Hands-On Fun at the Garden Party!

Our big 7th annual Garden Party is only a few days away! We have some great hands on fun planned for young and old alike in our Activity Zone.

Become an Honorary Rice Ranger!

Anacostia Watershed Society will be here with a “muddy hands” project to educate kids and adults on wetland systems and our native plants. Help us plant seeds that will grow into wetland plants for use in creating habitats for insects and fish in the wetland restoration programs. You can even sign up to help move these little beauties out into our natural parks and rivers once they’ve grown up big and strong! Get messy and save our wetlands all in one fun activity.

Anacostia Watershed Society protects and restores the Anacostia River and its watershed communities by cleaning the water, recovering the shores, and honoring its heritage.

Photo of wild rice seedlings from the Anacostia Watershed Society.

Hands-On and Minds-On Experiences

Join Jen Mendez, from PERMIE KIDs, for a hands-on and minds-on experience. With a variety of crafts and projects you’ll learn about how we can grow and live in ways that reflect the balance and harmony of nature through stories, painting, nature journals, and creating habitats for bees and birds in your garden. PERMIE KIDs will also have their educational materials and plans on hand for sale.

Check out some of the fun ways to explore our world:

What’s In the Garden? Listen to a short story and to create a community painting showing what is growing in our garden. (This is a special event that will take place at 10:00 a.m. and again at 1:00 p.m.)

Make a Nature Journal: Create your own nature journal and begin seeing the wonderment of the world anew.

Everything That Once Lived, Shall Live Again: Pick up a magnifying glass, dig your hands in and explore the amazing wiggly creatures that can help our gardens thrive.

What is Home? Let’s “re-thunk our junk” to inspire the birds and the bees to come visit our gardens. Upcycle resources to make a bee hotel. Want to bring in the birds with the bees? Paint a bird house to take home along with birdhouse gourd seeds to plant at home (while supplies last).

PERMIE KIDs is an educational resource network that provides learning opportunities to cultivate a whole systems thinking mindset. PERMIE KIDs is founded on the idea that nature and community-oriented learning deepens relationships and inspires justice, equity and compassion.

Photo from PERMIE KIDs

The Garden Party is fun for all ages! Little environmentalists are encouraged to bring their adults along to help out. Everyone loves getting messy, doing crafts, and learning about our environment.

We look forward to celebrating spring with you on Saturday!