Experience
Prairie Play
Have Fun in Nature
Nature play and more hands-on exploration await visitors just beyond the museum doors! It's the highlight of the CMSD experience.
Guests won't want to miss this spacious 1.5 acre outdoors area, designed to nurture a love of the natural world, cultivate creativity and imagination, develop a sense of belonging and show visitors just what makes the prairie so special.
In Nature Play, climb hills and logs. Weave through the Willow Tunnel. Bake delicious mud pies. Cross the waters Streamside by walking on stones or wheeling through the stream. Build the Beaver Dam. Wander through the field On the Prairie to explore the Prairie Maze. Or check out Dino Dig to dig up the bones of a dinosaur found right here in South Dakota.
The benefits of playing in nature and the outdoors are tremendous. Children connect with the world around them by spending time outdoors touching the prairie grasses, splashing in water or gathering fallen leaves. These experiences encourage children to associate joy and aesthetic beauty with the outdoors. Making this connection early in life stimulates a responsibility for nature and their environment.
 Learn more about nature and conservation through the books below. Many of these books are at the Brookings Public Library. 
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ToddlersEarth Book, Todd Parr Ages 3 – 5
The Extinct Alphabet Book, Jerry Pallotta & Ralph Masiello Ages 6 – 8
Where Does Garbage Go?, Isaac Asimov Ages 9 – 12
Young Scientist: Our World in Danger, World Book |
*At the time of writing, these books were not found at the Brookings Library.