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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| Don't get caught! |
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| A little squirrel thinks about its next move! |
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| 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.
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| 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!
