LEAP: Learn, Explore, and Play

Participant Guidelines

• Up to two adults can accompany each child during class.
• Younger Sibling/Child Policy: Children 12 months or younger are welcome to attend an older sibling’s class at no additional charge, as long as caregivers can keep them on their person or in a stroller for the duration of the session.
• Older Sibling/Child Policy: Children who have aged out of LEAP (ages 5 and older) cannot attend the class but are welcome to spend time in the space once class is over.
• Some activities will be stationed outside and we encourage participants to dress for being outdoors in rain, sunshine, or snow. We will have access to the buildings to store personal items, use the washroom, and shelter from dangerous weather.
• Parking is included with registration.

Cancellation Deadline: March 5

Refunds, minus a 12.5 percent processing fee, may be issued for cancellations if requested in writing by March 5. Email cancellation requests to learning@lpzoo.org. Refunds are not available after March 5 for any reason, including illness.

LEAP Scholarships

Lincoln Park Zoo offers partial and full scholarships which cover the cost of one nine-class LEAP series, plus free parking or public transit reimbursement. Please complete and submit an application to be considered for a scholarship.

Scholarships are available for all series, even if the program is sold out. Applying for a scholarship does not guarantee a spot in a program.

About Nature Play

Playing in nature engages all our senses at once. It helps us learn how to problem-solve, fosters creativity, and helps us concentrate. When playing, we feel happy and joyful, and by playing outside, we learn to love nature and thereby develop lifelong conservation values. At LEAP, activities are designed to help your child make those discoveries and begin that process of exploration in and alongside nature.

About Child-directed Play

Child-directed play is an important part of early childhood and provides many benefits across all areas of development. It is open-ended, has no “right” or “wrong” way to play, and puts the child in control of the activities. Children who make their own decisions while playing are building a sense of self-direction and self-confidence. They are constructing an understanding of the world around them and using these experiences to process and make sense of how things work.