Birthday Parties
When the Woodcock Nature Center hosts your birthday party, you give your guests an exciting and educational experience. A Woodcock Nature Center party is tailored to your child’s interests and needs, and is unlike any other party place around.
Birthday parties are available many Saturdays from 11:30-1:30 or from 2:30-4:30 and also on some Sundays from 12-2 or from from 3-5. If you would like to plan a party, please call the Center and we’ll see if it can be arranged!
Call the office to check availability for birthdays!
Currently, there is availability during the week in the afternoon.
May 20: 12-2; 3-5
June 2-3 – No parties – our benefit gala!
June 9: 11:30-1:30
June 10: 12-2; 3-5
Have your party in our beautiful, weather-protected pavilion! Call for other dates, and for late afternoon / after school parties.
Suggested Birthday Party Programs
· Meet The Animals: Your guests will be delighted to meet some of the many live and mounted animal specimens we have on-site at the Nature Center. We can gear this program to a seasonal theme, or simply show and discuss your child’s favorites. Then, depending on the ages and attention spans of your guests, we will spend about half an hour exploring our trails on an easy hike. For a list of animals, click this link: Animal Guests
· Scavenger Hunt: This program is best combined with a “Meet The Animals” segment. There are 2 types of hunts to choose from. In one, children will embark on a short hike and become “Nature Detectives,” looking for specific natural objects or animals while completing a checklist. In another version, the children will follow nature-related clues through the woods, ultimately leading them back to the Pavilion to enjoy the birthday treats.
. Treasure Hunt: This program is a good program for parties that might have a different theme, such as pirate or fairy parties. Children will follow clues to a treasure box and in the box will be a prize that parents provide.
. Winter Tracking party: go for a hike in the snow and spot the footprints of animals who live at Woodcock Nature Center! Look for signs of animal activity and learn about how animals survive in winter.
· Water Exploration: After meeting some of our aquatic animals (turtles, frogs, etc.) living in the Nature Center, we will head out with nets and magnifiers to explore the rich wildlife hiding in the water by our pond, our boardwalk or by our waterfall. Each guest will have the chance to try and catch tadpoles, waterbugs, and maybe a frog or two.
. Dinosaur Party: We have animals to meet that are descendents of the dinosaurs and we have fossils and replicas for children to touch and hold. On our trails we have footprints to uncover and we have a dinosaur digging pit where children can dig for bones using tools and techniques that real dinosaur hunters use!
. We can accomodate your child’s interests (within reason): we have done Fairy parties, Dora / Diego parties, pirate parties and more!
Event Details:
A Woodcock Party reserves your spot for 2 hours total.
Hour 1: One of our professional staff Naturalists will guide your group through one of our suggested birthday programs listed below, or another program we design together geared towards the interests of the birthday girl or boy.
Hour 2: Your group will be supervised by you, and together you will enjoy cake, refreshments, and games under and around our beautiful Pavilion. Feel free to arrive up to 30-minutes early to decorate the Pavilion for your guests, and set up any extra activities or crafts you may have planned.
In addition to the decorate-able Pavilion space (which will include two large picnic tables with seating, a table for food or activity setup, and space heaters as needed), Birthday Parties have access to our kitchen (with refrigerator, freezer, and microwave), and indoor bathroom. We have ample parking and a playground for younger guests.
We charge for a minimum of 10 guests to cover costs. Siblings are considered guests.
A $50 non-refundable deposit is required within 3 working days of booking your party. If not received, we must open your spot to other programs.
**We do ask that you take out all that is brought in, including refuse and recyclables. Thank you!
CALL US AT 203-762-7280 TODAY TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT!
**Please have guests visiting our center dress suitably for the outdoors (raincoats, closed shoes, etc.). We’ll go outside, rain or shine!
Weekend Birthday Party Fees
Members: $11.50 / child
Non-Members: $12.50 / child
Weekday Birthday Party Fees:
Members: $10.50 / child
Non-Members: $11.50 / child
Membership costs only $50. For more info, please visit our Membership page.
