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www.pdop.org
Youth Nature Programs
The Park District of Oak Park's
New POWER OF PLAY INITIATIVE
It's summer once again! The parks are thriving, the pools are open, and it's a great time to be active
with the Park District of Oak Park. The variety of programs the Park District offers are designed to
introduce kids and families to the benefits of being active and provide a path to lifelong activity. Many
of our programs and activities provide an active start and an introduction to the fundamentals of youth
sports which contribute to physical literacy which is described as having the ability, confidence and
desire to be physically active for life. Did you know the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) has adopted
the American Development Model (ADM) for all 48 USOC affiliated sports? The significance of the ADM
is that it provides a foundation for all youth activity development. The Park District of Oak Park has
aligned its program portfolio with this model. Noting the graph below, our summer activities provide an
excellent opportunity for kids to try new activities in both structured AND unstructured environments.
By providing opportunities for an active start to young children and offering a variety of options to
refine those positive experiences throughout their youth, we can grow a community and generation of
active kids together!
In this program guide, you will find several programs for ages 5-12 accompanied by one of six Power
of Play symbols (see left column). These skills are integral ingredients in developing physically literate
youth. By participating in programs which focus on sharpening each of these skills each year, our youth
will be well on their way to becoming active for life. That is the POWER of Play. This program is based
on the Aspen Institute Project Play Report. For more information, visit pdop.org
Power
Coordination
& Core
Power
Coordination
& Core
L
R R
Rhythm & Coordination
Power
Speed & Agility
Hand-eye Coordination
L
R R
Rhythm & Coordination
Power
Speed & Agility
Hand-eye Coordination
Rhythm & Coordination
Cognitive
Hand-Eye
Coordination
Balance & Core
Power
Speed & Agility
This program is based
on the Aspen Institute
Project Play Report. For
more information, visit
pdop.org.
Science Sleuths Outdoors!
Supervisor: Leah Pryor
Have you ever wondered what lives under bark or if
there are more bugs in the sun or in the shade? Join
us for this fun filled science class outside! We will
dig deep into the outdoors to create our own science
experiments and learn hands on how scientists
form hypothesis and perform experiments!
Min 6/Max 15
Super Animals
Supervisor: Leah Pryor
Do you love super heroes like Spiderman and
Batman? Did you know that there are animals out
there that have super powers of their own? Stop by
Austin Gardens for this out-of-this-world workshop
to learn about some of the coolest super animals in
the animal kingdom!
Min 6/Max 15
Stick with Nature
Supervisor: Leah Pryor
Can you think of a more iconic childhood toy than
the stick? Whether it's a fishing pole or wizard's
wand, a stick's potential for fun is only limited by
your imagination. Join us for this fun workshop that
celebrates childhood imagination and the natural
world as we create some one-of-a-kind walking
sticks and some truly stick-tacular art!
Min 6/Max 15
Program Ages Day(s) & Date(s) Time(s) Location # of Classes Activity # Res/NR
Science Sleuths 5-8 Sa, Jul 29 1:00-2:30P Austin Gardens 1 364470-01 $18/23
Science Sleuths 5-8 Su, Aug 13 1:00-2:30P Austin Gardens 1 364470-02 $18/23
Super Animals 5-8 Su, June 11 10:00A-11:30A Austin Gardens 1 364475-01 $18/23
Stick with Nature 5-8 Su, Jul 16 1:00-2:30P Austin Gardens 1 364476-01 $18/23
