Our Kids' Village will be one of the only community gardens in the city that will be primarily for kids in pre-school to 5th grade. Activities will include training sessions on how to plant properly and raising farm animals, learning about science including earthworm games, and more.
On April 26, 2012, residents of New Orleans came out to the Grand Opening of Our Kids’ Village. Kids and parents alike enjoyed the great atmosphere and learning about the garden. Kids got a chance to do some planting and feed farm animals. Check out the photos.
Phase 3 is underway at Our Kids’ Village. Volunteers are helping to beautify the garden for its Grand Opening on April 26, 2012, 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. The grand opening will be fun for the whole family! Come enjoy food and games, play on the playground, and learn more about the programming in our new kids’ garden.
See photos of the volunteers in action!
Phase 2 of the work at Our Kids’ Village is complete. NOLA Green Roots staff, volunteers, and members have worked hard to complete the garden’s pathway and (16) 6×6 planter boxes. During Phase 3, a deck will be installed near the entrance and the Our Kids’ Village sign will be installed. To help us with Phase 3 donate now or volunteer your time.
View the photo updates
NOLA Green Roots just signed the ownership papers for the plot of land that runs perpendicular to Wise Words Garden from Tulane Avenue. This lot is the future site of NOLA Green Roots’ newest project, Our Kids’ Village. Our Kids’ Village is the first community garden in the city of New Orleans to focus on kids in pre-school through 5th grade. Activities at the garden will include training sessions on how to plant properly and raise farm animals responsibly. In addition, the kids will learn about the science of soil and play games that re-enforce their new knowledge including earthworm games.
Learning how to grow plants while in pre-school up to 5th grade encourages gross motor development because kids act out plant growth and seed development. Encouraging gross motor skills in our children strengthens their muscles and increases coordination and overall health. Additionally, most young children start out as kinesthetic learners who master new information best through physical activities. The years from pre-school to 5th grade are when these kids are developing body function, language skills, and best learning practices.
Our priority as we build our new Kids’ Village are to create an environmentally friendly space that will allow our children to have fun while learning more about the potato that came before potato chips. Our Kids’ Village is a virtual and physical classroom. Parents, teachers and students will have access to the garden’s Web site where they can post and view homework assignments, syllabi, games, schedules and worksheets. Another positive feature of Our Kids’ Village is the innovative farming toys including the John Deere Gator and the John Deere Loader. These toys bring farm-life to the city for our kids.
The groundbreaking of Our Kids’ Village is set for May 13-14, 2011. NOLA Green Roots needs help getting the word out and recruiting volunteers. Please spread the word. This garden is slated to be phased in over the course of the year. We need fresh and committed sponsorship. Our gardens impact hundreds of people in the New Orleans area. On a basic level, they provide fresh, naturally grown food sources that are affordable. In addition, they encourage our member’s sense of self-worth, of what they can do to provide for their families and community, provide educational spaces full of information for youth and adults about science, math, verbal skills, and general life cycles, and much more.
