WILDOMAR, CA: Vlada’s Seeds of Life (VSL) had the unique opportunity to visit a local school, Anne Sullivan Preschool and Kindergarten, to participate in their two very important topics, seeds and trees.
The Ladybug Classroom at the school focused on the topic of seeds in October, so the kids learned all about different types of seeds, how fruit and vegetables grow from seeds, and they even experimented by growing some of their own. November had a focused topic on trees. They learned about the different parts of a tree, what kind of trees are out there, and they got to even hug some trees.
Nina Cullen, our newest Board Member of VSL, visited her daughter’s (Mila’s) classroom in November to talk about VSL’s mission. Nina helped the class by planting a tall tree seed inside a small incubator, reading a book about trees (How Does A Tree Become a Tree? by Joshua Goodson), and making feeders out of oranges and bird seeds. VSL also donated 50 packages of free vegetable seeds to all the children and their families in the classroom.
The importance of teaching kids about seeds as young as preschool is something that VSL will always support and standby. Children learn about a plant’s life cycle, where our food comes from, patience, an appreciation of the seasons, nurture, and most of all, appreciation for life.
Nina introduced the mission behind VSL to the kids but also shared a little brochure that they can take home to their parents so that they can, together, get more ideas on how children and families should get re-engaged in the nurture of our nature.
While the kids were quite patient, they were very excited to learn about what Nina has brought to them for show and tell. So first, she read the book about how a tree becomes a tree. Then she showed the kids how a giant redwood tree seed can be germinated and what each layer of planting means. And then the kids got ready for an activity. Nina wanted to show them how other types of seeds are important too. She planted bird seeds in orange peels to make hanging bird feeders. Those seeds also invite new life by feeding birds who will help plant cycles in different ways.
The children were very happy about this activity and couldn’t wait to go home and hang their orange feeders. VSL would like to encourage all classrooms, especially with young ones, to explore nature, enjoy it, appreciate it, learn everything there is to know about it, but most of all to parents and teachers to continue prioritizing learning about gardening, healthy eating, and togetherness.
VSL thanks our volunteer, Vesna Stipic Hoerr, who helped package and label 50 seed packages for our donation to the school. We also thank Anne Sullivan Preschool and Kindergarten, especially teachers Mrs. Cindy and Mrs. Patty, who allowed their time and permission for this educational opportunity. We cannot wait to hear more about how and where those seeds were planted!
To learn more about VSL’s Little Sprouts Program (https://vladaseedsoflife.com/little-sprouts/) or Cooking and Kids Program (https://vladaseedsoflife.com/cooking-kids/), we encourage you to browse our website, visit our social media on Facebook or Instagram, or simply contact us [email protected].