Events and Activities at Belle Vie Farm
Belle Vie Farm hopes to be a casual "third place" for folks in our community. We offer potlucks, workshops, hikes through our 8-acre forest, yoga, meditation, free childcare for parent night out (yes, actually free), volunteer activities and opportunities to use our space to grow your own community-based small business.
Some of our activities are for a fee and some are free! When an activity says "parent-child", feel free to make that uncle-child, nanny-child, grandma-child, etc!
We add activities and events frequently, so be sure to check back often. The most recent update was July 24!
Parent Night Out
Free Parent Night Out! Details coming this week (July 26)!
Mothers' Morning Out
Do you have a little one who is not quite ready for preschool? Belle Vie Farm offers a Mothers' Morning Out program for children ages 1-2. Each session is 4 weeks long from 9:15-11:15am on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Cost is $240 per month and class size is limited to five children. A wholesome, organic snack is provided.
Children will have an opportunity to interact with gentle animals, garden, create with clay, paint and beeswax crayons, play in the sand box and mud kitchen, hear stories and sing songs.
Sessions
September 25 through October 18 (Tuesdays and Thursdays) 9:15am-11:15am
October 23 through November 15 (Tuesdays and Thursdays) 9:15am-11:15am
November 27 through December 20 (Tuesdays and Thursdays) 9:15am-11:15am
To register, click here.
Art Explorations
This parent-child activity offers an open-ended space to explore a variety of artistic mediums. At Belle Vie, we use only artist quality supplies (never tempera or crayola!). Be prepared for stained clothing - we offer smocks, but they can only help so much! Each workshop explores a different medium. Class size is capped at 8 children. Cost is $12 for each workshop. Early morning class is from 9:00am-10:00am; Late morning class is from 10:30am-11:30am.
Saturday Workshop Dates
September 15 Watercolor Explorations (wet-on-wet painting, resists, air-spray painting, collaborative watercolor, watercolor and sharpies)
September 29 Acrylic Explorations (thick versus fluid acrylic, warm/hot color layering, drip painting, painting on paper/wood)
October 13 Encaustics for Kids (painting with warmed wax crayons)
MakerSpace Explorations
This workshop offers an open-ended space to explore the Wildflower School MakerSpace at Belle Vie Farm. Our MakerSpace is a smorgasborg of cardboard, child-sized tools, masking tape, tin foil, all manner of recycled materials, wood pieces donated from Hill Country Furniture and much more! Class size is capped at 8 children. Cost is $70 for 4-week MakerShop. Early morning class is from 9:00am-10:00am; Late morning class is from 10:30am-11:30am. This is a 4-week class.
Saturday Workshop Dates
November 3, 10, 17, 24
Early morning class is for children ages 4-6; Late morning class is for children ages 7-11
Ongoing Afterschool MakerSpace for children ages 12-14 every other Monday
September 10, 24, October 8, 22
Farmer for a Day
The essence of Belle Vie Farm are our produce and animals. They are why we are here! Belle Vie offers children and parents interaction with all of our growing areas: the small, raised beds, the large, more "crop-like" farming areas (our little stash of wheat & corn planned for Spring 2019!) and a stroll through our community gardens. The farm also has a variety of hidden treasures: wild asparagus, blackberry bushes, chickweed and delicious wood sorrel. Each week will include a StoryWalk® in the forest, a wholesome snack, a short hike and an activity (harvesting wildflowers or garden bounty, brushing out the angoras bunnies and gathering their fur, brush or sheer the pygoras, milking the pygoras in the spring and more).
While meandering through the meadows and forest, we will meet our clan of raucous and mischievous animals: our chatty chickens, the fainting and pygora goats rummaging in the forest, Max the bunny as well as the angora bunnies. Gathering eggs, feeding the goats, brushing the angora rabbits to gather their fur and more. Cost is $100. Morning class is from 9:30am-11:00am. This is a 4-week class.
WeekdayWorkshop Dates
Wednesdays September 12-October 3; October 10-31; November 7-28
Fridays September 14-October 5; October 12-November 2; November 9-December 7 (no class Nov. 23)
This workshop is for children ages 1-4 and their caregiver(s).
Forest Hikes
The forest at Belle Vie is the heart of our school and farm. It offers a home to the myriad wild critters who roam its secret places, it grows our mushrooms, houses the children's hand-built forts and fairy houses and helps reconnect us to the natural world.
Join us for a 25-minute hike through our 8-acre forest ending with a wholesome snack of homemade bread. We will gather at the Bower, a small area of the forest with tree stump seats, outdoor blankets at the ready and a small library located in our handmade (and waterproof) fairy house. After reading a book of the children's choosing, we will leave a small gift for the fairies! Free for families. Max of 6 families per hike.
Dates and times TBD.