Join us for an evening of discovery and creativity!

In partnership with the Wetlands Institute, children ages 5 and up are invited to explore, create, and learn through a variety of engaging activity stations designed to spark curiosity and imagination. 

Purchase your tickets today!

Hands-on Stations Will Include:

• Creature Feature Presentation 

  • The Wetlands Institute brings live wetland critters—like turtles, crabs, sea stars, fish, or horseshoe crabs—for an interactive “Creature Feature.” Visitors get close-up access and hands-on experience with the animals. Experts share interesting facts, conduct guided demonstrations, and answer curious questions throughout.

• Relaxing Snack Station 

  • While families digest both knowledge and snacks, the Cape May Point Center sets up a welcoming snack area featuring light refreshments—fruit snacks, juice, and chips—allowing everyone to recharge in between the interactive session and creative projects.

• Hands-on Nature Craft 

  • Building on the animal lesson, a craft station invites participants (kids and grown-ups) to create wetland-themed art. Think turtle collages, crab puppets, or marine life prints using eco-friendly materials inspired by the Wetlands Institute’s animals.

    • Up-close wildlife encounters and tactile learning

    • Educational demonstrations explaining wetland ecology

    • Relaxed snack time for chatting and decompressing

    • Creative art-making using natural themes and materials

    • Themed take-home art reminiscent of the live animals

• Live Animals from our Partners at The Wetlands Institute 

  • Themes may include the following:

    • Life in a Salt Marsh: Salt Marsh ecosystems are some of the most productive places on planet Earth!  Participants will assist our educator in creating a living model of a salt marsh, meeting live local sea creatures as they go.  Once the model is created, participants will be able to take a closer look and also investigate live animal touch tanks.

      Likely animals – Blue Claw Crab, Diamondback Terrapin, Mud Crab, Fish, Fiddler Crab

    • Sea Creatures Big & Small: Our oceans are filled with sea creatures of all sizes! Participants will meet local live sea creatures that live in our ocean, see how they stack up in size to some of the greatest ocean animals, and view live microscopic animals that are in the water around us all the time. Participants will get hands-on time with the animals and use kid friendly microscopes to check out their own plankton samples.

      Likely animals – Live Plankton sample, Horseshoe Crab, Fish, Clam, Sea Star

    • Traveling Turtles: These ravishing reptiles elicit awe from people of all ages. Participants will get a chance to meet a variety of turtles that are native to New Jersey, as well as explore various hands-on turtle artifacts. In addition, they’ll learn about the work The Wetlands Institute does to help protect our local turtles, and get some quality time with live adult terrapins and even some hatchlings.

      Likely animals – Red-eared slider, Eastern Box Turtle, Diamondback Terrapin

    • Scales, Spines, & Seashells: Every animal in the ocean has something special about it, from the spines of a sea urchin to the slimy scales that cover a fish. Participants will meet many of these local sea creatures, learn about what makes them special, and get to touch and hold to see these adaptations for themselves!

      Likely Animals – Sea urchin, Fish, Knobbed Whelk, Channeled Whelk, Sea Star, Spider Crab