Kids ages three to five will be able to participate in an interactive science and nature learning program starting in January, on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, at the Environmental Education Center, 190 Lord Stirling Road in Basking Ridge.

Tree House Gang is an afternoon naturalist program series developed by the Somerset County Park Commission to introduce young children to science and nature through an enhanced learning environment that incorporates outdoor hikes, hands-on activities, interaction with live animals, and crafts.

The classes will run in four-day sessions from 12:45 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. on four Thursdays, January 5, 12, 19, and 26, and four consecutive Tuesdays, January 10, 17, 24 and 31, 2012. Each session features a different theme and costs $65 per person. A snack is provided. 

To find out more about the program, check out the Somerset County Park Commission website. 

— Ellen  Oxild contributed to this story.