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Neighbors | Jessica Harker .Adriana worked on a ladybug puzzle with her mother at the monthly Tales for Tots event at Fellows Riverside Gardens on Aug. 16.
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Neighbors | Jessica Harker .Marilyn Williams, a Mill Creek MetroParks Naturalist, read to 2-3 year-olds at Fellows Riverside Gardens for the monthly Tales for Tots event.
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Neighbors | Jessica Harker .Naturalist Marilyn Williams read books about ladybugs to children gathered at the park's monthly Tales for Tots event.
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Neighbors | Jessica Harker .Nadia and her mother counted dots on ladybugs on Aug. 16 at the Fellows Riverside Gardens.
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Neighbors | Jessica Harker .Children attended Tales for Tots at Fellows Riverside Gardens where Naturalist Marilyn Williams showed them a ladybug pupa.
By JESSICA HARKER
The Mill Creek Park hosted the monthly Tales for Tots event on Aug. 16 at Fellows Riverside Gardens.
Naturalist Marilyn Williams hosted the event for children ages 2 and 3.
“Today we are going to learn about ladybugs,” Williams said.
The event took place outside in the pavilion by the rose gardens, where Williams set up five interactive stations for children and their families to work at.
Williams started the event by reading to children about ladybugs.
“We are going to learn that all insects have six legs, that they are actually lady beetles, and that all ladybugs have two sets of wings,” Williams said.
She brought a ladybug pupa and a jar of aphids, which are smaller bugs that ladybugs eat, to show the children gathered at the event.
Families were then able to work through the stations.
They were able to match the number of spots on ladybugs, organize photos of the beetles life cycle and work on other ladybug themed activities.
After everyone worked through the stations Williams organized a nature walk to search for ladybugs.
“We like to encourage people to come out to the park,” Williams said. “A hike is always included so we get to just enjoy being outside.”
Six children attended the event with their parent or guardian.
Williams said that the park also hosts a monthly event for children ages 3-6 called Little Explorers.
For more information or to register, go to www.millcreekmetroparks.org.