Formation of an educational weekend program popularizing the foundations of mineralogy, botany and local history of the area, developed for primary and secondary school students is considered. The program development and implementation was carrying out for the Pushchino Museum of Ecology and Local Lore in 2018-2019. Possibilities of initial acquaintance with the world of plants and minerals within the framework of the museum exposition in combination with both excursion and independent activity on the ecological path of the city and in the Green Zone are shown. A thematic selection of classical popular scientific literature has been made to develop further keen interest in the subject. The program of acquaintance with the area was tested on the groups of the Tatiana school in Moscow, students of summer camps from general education schools and students of the ecological circle “Living River” in Pushchino town.