Things to Do in Holt

Ever since he began playing with the family Kodak as a toddler, Mark Chamberlin’s passion for photography has been insatiable. He opened his first studio in 1977, and soon earned numerous awards for his portrait, wedding, and scenic photography. By 1995, he felt ready to move on from the studio business and switched his career focus to adult education. As the director and primary instructor of SmarterPics, which he founded in 2008, Mark teaches all level of student the ins and outs of digital photography.

In classes and private tutoring sessions, Mark instructs students through a combination of verbal instruction and hands-on practice. His classes range in subject, from introductory DSLR-camera courses to flash photography and controlling bright sun, where students learn more productive ways to work with light than attempting to harvest it from within. Subjects in his tutoring sessions also run the gamut from camera basics to digital editing tips, depending on the specific needs of his clients.

Woldumar Nature Center greets visitors with a coterie of trees, flowers, and grasses that populate 178 acres of diverse environs representing the region's larger ecosystem. Visitors explore the center's trails spanning 5 miles of lush scenery, which treats them to a prairie of wildflowers waving their vivid heads in the breeze, the Grand River flowing throughout 1.25 miles, and a hardwood forest that casts cool shade in the shadows of beech and maple trees. Deer peacefully forage in the apple orchard, and a butterfly garden hosts a feast for the gentle winged insects. The herb garden showcases common household herbs such as rosemary alongside oft-forgotten useful plants such as calendula, which pinky swears it goes well in potato soup. The nature center's knowledgeable staff lead educational programs year-round that fill brains with experiences in geocaching, exploring the Grand River, and watching live owl presentations.

After six years of working in Chicago, Kasey Shoemaker returned to Lansing to raise her family. Fusing her dedication to her children with her entrepreneurial aspirations, Kasey set out to assemble natural, local, and organic materials and to transform them into a space where kids aged 6 or younger could frolic while parents relaxed with other adults. Her vision came to fruition with play., a 2,600-square-foot space with play areas where kids shop at a pretend farmers' market or cavort across a stage in elaborate costumes and props. Tykes who wish to check in with Clifford, Dora the Explorer, or Hamlet can nestle into the reading nook with a favorite book. Beside permanent play spots, constantly evolving interest areas accommodate new attractions, such as a chalk wall and a basketball hoop, that enthrall drop-in visitors and birthday-party guests alike. Along with unstructured play, classes led by experienced educators engage tykes with art activities and interactive projects. During the warmer months, play. also offers summer camps that run for two-week sessions and let children explore and create while accompanied by staff and guest instructors.