Like all of us, it’s been months since our tortoise Sprinkles has felt the true warmth of the sun on her skin. So, what better way to supplement the sun’s rays than the heat of competition!

The day began like many afterschool sessions before it. Our second through fourth graders arrive and get right to exploring and fort building throughout the trees surrounding our outdoor classroom. While our afterschool programs generally follow a similar structure to our forest preschool, the oldest group of after-schoolers are awarded a bit more say in how they spend their afternoons. During the spring and fall sessions the well of options often overflows. Whether it be a trip to the quarry or a trek with the nets out to the pond, this more experienced age group generally is entrusted with the more complex activities.

*A peek at what Afterschool sledding can look like*

During the colder months, when they’re not busy sledding, this after school group has the privilege of getting up close and personal with our most popular nature center attraction: Our animals.

While every age group is allowed to see and pet our resident animal friends, such as Popcorn the snake, Buddy the rabbit, or Sprinkles the tortoise, our eldest afterschool group has the privilege of meeting these little friends in a more casual manner and even take part in preparing and feeding them their meals. So, when the Thursday Afterschool club was presented with a few options for both indoor and outdoor exploration, one child, who was clearly a fan of classic literature, made a suggestion that we as staff were surprised to have not heard before: “Why don’t we race Sprinkles and Buddy!”

Just like that, race preparations began! Blocks were lined up to create a racetrack, lettuce was cut up for an incentive to reach the finish line, and the two participants (Buddy and Sprinkles) were queued up in their starting positions.

We caught up with a few members of this afterschool club to hear some opinions and predictions on the outcome of this storied rivalry. One of our afterschool teachers (And staff member in charge of animal care) summed up the group consensus perfectly. He said, “Despite all being familiar with the classic story, all these kids still have it in their head that the hare is a lock to win the race. But when you’ve been around these animals as long as I have, you start to realize that these old folk tales have quite a bit of truth to them.”

And the results of this spectacle? Our Thursday Afterschool Club has decided to keep that as a secret amongst themselves. However, all (In grades two through four) are welcome to join in on the fun and find out for themselves!

If you are your child are interested in joining the elite afterschool club crew for our spring session, click here!

The Tortoise and the Hare: An Afterschool Club Anecdote

Blind Brook Riparian Restoration