & Preschool: Rock the Barn

Saturday, May 17 | 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Main Property, Farm Entrance
1701 Charlton Street
West St. Paul, MN 55118
Parking in nearby lots or on street

Put on your boots and come on down for Dodge’s annual farm and music festival—all while supporting the Dodge Nature Preschool Scholarship Fund and celebrating the preschool’s 25th Birthday!

Enjoy live bands and musicians as spring blooms around the nature center. Bring a blanket to picnic with family and friends. Get up close to farm animals, make dandelion fritters, and ride the hay wagon. Opportunities to support the Scholarship Fund at the event include a bake sale, raffle baskets, lemonade stand, and more.

Learn more here: https://www.dodgenaturecenter.org/event/rtb-2025

Planned activities are geared towards families with children aged 2-12, but all who love music and nature are invited and welcome to attend.

Circle of Friends Preschool, Edgewood School Prior Lake Savage Area School District

Monday, May 12 | 4:30 PM – 5:45 PM
Jeffers Pond Elementary School

Nature Pop-Up Family Event – Let’s get outside! Join us for a nature-filled adventure at Jeffers Pond Elementary School. Each class features a story time and plenty of hands-on exploration — it’s the perfect opportunity for families to connect with nature. Don’t forget to dress for the weather! In the event of severe conditions, we will move indoors to Room 126 at Edgewood and notify families accordingly. Whether rain or shine, we promise a fun and enriching experience for all!

Register at: https://priorlakesavagece.com/

Event intended for ages birth to 7 years

Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge

Saturday, May 17 | 2:00 – 3:00 PM
Penn Lake Library
8800 Penn Ave. S,
Bloomington, MN 55431

You don’t have to leave your neighborhood to explore nature! Join a Ranger at your local library to explore what signs of spring are popping up in our neighborhood. Activities will be both indoors and outdoors and are geared toward elementary-aged students, but all are welcome! We will finish the program with a take-home project. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

What to Bring: Clothing and shoes you can comfortably move around in. This program has indoor and outdoor portions, please bring outerwear appropriate for the spring weather. Event is rain or shine.

Accessibility: Restrooms and water fountains available inside of the library. Outdoor terrains include paved sidewalks and mowed lawn.

Activities are geared toward elementary-aged students, but all are welcome!

Learn more here: https://www.fws.gov/event/nature-your-neighborhood-signs-spring-0

No registration required.

YMCA of the North

Anytime
Various parks around the Twin Cities and beyond – check the map link for details!

Unlock It! is a self-guided scavenger hunt experience for the whole family. You can do it on your schedule, anytime during daylight hours. Just download the map, follow the clues and unlock the keyword!

Learn more here: https://www.ymcanorth.org/