The fun at Windmill Island Gardens continues with more of our children’s summer series,  Books and Blooms and the last Food Truck Monday of the summer! Every Monday through August 10,  our friends from the Herrick District Library will kick off each Books and Blooms with a story time starting  at 10:00 am followed by a fun hands-on activity led by community partners starting at 10:30 am! Families  can enjoy activities and learn about things like planting, water conservation, wind, pollinators, and more!  After the hands-on activity families can also enjoy our carousel and playground and even grab lunch from  two local food trucks! 

This Monday, July 27 after story time, join our friends from Aqua Tots in a fun Scoop and Splash activity &  creating Under the Sea Bookmarks! This is a hands-on activity where kids use cups and scoops to pour,  splash, and play in water that is held in mini-inflatable pools. There will be fun mini challenges like moving  water from one bucket to the next and scoop up as many ducks as you can in 5 seconds. For those who  don't want to play in water, there will also be a create your own under the sea bookmark station! 

Aqua-Tots Swim School in Holland provides year-round swimming lessons for kids of all ages, including  swim lessons for babies and toddlers. Our world-renowned swimming instruction and "safety first, fun  every second" approach features certified swim instructors, a family-friendly environment, and state-of the-art facility with a cozy 90° pool. Aqua-Tots serves more than 150 communities worldwide and is  trusted by parents to teach five million swim lessons every year. Since 1991, we've been committed to a  legacy of safety. 

After Books and Blooms enjoy the delicious food options from Inspired Eats and The Falafel Truck! Inspired Eats has a delicious menu of egg rolls, fried rice, chicken or beef skewers, dumplings, and more!  The Falafel Truck has a full kosher menu of various falafel meals, hummus, fries, baklava, and more! This  is the last Monday to stop by Windmill Island Gardens for lunch and pick from two delicious local food  truck options. Stay and eat in our picnic shelter, have a picnic in the park, or take your lunch to go! 

Families are invited to Windmill Island Gardens every Monday morning for our weekly Books and Blooms series from 10:00 am – 11:30 am through August 10. This weekly Books and Blooms series will begin with an interactive Story Time hosted by the Herrick District Library starting at 10:00 am, followed by a come-and-go style activity led by a local non-profit organization from 10:30 am until 11:30 am. The full schedule of activities can be found below, and on the Books and Blooms Facebook event page. Activities are free to attend for all; just mention you are there for the series at the admission booth.  A parent or guardian must remain onsite the entire time to supervise their children. Activities take place in  the park on the East side of the Posthouse building at Windmill Island Gardens (1 Lincoln Ave, Holland,  MI, 49423).

For more details on Books and Blooms and other upcoming events at Windmill Island Gardens, visit www.windmillisland.com/events-and-programs. Windmill Island Gardens is open daily from 9:30am – 6:00pm (last admission sold at 5:00pm) through October 4. 

Upcoming Books & Blooms Dates 

Monday, August 3 

MSU Extension 4-H – Egg Carton Seed Starters: Kids will get to start their own herb garden by planting  seeds in an egg carton so they can take them home to grow! The egg carton provides just enough room  for these seeds to start growing and makes it easy to move your garden indoor or outdoor! 

Monday, August 10 

Explore Hope – A Garden to Save the Birds: Join Explore hope in making “seed bombs” for families to  take home and place in their garden supporting birds, insects and pollinators! This activity promotes  planting wildflowers to support the ecosystem as well as promoting awareness of how to make your yard  and garden more bird and pollinator friendly.