What to Do with Kids in Kerrville | Hill Country Fun
Nestled alongside the Guadalupe River in Kerrville, TX is a small, stonework building, wrapped around by a breezy porch overlooking gardens of native Texas plants, trees and wildflowers. Birds, butterflies, lizards, and bees abound.
On Thursday mornings, a group of children gather together to learn about nature. The Nature Center staff is invested in connecting children to the earth they inhabit, teaching them to understand it, to care for it, and to feel connected with it. By involving the child’s whole body in the learning experience with stories, discussions, active games, hands on projects, and sensory experiences, the kids soak it all in!
On this day at Sprouts, it was their Earth Day celebration. A story was read about recycling, in which the children learned about “Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.” This was accompanied by sorting recyclables, where the group worked together to decide whether each item should be recycled with glass, plastic, paper, or repurposed, a recycling relay race, a craft made from discarded newspapers, and an Earth Day parade!
On many weeks, the little Sprouts choose a child to prepare a presentation about a nature subject of their own choosing. On this occasion, these three siblings taught everyone about bees and beekeeping. Mom helped them put the presentation together and guided them when they were unsure of what to talk about next, but the children did the teaching! Can you imagine being four-years-old and doing a presentation for a group of all-ages of children and adults? I’m always so impressed with how confident these kids are during their presentations and I’ve personally put that down to the gentle guidance of their parents, what the Nature Center staff instill in the kids by believing in their intelligence and capabilities, as well as the community everyone has built together within the Sprouts Program.
These kids did an awesome job with their presentation and were very proud to receive their Sprouts awards.
Beyond the Sprouts program, there’s much more for children to explore at the Riverside Nature Center! Inside the Nature Center building, you’ll discover hands-on learning, visual delights, a corn snake named Shucks, and a sweet play area for the children. Before leaving, be sure to wander along the nature trails to see the many different native plants and trees and stop in at the bird watching hut to see how many different species of birds come to visit.
Sprouts Program
Thursdays, 10:30-11:30
Riverside Nature Center
150 Francisco Lemos St., Kerrville TX 78028
830.257.4837