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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.Children at the Tales for Tots program at Mill Creek MetroParks looked for rabbits in the yard during the Eastern Cottontail program on Feb. 10.
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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.The children hopped through the snow like rabbits to create their own prints during the Tales for Tots program at Mill Creek MetroParks on Feb. 10.
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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.Children at the Tales for Tots program on Feb. 10 at Mill Creek MetroParks surrounded the rabbit, Olaf, waiting to pet him.
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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.One of the children went up to the rabbit, Olaf, during the Tales for Tots program at Mill Creek MetroParks on Feb. 10.
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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.The children made their own rabbit craft to take home after the Tales for Tots program on Feb. 10 at Mill Creek MetroParks.
By ALEXIS BARTOLOMUCCI
Children hopped their way to Bears Den Cabin on Feb. 10 to learn about Eastern Cottontails and meet a special guest.
The program was open to children ages 2-3 years-old. Marilyn Williams, a naturalist at Ford Nature Center, helped lead the program and teach the children about Eastern Cottontail rabbits.
As the children and their caregivers were coming in, they were given a name tag shaped like a rabbit and a color page to color while they waited to start. When everyone got there, the children listened to a couple books about Eastern Cottontails before going outside.
The snowy day allowed the children to go outside and look for rabbit tracks as they tried to look for rabbits hidden around the open yard. The children made their own tracks in the snow by hopping around like a rabbit. After the children found some of the hidden rabbits, they went back inside to make their own rabbit craft to take home. They decorated a rabbit cut out of construction paper with paint, tissue paper and cotton balls to make the snow.
At the end of the program, Olaf, a lionhead rabbit was brought out for the children to look at and pet. The children lined up ready to pet Olaf and feel how soft and fluffy he was.
Many of the parents enjoy bringing their children to learn about different things in nature while being able to spend time with them.