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A government shutdown nearly prevented area children from embarking on a two-hour “Global Passport Adventure” at Wolf Trap, but volunteers stepped in to keep the event on track.

Friends of Wolf Trap invited families to explore world cultures and nature through crafts, music, stories, art, cultural activities and guided walks. Organizers scrambled to replace assistance that ordinarily would have been provided by park rangers, whose staffing and services were limited by the federal closure.

Wolf Trap, the country’s only national park dedicated to the performing arts, was subject to the same shutdown restrictions as other national parks.

Event organizer Sara Holtz said many visitors were likely federal employees experiencing the stress of the closure. She said the disruption made spending time outdoors with friends, family and loved ones especially important.

Award-winning children’s author and singer-songwriter Mary Ann Redmond read and signed her book “Boopable,” which invites children to imagine touching different animals on the nose.

Certified guide Joseph Sage Raindancer introduced families to forest bathing, also known as Shinrin-yoku. The practice uses slow, gentle walks to help participants engage their senses and reconnect with nature. Children searched for sticks and decorated them as another way to connect with the woods.

Plant NOVA Natives, the Virginia Bluebird Society and the Vienna Arts Society were among the groups offering activities and educational displays. Children learned about seeds, butterfly migration, bluebird nesting and other natural phenomena.

Craft stations featured Japanese fish prints and Native American-inspired totem pole creations. The Fairfax Drum Circle gave children a chance to try drums, while a passport activity let them collect country flag stamps during their cultural exploration.

The event celebrated International Children’s Day, which is observed on different dates around the world. Wolf Trap donor Catherine Filene Shouse envisioned children visiting parks to experience both nature and many forms of art.

Holtz and fellow organizers Ronalda Mason and Kathy Stewart said Friends of Wolf Trap hopes the natural-arts celebration will become an annual event.