On November 14th, Children’s Day, our quiet farm transformed into a world of wonder. Fifty little explorers from Shriram Montessori School—tiny hands, curious eyes, most just between 2.5 and 6 years old—stepped onto the soil as if entering a living storybook. And what unfolded through the day was far more than a school trip. It was a reminder of something we often forget as adults: children instinctively understand the language of the Earth.

Children walked toward our desi cows—gentle giants who always seem to sense the innocence of a child. The children fed them with trembling excitement at first, then with laughter and confidence. For many, this was the first time they had been so close to such a large animal. Yet within minutes, fear dissolved, replaced by tenderness. You could see it in the way they stretched their tiny palms forward—hesitant, then trusting.

For them, the farm became an open classroom. They have seen coconut trees, stood beside tall rice and corn plants, and marveled at the bright faces of marigolds. They identified tomato and chilli plants and harvested fresh gungura leaves to take home—a small basket of green joy that would later spark excited conversations at dinner tables.

Children don’t just observe; they absorb. They don’t just see plants; they see magic.

They followed into the fields. Back on the fields, little hands took on farm work with surprising seriousness. They watered young saplings as if caring for something fragile and alive—because they were. They did the weeding with full concentration, pulling out unwanted plants while learning why certain things must be removed for others to thrive. And they mulched the soil, protecting the plants from heat and helping them retain moisture.

These activities, simple as they may seem, carry the essence of every great life lesson: care, patience, responsibility, and connection.

In a world where children spend more time swiping screens than touching soil, this day felt sacred. Nature gave them a stage to be fully themselves—free, attentive, joyful. And the farm responded, as farms always do, with generosity.

Children’s Day at the farm wasn’t an event. It was a reminder: when we allow children to meet the Earth early, they carry that relationship forever. And in their connection lies our hope for a more mindful, more sustainable future.