She ran over to me, frolicking and free. The Summer sun was warm on her face as she jubilantly exclaimed, "Mama, I just love earthworms. I want to be a doctor to earthworms when I grow up!", and she skipped away, with one of the little wriggly guys in her hands, and placed him back in the moist ground of our garden as her daddy and I had instructed her to do the Summer prior, when she first discovered her love of earthworms.
That sweet memory was years ago, and my daughter still loves the little slimy worms. She loves to dig in the dirt and help us each Spring as we plant our family garden. That garden has evolved over the years, from raised beds with tomatoes and peppers, to a large plot of land full of vegetables...where we learned that big space was too much to take care of at our stage of life with three children, jobs, and, well, you understand- life! Evolving to this year, where we will grow our garden again in several raised beds with our kids right there helping us. They dig the holes and help us plant the plants. And together we tend to and grow our garden.
Children thrive outdoors. They need to be digging in the dirt, being "doctor" to the earthworms, caring for our plants and rolling around in the mud. They need the fresh air and sunshine (just like we adults do!), and it is amazing to watch their creativity and interest grow by being outside.
Our Kids Club at Riverbend is all about coming alongside you as Mom and Dad, nurturing that love of the great outdoors in your children- this next generation we're all raising.
One of the first years we had a garden; my oldest daughter and son searching for worms and preparing for us to all plant away.
Saturday, April 21st at 10am, our Kids Club will be planting our annual Kids Garden. This is a large garden that the children will plant and tend to during this summer at Kids Club; all the while enjoying the "fruits" of their labor. We would love for your child to participate! The class lasts 30-45 minutes, is geared for any age, and is $5 per child.
Giving our kids a love for nature is one of the greatest gifts we can ever give them! We are honored to offer Kids Club as a way to help families do just that.