Knock Knock Children’s Museum grows with the help of tiny hands. Within the museum’s Big Backyard is its Little Garden, which for the last year has been home to the Adventuresome Eating Club, an initiative aimed at getting kids’ hands dirty as they learn the process of growing and preparing their own healthy food.

Executive director Christina Melton’s work with Blackberry Farm Master Gardener and heirloom seed saver John Coykendall provided the inspiration for the initiative.

“In working with John, I learned how important it is to teach people where their food comes from and how vulnerable our food sources can be,” Melton says. “John looks at seeds as though they are living DNA of a family. They are what you eat, and they are passed down for generations: they are family heirlooms. They help remind you of where you come from.”

Now, Melton and her team are passing on these lessons to all who enter Knock Knock. From blueberry picking and popsicle making to cucumber chopping and pickle tastings, the goal is to get kids excited, engaged and eager to explore the bounty that can be harvested in their own backyards.

“It has really become one of our team’s favorite programs,” Melton says. “When you see kids light up over something like this that will benefit them, creating healthy habits, for their whole lives, it’s really moving.”

As is true throughout the museum and its many Learning Zones, this program is a community effort, with collaborations driving the Little Garden’s success.

“We added it up, and the Knock Knock team has over 200 combined years dedicated to early childhood education,” Melton says. “But that doesn’t mean we are experts in everything. By engaging with the community, they help to shape our programming and make it even more beneficial for our guests, and we, in turn, can put our visitors in contact with these local experts.”

When it comes to the Little Garden and the Adventuresome Eating Club, there’s an educational partnership with the LSU AgCenter’s Harvest of the Month and Seeds to Success programs, which provides things like kid-tested recipes. Then there’s the East Baton Rouge Master Gardeners, who lend their skills to ensuring the success of all that takes root. Louisiana Nursery brings its experienced labor, as well as plants and fruit trees. Bofinger’s Tree Service provides mulch. And the Baton Rouge Epicurean Society and the Louisiana Hospitality Foundation help to cover any other costs. This outpouring of support is a testament to a community dedicated to the health and growth of its youngest members.

“When people who are passionate find out what we’re doing, they want to amplify the message,” Melton says. “These people are dedicated to establishing healthy lifestyles from an early age, and they are so generous with their time and expertise.”

The Little Garden and Adventuresome Eating Club will continue as long as the garden has bounty to harvest, with special activities and vegetable and fruit spotlights to encourage kids to try new things, all while exercising skills like problem solving, early literacy, math and more.

“What’s been great to see is that it also shows parents that if you introduce these things often and early enough, it can really make a big impact,” Melton says. “Establishing healthy habits and a healthy lifestyle from a young age is such an important thing, and it’s so exciting to be a part of that.”

To learn more about the Adventuresome Eating Club and the rest of Knock Knock’s robust summer programming, visit knockknockmuseum.org.