BENNINGTON — The preschool-themed education collaboration between the Bennington Museum and the Bennington Free Library, Museum ABCs, is well underway.

The program takes place at the Bennington Museum on the second Saturday of each month for the spring, summer, and fall. It typically runs from 10:30-11:30 a.m., and no pre-registration or participation fee is required.

This Saturday, July 12, preschoolers and their accompanying adults will be taking a trip along the George Aiken Wildflower Trail.

“Museum ABCs is going ‘into the woods’ this Saturday,” explained Linda Donigan, children’s librarian at the Bennington Free Library, and collaborator on the project. “We’ll explore the Bennington Museum’s George Aiken Wildflower Trail and stop along the way to experience art.”

The George Aiken Wildflower Trail is a short and easily walkable nature walk that sits adjacent to the Bennington Museum. It showcases a variety of native wildflowers and ferns, with identification markers to educate and inform. The path also hosts a variety of sculptures from artists local to the region, and benches along the way – for resting and contemplation.

Donigan is especially excited to share some of the sculptures with the young explorers in the group.

“John BonSignore’s ‘Toe Dancer’ is sure to get us moving up the trail to more sculptures made of metal, wood, and rope,” said Donigan. “We will use natural and manmade materials to create miniature sculptures and share a story or two.”

According to Donigan, the Vermont Humanities generously donated the book, “Sandy’s Circus” by author Tanya Lee Stone to this week’s program at the Bennington Museum – providing one copy for each participating family.

The story introduces youngsters to sculptor Alexander (Sandy) Calder, whose child-like enthusiasm for color – especially red, kinetic movement, and real-life circuses made him resoundingly popular. It begins with Calder’s childhood, and tells the story of how he would fiddle with little pieces of bric-a-brac and wire – simply creating fantastical things along the way. One day, he made a lion out of wire; the next day he made a lion cage to house his lion. Soon, Calder had a circus.

This circus sculpture is now on permanent display at the Whitney Museum in New York City. Throughout his life, Calder would play with this circus, making sound effects, narrating a show, and manipulating the tiny figurines. It is seen as a bridge between his creative and explorative youth and his very technical later interest in movement.

This early piece of the many Calder collections around the world stands out, illustrating how playfulness can lead to greatness.

In the event of rain on Saturday July 12, the group will explore the sculptures in the Museum’s galleries, rather than the ones on the wildlife trail, Donigan noted.

Following the July 12 Museum ABC event, the next Museum ABC preschool exploration will be held on Saturday August 9. The August 9 session will explore Vermont’s raptors – including hawks, owls, and falcons.

Museum ABCs is funded by the Bank of Bennington and Stewarts Shops.

Information on other Bennington Museum programming for youth can be found at benningtonmuseum.org/programming-events/education/school-programs/.