Little Hands, Big Roots: LCG Helps The Learning Experience Grow a Garden

Children from The Learning Experience in Littleton get their hands in the soil during a June planting day led by Littleton Country Gardeners volunteers. Photo by The Learning Experience

This June, Littleton Country Gardeners (LCG) partnered with The Learning Experience, a local daycare and preschool in Littleton, to help its youngest residents put down roots — literally. As part of the club's ongoing Garden Crafts with Kids initiative, LCG volunteers arrived with soil, seedlings, and a handful of shiny new raised garden beds, ready to introduce a new generation to the joys of growing things.

Galvanized metal beds donated to the school by the community and set up by our club members so the kids could do their plantings.

Four galvanized steel raised beds now sit on the daycare's lawn, filled by small hands with marigolds, strawberries, tomatoes, and basil. Toddlers and preschoolers alike knelt in the grass alongside LCG members, digging little holes, patting down soil, and proudly holding up their first seedlings for the camera.

Volunteers guided children through every step, from loosening the soil to tucking in tender roots.

The project was led by Leonard Norton and Eileen Shurtleff, who organized the day and knelt in the dirt alongside a very enthusiastic group of two-, three-, and four-year-olds. Soil and plants for the beds were donated by Angel Maldonado Lopez and Eileen, with hauling and setup help from Leonard and Angel's sons, Jesse and Jake. Jeannie Kingsley also pitched in to help the children with planting. For many of the children, it was their first time touching soil, meeting an earthworm, or watching a marigold bloom up close.

The Learning Experience shared its gratitude for the partnership, noting that the new garden gives its students hands-on experience with nature, growth, and caring for the earth — values the school hopes to nurture in its youngest learners for years to come. The center has invited the community to schedule a tour to see the garden beds in action.

Budding gardeners experiencing the soil.

This planting day is one of several community outreach efforts LCG members have taken on this year, bringing gardening education beyond club meetings and into local schools, daycares, and public spaces. Interested in getting involved with Garden Crafts with Kids or another LCG community project? Reach out through the club's contact page — we're always happy to welcome new volunteers.