Wish List
- Hammocks
- 2 child sized backpacks for classroom tools
- Dress up clothes
- Art supplies
- Water color paper
- Envelopes
- Baby dolls and doll props
- 4T-6/7 wool socks and indoor crew socks, not ankle socks
- 4T-6/7 inside clothes (pants, shirts, sweatshirts, warm socks, etc)
- 3T-6/7 outdoor clothing (waterproof mittens, neck warmers, snow pants, winter coats, rain gear, winter and rubber boots)
- Drying cabinet (example) and/or boot drying racks (example)
- Acorns and pinecones
- Trees and native flowers to plant in the playscape
Volunteer Task Wish List
- Make tree cookies of various sizes
- Build a giant Jenga set
- Build a corn hole set
- Build a wooden shelving system for the mud kitchen toys at the lean-to
Family Resources
If your family needs help paying for child care, rent, or food please visit ParentAware.org to find resources.
Outdoor Gear
There is lots of great outdoor gear out there for children! Some of our favorite brands are:
- Polarn O. Pyret rain gear and snow gear (ask about the 15% discount for HNP families) www.polarnopyretusa.com/
- Didriksons rain gear and snow gear https://www.didriksons.com/en-xx/
- Patagonia snow gear www.patagonia.com/
- Helly Hansen snow gear shop.hellyhansen.com/en_us/
- Columbia snow gear https://www.columbia.com/home
- Land’s End snow gear https://www.landsend.com/
- Oakiwear rain suits (ask about the 25% discount for HNP families) www.oakiwear.com
Nature Play in Duluth
Here are some resources for ideas of what to do with your family outdoors in Duluth:
- Ideas for Getting Kids Outside to Explore the Outdoors Duluth News Tribune article with ideas for families
- Outside in Duluth blog Duluthian Kristina Bourne’s blog on her family’s adventures with lots of ideas for getting out on adventures with your own little ones
- Nurturing Nature Play: Ten Tips for Parents from Green Hearts, Inc.
- A Parent’s Guide to Nature Play
More About Nature Play
Nature Play Research
- Why is Nature Play Important? from Green Hearts, Inc.
- The International Journal of Early Childhood Environmental Education by the NAAEE (North American Association for Environmental Education)
- Natural Start: The NAAEE’s early childhood education branch
Nature-Based Care Options in Duluth
Hartley Nature Preschool is a part of the Duluth Nature Play Collaborative which is lead by a group of educators who incorporate nature play into every day. If HNP doesn’t fit your family’s needs check out the many other programs in the collaborative including: Wind Ridge Schoolhouse, Secret Forest Playschool, Lake Superior Zoo School, Duluth Forest Kinderhaus, and Little Barnyard Preschool.