It was PERFECT weather for our O.K. Kids program (Outdoor Kansas Kids) in the park on June 20th.

34 kids, 7 adults, and 13 helpers gathered at the Macksville City Park for our “Hop To It! Toad-ally Fun Times in the Park“ program.

Participants rotated through four different stations, as we aimed to educate kids about frogs & toads, while giving them a taste of our great Kansas outdoors!

One station was led by Pam Martin, KDWPT Program Specialist, and Mandy Kern, FHSU Program Specialist, who came to us from the Kansas Wetlands Education Center. They taught kids about the life cycle of frogs and toads, plus they showed how beneficial these critters are in our backyards. Did you know that one adult toad can eat as many as 10,000 insect pests during the summer months?

  Participants at this station saw tadpoles at all stages of life, illustrations of frog and toad eggs, and they even got to touch a toad. (And, NO, toads do not give you warts! 🙂 ) They also used party blowers with tape on the ends to catch plastic insects, much like a frog or toad would catch his daily meals!

At the Hop To It activity station participants learned the song: Little Tadpole, tested their jumping skills and found a plastic frog hiding in the grass. No one came close to bullfrogs, who can jump up to 10 times their body length, but we did have some impressive leapers.  And, some groups even got in a round of Leap Frog!The story rotation took place in Macksville’s beautiful Band Shell.  Kids munched on goldfish crackers and gummy worms while listening to stories and facts about frogs and toads. The library was able to purchase some really nice frog and toad books for this program, and hopefully, kids will continue to check them out all year long. Books read at the event were: The Wide-Mouthed Frog, by Keith Faulkner, a story from Frog and Toad Are Friends, by Arnold Lobel, and  A Frog in the Bog, by Karma Wilson.

   The final rotation allowed kids to show off their creative sides. Each participant painted a clay pot to be used for a Toad Abode in their own backyards and gardens. The clay pots, paints, and brushes were provided by a $50 donation from the Great Bend Walmart.

Thanks to the Kansas Wildscape Foundation for the $200 grant to host this program.  Visit their WildLifer website, where kids can sign up to earn fun prizes and embark on fun 15 Challenges to get the whole family outdoors!

Thanks, also to all the WONDERFUL helpers who helped make this program a reality: Pam, Mandy, Carrie P., Amber, Autumn, Carrie N., June, Debbie, Eileen, Elena, Jacob, Anna, & Linda.  The math may not ‘add up’ to some, but they are all truly one in a ‘melon’ in our books!!!!  🙂