Earlier this year, children at the Cheyenne River Youth Project prepared fresh soil and planted wildflowers in their very own sensory garden. On Thursday, Oct. 15, they will close out the growing season by harvesting those flowers, creating bouquets and sharing dinner with their families.
The sensory garden harvest will take place at The Main, CRYP’s youth center for children ages 4-12. Families of participating youth are encouraged to attend so children can show their parents and caregivers the garden they helped create and share what they learned throughout the growing season.
Children and their family members will harvest flowers from 4 to 4:30 p.m. and spend the next 20 minutes creating bouquets with paper bags and yarn. The CRYP staff will serve dinner at 5 p.m., with a menu that includes smoked turkey, macaroni and cheese, baked beans, roasted vegetables, fruit and vegetable trays, and cake.
The Oct. 15 celebration brings the sensory garden’s growing season full circle. During Earth Week in April, children at The Main put down fresh soil and planted a mix of wildflowers, zinnias and fire spinners while learning about healthy soil and bringing good energy to the planting process.
At the time, Youth Programs Manager Hayley Dupris described the work as an opportunity for “exploration, connection and growing something meaningful together.” This month’s season-ending event gives the children an opportunity to enjoy the results of their work — and take home something they grew and harvested themselves.
“This is our second year with the sensory garden,” Dupris said. “Staff and youth are still learning, and we’re already so excited for the next growing season with new and more plants!”
To learn more about the Cheyenne River Youth Project and its programs, and for information about making donations and volunteering, call (605) 964-8200 or visit lakotayouth.org. To stay up to date on the latest CRYP news and events, follow the youth project on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Vimeo and YouTube.
The Cheyenne River Youth Project, founded in 1988, is a grassroots, nonprofit organization dedicated to providing the youth of the Cheyenne River Sioux reservation with access to a vibrant and secure future through a wide variety of culturally sensitive and enduring programs, projects and facilities that ensure strong, self-sufficient families and communities.