Sprouts: May 15th

What a beautiful sunny day for adventure 🌞

We kicked things off with a game of Sun’s Out! (our version of Octopus) where water droplets tried to make it past the Sun before evaporating—lots of giggles and energy to start the day! After a singing check-in (two thumbs up all around 👍👍), we packed up and headed out.

With helpers taking turns pulling the wagon (and flexing their muscles 💪), we set off in search of wonder.

A hill blanketed in dandelions stopped us in our tracks—we made wishes and reminded ourselves that the journey is the destination.

Our newest spot was quickly named Mushroom Kingdom 🍄 after we spotted some amazing fungi. Our oldest Earthkeeper led a bone-hunting expedition, and we imagined fairy tunnels beneath a pink star on the forest floor. We wondered what lives in the hollow of a tree, and one child spotted a huge ant—definitely a daddy ant 🐜!

During snack I read Flower Talk by Sara Levine—a funny and informative story narrated by a cranky cactus, explaining how flower colours are signals to pollinators. (Did you know red flowers attract hummingbirds but not bees?) It gave us a new way to “listen” to what flowers are trying to say 🌸🐝

Post-snack, we had an exciting discovery—a toad! Before interacting, we paused to set some respectful guidelines:

🌿 Rub dirt on our hands to avoid hurting her skin
🌿 Stay low to the ground to keep her safe
🌿 Be gentle and quiet

These moments are delicate—how do we let children form bonds with nature and protect what we love? The answer: balance. Connection fosters care. And our Earthkeepers took care of their new friend beautifully, watching as she hopped away (maybe to visit her family… or maybe off on vacation 🐸🌴).

Inspired by Flower Talk, we searched for colourful blooms on the way back to Heron Tree Estates, practicing the Honorable Harvest: taking only what’s abundant and always with gratitude. We turned our finds into gorgeous flower art 🌼🎨

Over lunch, I read Drop, a journey through the water cycle told from the perspective of a single droplet. It helped us reflect on water as a precious resource—perfect timing before mud kitchen play. We pledged to fill our container only once… and they stuck to it! So much fun, and plenty left at the end 💧

We ended our sunny spring day in the shade with a lively round of Skink Tag 🦎

Thanks for a wonderful day, Earthkeepers! 💚