We're Back!

It's almost that time of year again! The grass is green, the flowers are blooming and the air is warm. Kids Grow will be back and running for our third season at the Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Garden and our second season at the Silver Springs Edible Garden. 

To those of you who are new to Kids Grow, we are a student-run organization aiming to incorporate children's gardening programming into existing community gardens within Calgary to empower children through healthy eating, gardening and food production knowledge and environmental stewardship. We run free weekly events every Saturday throughout the spring and summer months to provide children and their families with fun and engaging workshops facilitated by Kids Grow team members and experts within the Calgary community. We also have games, crafts, and other garden-centered activities. Events last two hours and include a delicious healthy snack. Programming is designed for children ages 3 and up but we strive to accommodate children of all ages, so all families are welcome.  Kids Grow is a drop-in program meaning that children must be accompanied by an adult at all times. 

We have also expanded to include the two University of Calgary Child Care Centres on campus! A team of environmental design students are busy working on a permaculture-based garden design, building will begin shortly and the families, children, staff and university community will be able to enjoy gardening programming this summer. 

For the community programs, we've selected our starting date: Saturday June 14h at 10am-12pm (Hillhurst/Sunnyside) and 2-4pm (Silver Springs). Come join us for an introduction to the Kids Grow program, some fun games and help us plant our garden plots for the 2014 season!

Look how much fun we had last year! 

This year, to handle the expansion of the program, there are two co-coordinators that will organize and facilitate the programming along with our Peer Helpers.

Meet: Anisha and Hannah!

Hello!  My name is Anisha and I'm a student entering the elementary education program in Fall 2014. I have been involved with Kids Grow! since it's initiation in the summer of 2012 and I'm very excited to see it's continued success and expansion. I am passionate about ensuring that children are empowered through education about food, gardening, community building and environmental awareness. A fun fact about me would be my obsession with green tea as I would literally drink bathtubs full of it if I could! 

Hi everyone! I've spent my first two years at the university in the music program and I'm now pursuing a degree in Social Work. I'm really excited to work with Kids Grow this summer because it's a wonderful program that teaches kids really valuable skills about gardening and sustainability. A fun fact about me is I'm allergic to kale.

We don't have any pictures from this year yet, but check back soon as we're sure it's going to be as spectacular as last year was!

Painting the Kids Grow banner at the

 Silver Springs Edible Garden, summer of 2013.

December 22

Let it snow let it snow!
Try out this fun and gooey activity for the winter season (here):

December 21

Today's actives combine snowmen to bread for an afternoon of creative baking.

1. Shape and snack!

To get in the mood transform the classic lunch sandwich into a smiling snowman. Your snowman will be all the jollier for whole wheat bread and decorated with fruit and vegetable adornments!

http://kidsparties123.com/recipes/snowman-sandwich/

 A PB and J decorated with sweet treats:

http://wenderly.com/2011/01/14/p-b-j-snowman-sandwiches/

 Or try out an open faced cream cheese variation (here)

But now lets flour on the floor and in the air, and the kids in the kitchen for an exciting and creative way to bake bread.Use your favorite roll dough and have the kids shape and decorate before backing.

2. Bake!

Continue on with the snowman theme (recipe included):http://spoonful.com/recipes/jolly-snowman-bread



Or make monsters (here):

December 20

Support your kids in the initiative to build more sustainable smaller houses. Gingerbread houses that is!
Made with Graham crackers this activity is less dawunting then the large scale kits.

http://cabinorganic.com/2012/12/25/mini-gingerbread-houses-with-erin/

Take photos of you creations and share them bellow!

Growing gifts

 This article is a complimentary addition to the book list series, published earlier this month (here).
As the big day comes closer and closer, and as the article encourages "consider giving the gift of a better food system through teaching kids about where food comes from, who grows it, and what sorts of foods are both healthy and delicious."

Read the article here:

http://foodtank.org/news/2013/12/fifteen-books-for-future-foodies

December 19

Holiday's are awash in paper plates and other entertaining 'apparatus'. Can you put them to better use?

Try out this activity making paper plate angles:

December 18

Try out this easy holiday craft!

photo credit: http://shopbonnenouvelle.blogspot.ca/2011/12/marshmallow-snowmen-and-women.html