Painting a picture perfect day

Everybody has different talents. Some people are amazing dancers or cooks, others are great at math or singing. Chefs, inventors, artists and construction workers may all do different things and have different talents, but as we have learned over the past two weeks, no matter how ‘good’ someone may think they are at something; every one of us has something unique to contribute. Whether we’re big or small, young or old, experienced or amateur; we can all work together to create something amazing.

At last week’s KidsGrow!, we started to learn a little more about how unique every one of us really is. Volunteers and participants started off the day weeding and watering to help it grow healthy and strong; we were even able to pull up some yummy radishes to take home! We then moved on to our activity of the day, which was using sun paints to create individual masterpieces. Everyone set out on a nature walk to collect materials to use in our paintings. We collected leaves, twigs, flowers, and lots of other things to create unique pieces of art, and we saw lots of wildlife, including some moths in the grass and birds in the sky!

We headed back to the garden to compare what everyone collected, and we saw that, although we had all gone on the same walk, we came back with very different materials! Every one of the kids came up with a different plan on how to use their materials to create art, showing us how the qualities that set us apart can help us make something unique and beautiful. Before we were able to start painting, however, rain started pouring down and we had to end programming for the day. We hope to do our sun paints on a sunnier day!

Today’s programming was focused on using our unique abilities to create something together. We started off the day taking a look at our garden. Our participants were so excited by how much the plants have grown, and how different they look! We sampled our chives, mint, and parsley and pulled up some huge radishes to take home.

After checking on our garden, we moved on to our activity of the day… painting the KidsGrow! banner! Everyone worked together to add something different to the banner; some kids painted pictures of what they liked best in the garden, some stamped plants and animal shapes, and others decorated the KidsGrow! logo.

Painting the banner was a lot of work!

We all had a great time decorating the banner, and we saw that everyone added something different and beautiful to the project. This helped us all realize that, when we work together, the things that set us apart can help us create something amazing. Having the chance to work together can not only help us learn how to share and cooperate, but it helps us discover our own talents , and the power of sharing these gifts with others.

After all that painting, everyone's hands were very messy! We rinsed off and then had a delicious snack of grapes, blueberries, and some ice cream that our friend Sonja donated. 

Fruits and ice cream helped us refuel!

We talked about the importance of healthy eating, and how treats like ice cream should fit into a healthy lifestyle. We all talked about the importance of eating lots of healthy things, like fruits and vegetables, and that treats like ice cream are fine to eat in moderation, but shouldn't be eaten all the time. Ice cream for breakfast may sound like a fun idea, but we need the nutrients in other foods, like the vitamins and minerals in fruits and veggies, to help us stay strong and healthy!

To help our garden stay strong and healthy, we watered our plants after finishing up our snack. Since it was so hot outside, we needed to make sure our plants got just the right amount to drink!  

After watering our garden, we headed out to play a game of 'The Farmer and the Pests'. We divided up the field into two halves; one half was the farmer's field, and the other was the pest's field. The Farmer had to protect their crops from the pests, who could run over to the farmer's field and steal the farmer's crops! The farmer tried to tag the pests to turn them into farmers to help protect the crops. Everyone had a great time running around and playing together.

Don't get caught!

A little squirrel thinks about its next move!

Farmers vs. Pests!

After we finished playing, we all gathered for a sharing circle. Everyone shared what their favourite part of the day was. Everyone had a great time painting the banner and working together to create something beautiful. 

The 2013 KidsGrow! banner in Silver Springs

We can always add something, no matter how big or small, to help create something amazing, whether it's working on a project like our KidsGrow! banner or helping out in our community. Something that may seem small to you can make a big difference to a project, and when we all work together, the results are amazing!

We'll see you next week!