MILL CREEK METROPARKS | December

Activities scheduled in December at Mill Creek MetroParks:
Dec. 2: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Gingerbread Stars. Bakers roll out gingerbread dough to cut into varieties of celestial shapes. Learn to pipe frosting in ornate designs on cookies and take home six cookies and the recipe. Call Fellows Riverside Gardens to register. Fee: $6 resident, $8 nonresident.
Dec. 4: 6:30 to 8 p.m. Candlelight Wreath of Greens. Children 6 and up and their adult companions will learn about traditional greens used in winter decorations. Participants will construct a wreath of evergreen around a brass candle ring to take home for a holiday table centerpiece. Fee: $10. Call Fellows Riverside Gardens to register.
Dec. 7: 2 p.m. Trail of the Whitetail. Learn about the whitetail deer on this hike through Hitchcock Woods. Park on Deer Path Drive off Hitchcock Road. About 2.5 miles. Easy rating.
Dec. 7: 5:30 to 8 p.m. Gardens by Candlelight. The light of twinkling candles, stars and planets will fill the air as families enjoy a guided evening walk through Fellows Riverside Gardens in celebration of the holiday season. Candlelight tours begin every half-hour through 7:30 p.m. Complete the evening by warming up in the Davis Center with music, cocoa and treats. Bring a nonperishable food item for donation to the Rescue Mission. Call the Gardens to register.
Dec. 9: 1:30 to 3:30 or 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Evergreen Garland. This 6-foot evergreen garland of noble fir, salal, incense cedar and pine can be gracefully draped across a fireplace or centered on a table. Dolly Vivalo will provide step-by-step instruction and demonstrate how lights or other accents may be added once the garland is in place at home. Call Fellows Riverside Gardens to register. Fee: $23 resident, $30 nonresident.
Dec. 10: 8:30 to 10 a.m. Rise and Bloom: Fir Trees. Take a brisk walk in the Gardens and enjoy a crisp winter morning when the forms of the trees are most prominent and the interesting shapes of evergreen branches draw attention. Return to the warmth of the Garden Caf & eacute; for a breakfast of fruit and muffins. Call Fellows Riverside Gardens to register. Fee: $6 resident, $8 nonresident.
Dec. 10: 7 p.m. Yellow Creek Park Concert. Join us at Yellow Creek Lodge for an evening of music and dancing. Ben Soriano will play festive tunes for the holiday season.
Dec. 11: 7 p.m. Yellow Creek Park Christmas. Enjoy the holidays with crafts, stories, and songs at this evening program. With a visit from Santa. Dress for the weather; some activities will be outdoors. Meet at Yellow Creek Lodge.
Dec. 11: 10, 10:45 or 11:30 a.m. Tales for Twos: Snow Tree. Two-year-olds and their favorite adults will enact the classic tale of the Snow Tree and enjoy cookies and milk by the fire. Call Ford Nature Center to register.
Dec. 12: 10 to 11 a.m. or 1 to 2 p.m. Pine Cone Tree. Children ages 3 to 5 with their adult companions will learn the names of favorite evergreens and discover how each has different cones. Participants will decorate large pine cones using dried flowers so the finished pieces resemble holiday trees. Call Fellows Riverside Gardens to register. Fee: $5.
Dec. 13: 10 a.m. to noon. Crafts in the Cabin. Children ages 6 to 10 will create their own holiday wrappings and gifts using natural and recycled materials. Cookies and drinks will be served. Call Ford Nature Center for registration information by Dec. 6. Meet at Birch Hill Cabin. Fee: $6 resident, $8 nonresident.
Dec. 13: 2 to 4 p.m. A Poinsettia in Watercolor. Local artist Celesta Moran will lead participants through watercolor techniques for painting a poinsettia to create beautiful and reproducible Christmas cards. All materials will be supplied. Call Ford Nature Center to register. Fee: $25 resident, $30 nonresident.
Dec. 14: 2 p.m. The Gorge in Winter. The beauty of the Mill Creek valley was created through centuries of erosion of the sandstone bluffs along the stream. Learn about the geological history of this pristine area as we hike along Mill Creek and through the gorge. Meet at Lanterman's Mill parking lot. About 2.5 miles; moderate difficulty with steep terrain and steps.
Dec. 19 or 20: 10 a.m. or 12:30 p.m. Preschool & amp; Primary Nature Hour: For the Birds. Preschool, kindergarten and first-grade children and their families are invited to listen to a winter story and make ornaments for birds. Help decorate a tree outdoors and take a special ornament home for backyard feathered friends. Call Ford Nature Center to register. Fee: $2 per child resident, $3 per child nonresident.
Dec. 19 and 26, Jan. 2, 9 and 16: 6 to 9 p.m. Nights at Sled Hill. Start your winter weekends on the right note with DJ Jeff Dunn at our Thank Goodness It's Friday Fun Nights. While fresh-air fiends enjoy our lighted sledding hill, indoorsy types can stay by the fire in our Warming House and listen to dance music. Our first TGIFF Night will offer Christmas Carol Karaoke.
Dec. 20: 10 to 11:30 a.m. Santa Claus Stops Here. Santa and Mrs. Claus have a free morning and have promised to make a special stop at the Wick Areas Warming House for children 8 years old and younger. Bring that Christmas wish list and a camera; light refreshments will be provided.
Dec. 20: 10 a.m. to noon. Pine Cones and Holly. Decorate the holiday table with a long-lasting centerpiece in traditional colors. Deby Clark will assist participants with each step as they assemble pine cones, holly, cinnamon sticks and carnations into a pleasing arrangement. Call Fellows Riverside Gardens to register. Fee: $25 resident, $32 nonresident.
Dec. 20: 10 a.m. Skipping Christmas. In John Grisham's novel Skipping Christmas, Luther and Nora Krank are planning a year without Christmas. No crowded malls, no fruitcakes, and no unwanted presents. But it isn't half as easy as they imagined. Join this discussion about the frenzied holiday season. Meet at Ford Nature Center.
Dec. 21: 2 p.m. Autumn's Departure. On the last day of autumn, we'll walk around Lake Cohasset and look for plants that retain their green throughout winter. Meet at Ford Nature Center. About 3 miles; moderate rating.
Dec. 28: 1:30 p.m. Last Hike of the Bicentennial. On this final hike during the year of Ohio's 200th birthday, we'll walk around the park's largest body of water, Lake Newport. Meet at Newport Wetlands. About 5 miles; moderate difficulty because of length.