SPROUTS

Living in DC has many perks. One hidden gem is the National Botanical Gardens SPROUTS program for kids ages 3-5. This free program is designed to expose pre-school aged kids to the wonders of growing vegetation. Each week the staff provide a craft...story time.. nature walk and snack around a botanical theme.

The theme this week pictured here is color. The kids made a color wheel... read a story about how plants get their color... went looking for the colors in their color out in the gardens... crushed petals with a rock and fabric to get the dies from the petals.. and ate berries of various colors! The staff are some of the most lovely people and really engage the kids calling them by their first names throughout their time together.

The sweet staff assumed Addis was three and allowed him to participate. This week's project was painting and we let him watch! However they are gracious to allow him to be involved as much as he can. He does great with the eating part!

Here they are looking at plants that grow in the water and noticing their color. I just wonder if we are going to graduate SPROUTS before Addis jumps in or not. This is just one of the many wonderful free programs that we are trying to take advantage of in DC. Next on our list is a similar program that is run by the Smithsonian Art Institute. I have some great friends who give me a heads up on where and when these things become available. I seem to find out about them after they happen. So thanks Meghan!