How to Play at Great Plains Nature Center

The Great Plains Nature Center, located in Wichita, Kansas, is more than just a park or a wildlife sanctuaryits an immersive gateway to the living ecosystems of the Central Plains. For families, educators, solo explorers, and nature enthusiasts, playing at the Great Plains Nature Center means engaging with the environment in ways that are joyful, educational, and deeply restorative. Unlike traditional playgrounds or recreational facilities, this nature center invites visitors to interact with the land through observation, exploration, and hands-on discovery. Playing here isnt about structured games or manufactured fun; its about cultivating curiosity, building ecological literacy, and forming a personal connection with native flora and fauna.

Understanding how to play at the Great Plains Nature Center is essential because it transforms passive observation into active participation. When visitors learn to move through the space with intentionfollowing trails, reading signs, listening to birds, sketching plants, or identifying insectsthey begin to see nature not as a backdrop, but as a dynamic, living classroom. This approach fosters environmental stewardship, reduces nature deficit disorder, and supports mental well-being through grounded, sensory-rich experiences.

In this guide, well walk you through exactly how to play at the Great Plains Nature Center. Youll discover practical steps to maximize your visit, proven best practices to deepen your engagement, curated tools and resources to enhance your learning, real examples of meaningful interactions, and answers to frequently asked questions. Whether youre a first-time visitor or a seasoned nature lover, this tutorial will help you unlock the full potential of your time at this remarkable sanctuary.

Step-by-Step Guide

Playing at the Great Plains Nature Center begins long before you step onto the property. Preparation, mindset, and intentional movement are the foundation of a meaningful experience. Follow these seven detailed steps to ensure your visit is both enjoyable and impactful.

1. Research Before You Go

Start by visiting the official Great Plains Nature Center website. Study the current exhibits, trail maps, seasonal events, and any special programs offered. Pay attention to the types of habitats featuredwetlands, prairies, woodlandsand the wildlife youre likely to encounter, such as white-tailed deer, red-tailed hawks, painted turtles, or monarch butterflies. Understanding the ecosystem beforehand helps you know what to look for and how to interpret what you see.

Check the weather forecast for the day of your visit. The center is entirely outdoors, so dress appropriately. Layered clothing, moisture-wicking fabrics, and closed-toe shoes are recommended. Bring a hat, sunscreen, and insect repellent if visiting during warmer months. Rain gear is useful year-round, as Kansas weather can shift quickly.

Download or print the trail map ahead of time. The center features over 1.5 miles of paved and natural surface trails, each leading through distinct habitats. Familiarizing yourself with the layout helps you plan your route and avoid missing key areas like the bird blind, the native plant garden, or the interpretive kiosks.

2. Arrive with an Open Mind

Leave behind expectations of amusement parks or high-energy activities. The Great Plains Nature Center rewards patience, stillness, and curiosity. Instead of rushing from point to point, allow yourself to wander slowly. Let your senses guide you. Notice the texture of bark, the scent of crushed prairie sage, the rhythm of wind through tallgrass. These subtle details are the heart of play in nature.

Bring a journal or sketchpad. Even if you dont consider yourself artistic, doodling a leaf shape, writing down a bird call, or jotting down questions (Why is this moss growing only on the north side of the tree?) transforms passive walking into active exploration. This practice is known as nature journaling, and its one of the most powerful tools for deepening connection with the environment.

3. Start at the Visitor Center

Your visit should begin at the visitor center. Here, youll find friendly staff who can answer questions, provide up-to-date wildlife sightings, and recommend trails based on your interests. Dont skip the interactive displaystheyre designed to spark wonder. Look for the touch table with pelts, skulls, and feathers. Feel the difference between a coyotes fur and a rabbits. Listen to recordings of prairie chicken drumming or the call of a barred owl.

Ask for a Discovery Bag if available. These are free, kid-friendly kits containing magnifying glasses, bug catchers, field guides, and checklists. Even adults benefit from these toolsthey shift your perspective from observer to investigator.

4. Walk the Trails with Purpose

Choose one trail to focus on during your visit. Trying to do everything often leads to shallow experiences. Here are three recommended trails and how to play on each:

• Wetland Boardwalk: Move slowly. Pause at each viewing platform. Watch for dragonflies skimming the water, frogs leaping, or turtles basking on logs. Use your binoculars to spot herons standing like statues. Try to count how many different bird species you hear.
• Prairie Loop: Crouch down. Look closely at the grasses. Notice how they sway differently than the flowers. Identify wildflowers like purple coneflower, blazing star, or prairie violet. Use your phones plant ID app (see Tools section) or a printed guide. Kneel and smell the soil after a rainits rich and earthy, alive with microbes.
• Woodland Path: Listen for woodpeckers drumming. Look up. Notice how sunlight filters through the canopy in patches. Find moss-covered rocks and fallen logs. These are microhabitats teeming with lifespiders, beetles, fungi. Gently lift a piece of bark (then replace it) to see whats underneath.

Walk barefoot on designated areas if permitted. Feeling the earth beneath your feetcool soil, rough bark, soft mossgrounds you physically and emotionally. This tactile connection is a core part of nature play.

5. Engage with Interpretive Signs

The centers interpretive signs are not decorativetheyre storytelling tools. Each one is written to invite questions, not just deliver facts. Read them slowly. Ask yourself: What does this mean for me? How does this relate to my backyard? What would happen if this plant disappeared?

For example, a sign about prairie fires might explain that controlled burns are essential for native grasses to thrive. Instead of seeing fire as destructive, you begin to understand it as a natural, life-giving force. This shift in perspective is profoundand it happens when you engage deeply with the content.

6. Practice Silent Observation

At least once during your visit, find a quiet spoton a bench, under a tree, by the waterand sit still for 10 minutes. Put away your phone. Dont take photos. Just breathe. Listen. Watch. What do you notice now that you didnt before?

Often, animals reveal themselves only when humans become still. A deer might step out from the trees. A red-winged blackbird might land nearby. A butterfly might land on your sleeve. These moments are gifts. They are the essence of playing in nature: being present enough to receive what the land offers.

7. Reflect and Record

Before leaving, take five minutes to write or sketch in your journal. Answer these prompts:

• What surprised me today?
• What did I learn that I didnt know before?
• What do I want to explore next time?

Reflection turns experience into knowledge. It helps your brain encode the memories, making them more likely to influence future behaviorlike choosing native plants for your garden or advocating for local conservation.

Best Practices

To ensure your play at the Great Plains Nature Center is respectful, sustainable, and deeply rewarding, follow these evidence-based best practices. These principles are rooted in environmental education research and are widely adopted by nature centers across North America.

Leave No Trace

The Leave No Trace principles are non-negotiable at the Great Plains Nature Center. This means:

• Carry out everything you bring inincluding food wrappers, tissues, and water bottles.
• Stay on designated trails to protect fragile root systems and prevent erosion.
• Do not pick flowers, collect rocks, or remove any natural objects. These are part of the ecosystems balance.
• Keep a safe distance from wildlife. Use binoculars or zoom lenses for close-up views. Never feed animals.

Respecting these guidelines ensures that future visitorsincluding children, seniors, and wildlifecan enjoy the same pristine experience.

Be Quiet and Observant

Noise pollution disrupts animal behavior. Birds stop singing. Mammals retreat. Insects pause their activity. Playing in nature requires silencenot as a rule of discipline, but as a tool of discovery. Speak in whispers. Move slowly. Let the sounds of nature fill your ears.

One of the most rewarding moments at the center is hearing the wind rustle through 10-foot-tall switchgrass. You cant hear that if youre talking on your phone or playing music.

Bring a Learning Partner

Playing with a friend, child, or mentor enhances the experience. Ask questions. Share observations. Did you see that dragonfly? I think thats a black-eyed Susan. Conversation deepens attention and memory.

For families, assign roles: one person is the Sound Tracker, another is the Plant Detective, and a third is the Sketch Artist. Rotate roles on each visit to keep it fresh.

Visit in Different Seasons

The Great Plains Nature Center changes dramatically throughout the year. Spring brings wildflowers and migrating birds. Summer offers buzzing insects and tall grasses. Fall reveals vibrant foliage and seed heads. Winter unveils animal tracks in the snow and bare branches that reveal the forests structure.

Plan at least one visit per season. Each season teaches different lessons. Winter, often overlooked, is a masterclass in resilience and adaptation.

Use All Your Senses

Most people rely heavily on vision. But nature speaks through all five senses:

• Sight: Notice color, shape, movement.
• Sound: Identify bird calls, insect buzzes, water drips.
• Smell: Crush a leaf of wild bergamotcitrusy. Smell damp earth after rainearthy.
• Touch: Feel the roughness of bark, the silkiness of spiderweb, the coolness of a stream.
• Taste: Only taste plants if youre 100% certain theyre safe and edible (e.g., wild strawberries in season). When in doubt, dont.

Engaging multiple senses creates richer, more memorable experiences. It also activates different parts of the brain, improving learning and emotional connection.

Limit Screen Time

While phones can be useful for identifying species, they can also distract from presence. Set boundaries:

• Use your phone only for nature ID apps or photographynever for social media scrolling.
• Turn off notifications during your visit.
• Set a timer: 20 minutes of screen-free exploration, then 5 minutes to capture photos or record sounds.

Studies show that even brief exposure to nature without screens reduces stress hormones and improves attention span. The goal is not to eliminate technology, but to use it mindfully.

Teach Through Questions, Not Lectures

If youre visiting with children, avoid saying, This is a monarch butterfly. Instead, ask, What do you notice about the wings? What color are the spots? Do you think its resting or flying soon?

Open-ended questions spark curiosity. They turn children into scientists. This approach, called inquiry-based learning, is proven to increase retention and foster lifelong interest in nature.

Tools and Resources

Enhance your play at the Great Plains Nature Center with these curated tools and resources. These are free, accessible, and designed to deepen your engagement without overwhelming you.

Mobile Apps

• Merlin Bird ID (Cornell Lab of Ornithology): Record a birds song and let the app identify it. Works offline. Perfect for the Wetland Boardwalk.
• Seek by iNaturalist: Point your camera at a plant, insect, or animal. The app identifies it instantly using image recognition. Great for kids and beginners.
• PictureThis: Identifies plants and flowers. Useful for the native plant garden and Prairie Loop.
• Audubon Bird Guide: Comprehensive species profiles with range maps and calls. Download before your visit for offline use.

Printable Resources

Download and print these free guides from the Great Plains Nature Center website:

• Seasonal Wildlife Checklist: Tick off animals you spotgreat for families and school groups.
• Prairie Wildflower Guide: Full-color images of common species with bloom times.
• Trail Bingo Cards: Fun for childrenfind a spiderweb, a turtle, a feather, a pinecone.
• Weather and Phenology Log: Record temperature, wind, and plant changes over time. Builds long-term ecological awareness.

On-Site Tools

The visitor center provides complimentary tools:

• Binoculars (available for checkout)
• Field guides on local birds, mammals, and plants
• Discovery Bags with magnifiers, bug jars, and identification cards
• Free maps with trail difficulty ratings and accessibility info

Ask staff for assistancetheyre trained to match tools to your interests and abilities.

Online Learning Platforms

Extend your learning beyond the center:

• Kansas Wildlife and Parks Department YouTube Channel: Short videos on prairie restoration, bat conservation, and wetland ecology.
• Project Learning Tree (PLT): Free downloadable lesson plans for educators and parents.
• National Wildlife Federations Garden for Wildlife: Learn how to create a backyard habitat inspired by the Great Plains.

Community Groups

Join local nature clubs or volunteer programs:

• Wichita Audubon Society: Monthly bird walks and educational events.
• Great Plains Nature Center Volunteers: Help with trail maintenance, habitat restoration, or education programs.
• Plant Native Kansas: Workshops on growing native plants in urban yards.

Engaging with a community deepens your connection and turns solitary play into collective stewardship.

Real Examples

Real stories illustrate how people truly play at the Great Plains Nature Centernot as tourists, but as participants in the living landscape.

Example 1: The 8-Year-Old Naturalist

Liam visited the center with his grandmother every Saturday for a month. On his third visit, he noticed a patch of bright yellow flowers near the Wetland Boardwalk. He used Seek to identify them as prairie coreopsis. That week, he drew the flower in his journal and wrote: It has 8 petals. Bees love it.

By his fifth visit, he could name five wildflowers. He started asking staff questions: Why do some flowers bloom in spring and others in summer? The educator gave him a seed packet to plant at home. Now, Liam grows native plants in his backyard and tells his classmates about them.

His grandmother says: Hes not just playing. Hes becoming a keeper of the land.

Example 2: The Corporate Worker Seeking Solace

Maria, a software engineer, began visiting the center during her lunch breaks after experiencing burnout. She started with 15-minute walks. Then she began journaling. She wrote about the way light hit the prairie grasses at 2 p.m.how it turned them gold.

One day, she sat by the pond and watched a great blue heron stand motionless for 20 minutes. She didnt move. She didnt take a photo. She just watched. When she returned to work, she felt calmer. She began meditating for five minutes before starting her computer.

Two years later, Maria volunteers at the center on weekends. She leads Mindful Walks for others seeking quiet. I didnt come here to fix myself, she says. I came to listen. And the land helped me remember how to breathe.

Example 3: The High School Biology Class

Ms. Rivera took her 10th-grade biology class to the center for a unit on ecosystems. Instead of a lecture, she gave them a challenge: Find one living thing that depends on another. Prove it.

One group found a milkweed plant with monarch caterpillars eating its leaves. They noticed ants crawling on the plant. They researched and discovered that the ants protect the milkweed from aphids in exchange for sugary secretions. They presented their findings with sketches and a video.

The next day, the class started a school pollinator garden. They planted milkweed, coneflower, and goldenrod. Now, every spring, monarch butterflies return to their garden.

Example 4: The Retiree Learning to See Again

After losing his wife, Harold began visiting the center alone. He didnt talk to anyone. He just walked. One day, he noticed a patch of moss growing on a fallen log. Hed never paid attention to moss before. He picked up a guide and learned it was a type of nurse moss that helps trees grow.

He started photographing mosses. He joined a local nature photography group. He began writing haikus about what he saw. Moss on old wood / whispers of slow time / life in quiet ways.

He now leads Moss Walks for seniors. I thought I was done learning, he says. Turns out, nature just needed me to slow down.

FAQs

Can I bring my dog to the Great Plains Nature Center?

Dogs are not permitted on trails or in natural areas to protect wildlife and preserve habitat integrity. Service animals are welcome. Please leave pets at home.

Is the center accessible for wheelchairs and strollers?

Yes. The main visitor center, Wetland Boardwalk, and some paved trails are fully accessible. Restrooms and parking are ADA-compliant. Contact the center in advance if you need specific accommodations.

Are there guided tours available?

Yes. Free guided walks are offered on weekends and during school breaks. Check the calendar on their website. Topics include birding, wildflower identification, and prairie ecology.

Can I take photos or videos?

Yes! Photography is encouraged. Please respect wildlife by keeping your distance and avoiding flash near animals. Commercial photography requires a permit.

What should I do if I find an injured animal?

Do not touch or move it. Note the location and contact the center staff immediately. They work with licensed wildlife rehabilitators.

Are there restrooms and water fountains?

Yes. Restrooms are located in the visitor center. Water fountains are available near the entrance. Bring a reusable bottle to reduce waste.

Is there a fee to enter?

No. Admission to the Great Plains Nature Center is free. Donations are welcome and support conservation and education programs.

Whats the best time of day to visit?

Early morning (710 a.m.) and late afternoon (46 p.m.) are ideal for wildlife activity. Midday is quieter but hotter. Spring and fall offer the most biodiversity.

Can I bring food or picnic?

Picnic tables are available near the visitor center. You may bring your own food. Please dispose of trash properly. No food is allowed on trails to avoid attracting wildlife.

How long should I plan to stay?

Most visitors spend 24 hours. You can do a quick walk in an hour, but to truly playobserve, reflect, engageyoull want at least three hours. Return often. Nature reveals itself slowly.

Conclusion

Playing at the Great Plains Nature Center is not about checking off a list of attractions. Its about cultivating a relationshipwith the land, with the creatures, and with yourself. Its about slowing down enough to notice the way light dances on water, the sound of a grasshoppers chirp, the quiet resilience of a wildflower pushing through cracked soil.

This guide has provided you with the tools, the steps, the best practices, and the stories to help you beginor deepenyour journey. But the real learning happens when you step onto the trail, leave your expectations behind, and let the prairie speak.

There is no right or wrong way to play here. There is only presence. There is only curiosity. There is only the next breath, the next step, the next moment of wonder.

So go. Walk slowly. Listen closely. Touch gently. Ask questions. Stay quiet. Return often. The Great Plains Nature Center is not a place you visitits a place you become a part of.