University of Tennessee Gardens in Crossville
We recently celebrated 20 years of the Plateau Discovery Gardens! Every year it grows and becomes better than before. Establishing our KinderGarden as a certified Nature Explore classroom in 2018 was certainly a highlight. It continues to bring and entice many young visitors every year.
It began with simple structures like a split rail fence, a trellised “green” tunnel, and small table for playing games. Then a fort was built, a music station, and performing deck to bring out all the wonders of our creative children. There is a root viewing box to see what happens beneath the soil, a labyrinth to navigate while searching for animals prints, and an educational beehive filled with fascinating frames.
Read a book about our feathered, furred, or slithering friends. Investigate seed pods and search for insects with magnifying glasses. Collect water from the hydraulic pump to measure volume or water plants. Have some fun with nature rubs or and building blocks, or go on a scavenger hunt! There are so many fun things to do in our Nature Explore classroom, and the bonus is you learn! It’s no wonder we have an award-winning space.
A huge thank you goes out to our Master Gardener volunteers who had a vision and have continued to help improve the space. We have beautiful artwork, shade sails for those hot summer days, a brand new split rail fence and sandbox, new potting table in the works, and project plans for a rainbarrel sysytem. If you haven’t visited, I encourage you to do so. It is free and open to the public 365 days during daylight hours. Come on your own or schedule a group activity and visit.
