I got a hug at the beginning of this school year from a Seedlings mom whose loving, open spirit are a joy to be around. The arms and smile and voice that so readily transmit warmth and friendship belong to Helena Redman. Her two boys, Rasmus and Max, were Seedlings once upon a time, and now her little girl Maya has joined us this year. What a delight to have her family back with us!
Having been around for a while now, and this being our 20th anniversary year, I tend to get a little sentimental. I remembered an outstanding set of Seedlings images which Helena captured when Max was a Seedling, in 2006, and I want to share them with our readers. As Susan likes to say, Seedlings is a work in progress, just like the children, constantly evolving. But the foundation remains unchanged, and it can be seen in these photos: children playing, concentrating, exploring nature, building, baking, getting messy and wet, making friends, creating community, experimenting, digging in the garden, wishing secret birthday wishes for each other, laughing with joy.
In Helena’s own words:
“Seedlings is like paradise for kids and a great community for parents. Here the kids are completely supported and free to be as powerful as they are and treated with complete respect. It’s simply a magical place where no one ever gets punished, scolded or criticized no matter what, only empowered. Seedlings is a place where children can grow and learn invaluable emotional and social skills in a peaceful, loving environment, while their parents will be inspired and learn many new tools to use in their every day parenting.”
We’ve been blessed over the years to have so many incredible parents and children choose to share their lives with us. We are grateful for each and every one! If you are an alum family, we would love to see you at our 20th Anniversary Ice Castle Festival and Play Day on Saturday, Feb. 2, at 2 pm, here at Sunflower.
If you know a family we might have lost touch with, please share this blog post and encourage them to get back in touch. We’re also collecting Sunflower photos from through the years, and we’d love to see yours! Send your favorites along to us at jennifer@sunflowercreativearts.org.
© Jennifer Ligeti and Sunflower Creative Arts, 2012
Photos © Helena Redman
Categories: Art, Children, Early Childhood Programs, Nature, Play, Seedlings
Tags: Art, exploration, Nature, photos children, play, Preschool
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Loved seeing all those Seedlings pictures! What a wonderful reminder of the many incredible years my girls spent there! One in college now, two in high school, and everything they are became brighter through their time at Seedlings!
Pam Lucia!!! How I’ve been thinking about you! Thanks so much for your lovely words.
Jennifer…thanks so much for helping to keep the Seedling connection alive! For all of us that we’re sooo lucky to be a part of the first seedling graduates…our lives were forever changed. Our children have grown up to be caring, compassionate human beings and all of those kids are now AMAZING adults! I’ll send some photos from the ‘early days’. I have about a million!
Love to all!
Cindy!!! I would love to see your photos :)