ACTIVITIES

Young Learner

ANIMALS ON THE FARM

(3-7 yrs.)

Get creative while learning the types of animals on the farm. Study a new animal each week and make a craft based on the theme. Songs, sounds, and activities will be a part of each class. Wear your old clothes! Parents welcome.

#213107-01 Sa 8/19-9/9 10:30-11:15am

$37 (R $30) Old MacDonald’s Farm

STORY TIME NATURE WALKS (3-5 yrs. with Adult)

Share the love of nature with your little one! Listen to a story, then take a short walk to practice observing and listening. Warm up by the fire in the Ushers Ferry Lodge afterwards while enjoying a treat and making a craft.

#214110-01 M 9/11 10-11am

#214110-02 M 10/2 10-11am

#214110-03 M 11/6 10-11am

$7 (R$6) Ushers Ferry Lodge

WALK LIKE A DUCK, QUACK LIKE A DUCK (3-6 yrs.)

Learn about our local waterfowl with a behind-the-scenes, up-close look at the Waterfowl Exhibit at Old MacDonald’s Farm! Learn duck basics, like how ducks live and eat, and finish with a fun craft. Parents welcome.

#213115-01 W 8/30 5:30-6:15pm

$8 (R $7) Duck Pavilion, Old MacDonald’s Farm

PLAY, MUSIC AND FUN (1-3 yrs. with Adult)

Learn fun songs and finger plays with your child. Introduce them to simple rhythm instruments in a fun group setting. This is a high-energy class with concentration on motor skill activities.

#210102-01 W 9/13-10/18 9:30-10:15am

#210102-02 W 10/25-12/6* 9:30-10:15am

$41 (R $34) NW Rec *No class 11/22

Youth

FALL NERF TACTICAL (9-14 yrs.)

Grab your friends and your NERF gear and head out to Ushers Ferry to blow off some steam over Thanksgiving break! Learn NERF safety and strategy, then break into teams to play ‘Capture the Flag’ and other games to defend your fortress. Bring your own NERF gear, ammo, and eye protection. We will play indoors in the lodge if the weather is bad.

#214120-01 W 11/22 1-4pm

$21 (R $17) Ushers Ferry

FARMER FOR A DAY (6-10 yrs.)

Put on old clothes, tennis shoes, or boots and find out more about the animals at Old MacDonald’s Farm. Learn how to care for them and what goes on at the farm each day with hands-on activities. #213102-01

$21 (R $17) Old MacDonald’s Farm

LET’S DRAW, PAINT & SCULPT (5-12 yrs.)

This class has it all! Experiment with many different materials while learning lots of new techniques.

#203205-01 Th 9/14-10/19 6-7pm

$61 (R $53) NW Rec

CHILDREN’S PAINTING (7-10 yrs.)

Let’s have some fun with paint! Using tempura and watercolor, try your hand at color mixing, brush techniques, use of resist materials, and more.

#203805-01 Th 10/26-12/7* 6-7pm

$61 (R $53) NW Rec *No class 11/23

MIXED MEDIA ARTS (8-11 yrs.)

Learn many techniques and styles while creating with poly clay, painting, and drawing.

#203123-01 Tu 9/12-10/17 6-7pm

#203123-02 Tu 10/24-12/5* 6-7pm

$61 (R $53) NW Rec *No class 11/21

Family

*NEW* FALL FAMILY NERF (8+ yrs.)

Grab the kids and all your NERF gear for a fun afternoon of NERFing for the whole family! Get outdoors and enjoy some unique opportunities for NERF combat amid the bunkers and hills of the old Jones Golf Course. Adults and older kids can play, too!

Su 9/10 2-5pm Jones Lodge

Su 10/1 2-5pm Jones Lodge

$10/person at the door

Advance Registration Only

#214113-01 $35 (R $28) Family of 4 9/10

#214113-02 $9 (R $8) Add’l person 9/10

#214113-03 $35 (R $28) Family of 4 10/1

#214113-04 $9 (R $8) Add’l person 10/1

*NEW* FALL POLLINATOR FUN! (5+ yrs. with Adult)

Join the Iowa State Grange and learn how to help feed the bees who help feed us! Get your hands dirty in this fun and quick class. Make pollinator seed bombs to take home and spread the love to our pollinator friends!

#214122-01 Su 10/8 3-4:30pm

$6 (R $5) Ushers Ferry

Master Gardener

*NEW* GARDEN STEPPING STONES (7-13 yrs.)

Make and decorate your own concrete garden stepping stone to take home and place in your garden.

#213116-01 Sa 9/16 10-11:30am

$13 (R $12) Duck Pond Pavilion, Bever

*NEW* END OF THE GARDEN SEASON (18+ yrs.)

Fall and winter are good times to reflect on past successes and challenges and plan your garden for next year. Learn about garden tasks to end this season and start making plans for next season.

#213126-01 Sa 9/30 10-11:30am

$13 (R $12) Old MacDonald’s Farm

*NEW* ATTRACTING BIRDS TO THE GARDEN (16+ yrs.)

Discuss what plants gardeners need to include to attract a variety of birds to their gardens or backyards. Make some simple bird feeders using pinecones, bird seed, or recycled bottles.

#213117-01 Sa 10/21 10-11:30am

$13 (R $12) NW Rec

*NEW* WINTER SEED SOWING (16+ yrs.)

Learn the why, how, and when of winter seed sowing using milk jugs. You will receive materials and instruction to complete this project at home in January or February.

#213118-01 Sa 11/4 10-11:30am

$13 (R $12) NW Rec

Teen/Adult

*NEW* TREADLE SEWING MACHINE: MAKE AN IOWA PILLOW (14+ yrs.)

Show the state of Iowa some love with this classic pillow design. Learn the ease of appliqué and piping. Use one of our treadle sewing machines to complete the project.

#214207-01 Su 9/24 1:30-4:30pm

$28 (R $24) Ushers Ferry

*NEW* BIRD WATCHING FOR BEGINNERS (16+ yrs.)

Take a walk in the woods to hear and see our native birds. Learn bird-watching techniques and how to identify common birds. Discover how technology can help you in your own bird-watching adventures.

#213119-01 Sa 9/16 8-9am

$6 (R $5) Old MacDonald’s Farm

*NEW* HISTORY MYSTERY: LINN COUNTY SCHOOL HOUSE TOUR (16+ yrs.)

In 1907, more than 120 one-room country schools dotted the hills, fields, and crossroads of rural Linn County. Today, less than a third of them survive. Join Ushers Ferry’s historian, Ann Cejka, for an up-close look at eight of Linn County’s hidden gems and a small town consolidated school. Learn the history and what led to their ultimate demise.

#214208-01 Sa 9/9 12:30-4:30pm

$58 (R $50) Depart/Return: Ushers Ferry

*NEW* HISTORY MYSTERY: SPOOKY CEMETERY TOUR

(16+ yrs.)

Join Ushers Ferry’s historian, Ann Cejka, on a guided tour of Linn County cemeteries and landmarks and see where the true history of Ushers Ferry really happened! Visit the final resting place of some of the county’s early pioneers and one fabled Meskwaki chief. Explore some of the darker chapters of Linn County history including drownings, steamboat explosions, and a murder that rocked Clinton Township!

#214209-01 Sa 10/14 3:30-5:30pm

$33 (R $26) Depart/Return: Ushers Ferry

*NEW* BEYOND GENEALOGY: RESEARCHING AND UNDERSTANDING YOUR FAMILY HISTORY (16+ yrs.)

Would you like to know more about your family beyond names and dates on gravestones? Ushers Ferry’s historian, Ann Cejka, will walk you through many of the free digital or local resources you can use to trace your history and gain a better understanding of your ancestors and the times in which they lived.

#214210-01 Sa 11/18 2-3:30pm

$13 (R $12) Ushers Ferry

Farm To Table

*NEW* LET’S BAKE BREAD (16+ yrs.)

Nothing compares to the smell of fresh baked bread! If you’ve always wanted to make your own, but were too intimidated by things like yeast, rising, kneading, and just didn’t know where to start, this class is for you! Come to Ushers Ferry and bake a simple Amish sweet bread and an 18th century no-knead French bread that’s perfect for camping. Prepare your own sourdough starter to take home and try.

#214211-01 Su 10/8 1-4pm $28 (R $24) Ushers Ferry

*NEW* WATER BATH CANNING (14+ yrs.)

Save on groceries and make the most of your garden by learning to can and preserve like your grandma used to. Learn the basics of the water bath canning process to preserve your acidic fruits and vegetables with only a minimal investment in kitchen supplies and equipment. Can tomatoes, apple butter, and maybe some pickled beets!

#214128-01 Su 9/10 2:30-5:30pm

$24 (R $20) Ushers Ferry

Adult

*NEW* CURATE YOUR LIFE: MANAGING YOUR STUFF! (18+ yrs.)

Are you a collector who needs help downsizing their collection, or maybe someone who is faced with inheriting one? Objects can hold a great deal of meaning, and deciding what to do with them when you no longer need them can be overwhelming.

Let Ushers Ferry’s curator, Ann Cejka, show you how to decide with basic museum principles and guidelines as well as tips for re-homing beloved objects.

#214212-01 W 9/20 6:30-7:30pm

$9 (R $8) Ushers Ferry

*NEW* PRESERVING YOUR PAST: RECORDING ORAL HISTORIES (18+ yrs.)

Family history can be a source of both pride and pain. Those who are bold enough to examine their life story often find it enlightening and therapeutic. This class lays out the basic principles of collecting oral histories and gives you tips for how to begin. Learn to organize themes, topics, and questions, record for audio or video, and analyze what you’ve collected. Bring a smart phone, or audio or video recorder and practice on yourself!

#214213-01 W 10/4 6:30-8:30pm

$20 (R $16) Ushers Ferry

*NEW* TAX FACTS @ A GLANCE (18+ yrs.)

This class, presented by Bosh Financial, Inc., is a review of the 2023 Tax Facts at a Glance. Gain an understanding of retirement plans, the “Three Bucket Strategy on Taxes,” and gifting limits, income limits in retirement, and more. Expect to leave class with a better understanding of how money works, moves, and is saved efficiently.

#218129-01 Tu 10/10 5:30-6:45pm

$13 (R $12) Jones Lodge

WATERCOLOR MADE EASY WITH DAVE STAUFFER (18+ yrs.)

Develop a new hobby! Absolutely no experience is needed for this class. Basic watercolor techniques will be taught in a relaxed and fun manner. You’ll receive a small supply list the first day of class.

#203107-01 Tu 9/12-10/17 1:30-3:30pm

#203107-02 Tu 10/24-11/28 1:30-3:30pm

$52 (R $45) NW Rec