More than 30 children got up close and personal with snails Tuesday morning at Oatland Island Wildlife Center.
Each week, the wildlife center, which is operated by the Savannah-Chatham public school system, hosts three sessions of Toddler Tuesday, an enrichment event for kids who are 6 months to 4 years old. This week, kids learned about fiddler crabs and periwinkle snails that live in the salt marshes around Savannah. Oatland’s Michelle Kelly led them in songs, read a book about snails and then let them hold the small creatures.
Kelly taught the kids how to coax snails out of their shells by humming. Later, the kids made their own toy snails as keepsakes.
Sessions, which last 30 minutes, take place at 9:45 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. each Tuesday. Due to limited space (15 participants per session), pre-registration is required. The goal, according to the event’s webpage, is to teach children to “commune with nature in a safe, playful and experimental way.”
Admission to Oatland Island is $5 for children and most adults, and $3 for seniors and members of the military. To learn more, go to oatlandisland.org or call 912-898-3980.
