Equipped with worksheets and a sense of curiosity, young children and their parents explored the woods Saturday in search of leaves, petals and rocks. Mostly, they were hunting for color.

Once a month, the Lloyd Center hosts two different series: Tot Walks and Storytime. Both programs aim to introduce toddlers to nature by way of brief, interactive projects. Several families flocked to the trails this past Saturday to take part in the program.

“Last time, we read a story about a butterfly, and we talked about butterfly life cycles,” said Jennifer Wimmer, the organization’s outreach specialist and host of the children’s series.

“Our researchers have thousands of pinned bugs, so we had a lot of butterflies for them to see. Then we went outside to our butterfly garden to see where we’ll have butterflies outside,” she said.

During the Tot Walks series, Zimmer leads the groups through the trails on the property and tasks families with finding objects near the edge of the woods that match the colors or textures listed on their worksheets.

“It builds awareness to what colors animals are, if they have camouflage and why things might be brightly colored,” said Wimmer.

Along the way, she will point out animal tracks, identify birds, discuss plant life and try to spark an interest in the natural world.

“You start to slowly build on their knowledge when they’re little. Really, when they’re young, it’s more about getting them outside and getting them excited,” she said.

She said that, because the program only lasts an hour, it gives families the opportunity to go outside for an activity and a chance to keep exploring the trails after the program ends.