Guide: Early Childhood

Early childhood is a great time to encourage your child’s love of nature. Here are a few tips to help you and your child learn and have fun.

Activities to Help Plan Your Visit

We want to make sure young children learn and have lots of fun at the Heard! These tips to help ensure you have a great visit!

Attend a Storytime

Our guests are welcome to attend weekly storytimes every Friday at 10 AM.

Each session includes a story read by one of our trained staff and a guest

appearance by an animal ambassador or puppet.

Visit the Animal Ambassadors Trail

The animal ambassadors trail is a great way to introduce your child to native and non-native animals. The Heard’s non-releasable animals help educate children and adults about our planet and how to protect it.

Explore the Natural Science Museum

The Heard’s natural science museum provides exhibits to discover and learn more about the natural environment of Texas.

Look for Wildlife

By exploring our 289-acre sanctuary, you might be lucky enough to spot some of the animals and plants that call our sanctuary home. We recommend downloading iNaturalist to see what wildlife was recently seen.

Experience the Butterfly House

Visit our seasonal butterfly house to discover native Texas butterflies. Please note that the exhibit is only open during certain months, so check our website for details before your visit.

Step back in time at Dinosaurs Live!

Dinosaurs Live! is one of our seasonal exhibits. Walk along Laughlin Loop to see moving dinosaurs and learn about the magnificent creatures that once inhabited our Earth.