New events and activities in store for 2011!

Happy New Year! And Happy 10th Anniversary to the Magnuson Children's Garden!

2011 has begun with great news to report: mosaic artist Clare Dohna has finished constructing the new whale eye for the Gray Whale Garden, and will be installing it soon! Perhaps the raindrops sparking on the beautiful new eye will even brighten up the remaining winter days as well...

Speaking of brightening up a winter day, Seattle Works volunteers will be doing just that at our first workparty of the year on Saturday, February 12th. Another energetic team from this wonderful organization has chosen the Children's Garden for their 2nd "Green Spaces" event of the year also. In March, the garden will also host a Seattle P-Patch children's gardening workshop- what a great way to start the growing season! Check out the following list for all the fabulous fun in store for 2011:

• Saturday Feb 12th from 10am-2pm: Family Gardening Day with Seattle Works volunteers. Bring your children for garden exploration activities, and bring your home garden questions for free consultation with King County Master Gardeners!

• Saturday March 19th from 9:30am-12noon: FREE Children's Gardening workshop taught by Emily Bishton. Learn garden tips and techniques, fun and educational games and songs to do in the garden with children. Advance registration required. For more info or to RSVP, contact kenya.fredie@seattle.gov SORRY- THIS EVENT IS FULL, but we hope to host another one later in the year.

• Saturday April 2nd from 10am-2pm: Family Gardening Day with Seattle Works volunteers. Bring your children for garden exploration activities, and bring your home garden questions for free consultation with King County Master Gardeners!

• Saturday April 9th from 1:45-2:30pm: Re-dedication of the Gray Whale Garden and its brand new eye! This will be the grand finale of the 2nd annual "Celebrate Urban Nature" event at the Magnuson Community Center, which begins at 10:30am. Come enjoy the free family concert, nature games and presentations at the community center, then join the "nature parade" down to the Children's Garden for the re-dedication festivities!

NEW this year: "Summer Sunset Gardening" with Seattle Works volunteers! Families welcome to enjoy garden exploration and help with simple summer tasks.

• Wednesday May 18th from 6-8pm
  
• Wednesday June 1st from 6-8pm
• Wednesday July 6th from 6-8pm
• Wednesday August 3rd from 6-8pm

Other Fun Events:

• "Summer Fridays in the Garden" during Free Family Concerts on July 8th & August 12th, hosted by Magnuson Community Center. Dance, dig, and explore!

• Saturday September 3rd from 12noon-4pm: Fourth annual "Blues for Food Fest" a day-long benefit concert for the P-Patch Trust, who support local food banks, shelters, and hot meals programs. Free gardening fun for the whole family during the afternoon hours of the concert.

• Friday September 23rd from 9am-12noon: United Way's "Day of Caring". Bring your children to join volunteers in fall fun!

• Saturday October 1st: End the season with the second annual "Fall Harvest Celebration and Jamboree", co-hosted by the Magnuson Community Center. Orchard maze, pumpkin walk, cider press, and more!

Volunteers are needed at each of these events, and you can choose from a variety of ways to help: guide the volunteers from Seattle Works and other groups, help children explore the garden and worm bin or make nature art projects, help set up refreshments, or other support activities. Please RSVP to magnusonchildrensgarden@gmail.com if you would like to help- and thanks in advance!