BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – Spending time outdoors gardening has been more fun than homework, lately, for fourth grader Emily Biehl. Science and math are Emily’s favorite subjects in school. But the recent COVID-19 stay at home orders have her learning math via her laptop. 

“It’s been, like, kind of, boring because I have no science projects,” Emily said.

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Emily, her brother Sam, and aunt Jennifer Levy created a backyard classroom with one of Back to The Roots’ gardening kit care bundles. The company is hoping to send about 500 of the bundles to parents and educators to help plant a few extra STEM activities for students at home. The kits show students how to plant and grow seeds, and to see how lava rocks, fish, water and micro greens can benefit from each other through aquaponics.

Levy is a garden educator and requested to receive one of the kits through Back to The Roots' website. So far, it’s kept her niece and nephew busy.

“Unfortunately, kids don’t get to be outside as much as we would like, even in a city like Los Angeles where we have pretty convenient weather most of the time. But life gets really busy even for little kids and so this is a really great way to add a little gardening and a little nature into their everyday life,” Levy said.

For Emily, it’s an activity she’s grateful to get her hands-on.

“It’ll feel really nice when it’s all grown,” Emily said.

Although, Emily remains hopeful that she’ll be back in her classroom soon, she’ll take extracurricular activities, any day, to nurture her curiosity of STEM.