January is officially half over.  Unless you are new to the Southern Tier, you know that there is a whole lot of winter to go.  So if you find your kids a bit bored of there Christmas toys and video games, why not introduce them to the Finch Hollow Nature Center.

Explore the outdoors inside at the Finch Hollow Nature Center, located by the Oakdale Mall at 1394 Oakdale Road, Johnson City.  Finch Hollow offers year round activities that kids will really enjoy.  And the best part is, most activities will only cost a dollar, unless otherwise noted. Call Finch Hollow for information and reservations at (607) 729-4231.

Families are invited to register for the Family Owls Program on Saturday, January 18th from 1:30-3:00pm.  You can learn about local owls and make an owl-related craft.  Reservations are required.

Monday the 20th is a family program on animal adaptations called "Creature Features," from 1:30-3:00pm.  This sounds really interesting as you can learn about the special features animals use for survival, and kids can make a creature craft to take home.  This program is best-suited to children age 6 and up.  Reservations are required.

Also on January 20th, a hands on family bird feeding workshop will be taking place from 10am-11:30am.  This family program will use peanut butter, suet, cornmeal, and more as participants mix up recipes to help the birds survive the winter.  Again, admission is $1 and reservations are required.

For younger kids, there's "Be a Chef for the Birds," perfect for kids ages 3 through 5 accompanied by an adult.  This program will be held Thursday, January 23rd from 10-11:30am.

Looking ahead to Groundhogs Day, Finch Hollow offers 2 popular programs.  The first is  for children ages 3 through 5, accompanied by an adult, called "fun for 3's-5's: Groundhogs," on Friday, January 31st from 10-11am.  Children will learn about groundhogs through an interactive presentation, story, and craft.  Families with children aged 6 and up are invited to take part in "Groundhogs and Friends," Saturday, February 1st from 10-11:30am.

Skunks are the subject for a Saturday February 1st afternoon family program from 1-2pm.  Participants will learn about skunks and make skunk-related crafts.

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