Buzzing with stories and play
Seeds & Bees
As part of the Literacy Rich Neighborhoods Initiative, Seeds & Bees is located on the historic grounds of the Wyck House, a National Historic Landmark recognized for its home, gardens, and farm that served as the residence for nine generations of a prominent Philadelphia family. Inspired by Wyck’s beehives and honey-producing bees, which symbolize strength, harmony, and community, the installation engages visitors in playful, literacy-rich exploration tied to nature and local history.
Features include an interactive alphabet spinner that connects letters to local foods and recipes, a custom nature collection table for exploring stories about nearby trees, and a weather station for learning about climate past and present. Handheld I-Spy viewers invite children to identify trees and read about them, while a Little Free Library offers books on local topics and a letter jumble word search wall encourages discovery of words related to food, culture, and the natural environment. Together, these elements create a vibrant space for learning, storytelling, and connection in one of Philadelphia’s most historic landscapes.
The Learning Goals
Seeds & Bees invites children and families to explore literacy through playful connections to nature and history. The Lending Library encourages communication as families share books about local culture and the natural environment. The Word Search wall builds critical thinking as children hunt for hidden words related to food, nature, and community. The Planter fosters observation and content knowledge, connecting children to the growth cycles of plants and local ecology. The I-Spy Game and I-Spy Viewer promote discovery and storytelling as children notice details in the surrounding landscape and reflect on what they see. The Alphabet Recipe Game inspires creative innovation by linking letters with foods and recipes, encouraging families to invent and share new combinations. Together, these activities create meaningful opportunities for joyful literacy learning rooted in nature and place.
The Team
The Nest was created through a collaboration between Playful Learning Landscapes, Mount Airy Community Development, KSS Architects, Derek Weston, Watchdog Project Management, and Interpret Green.
Supporters
The Nest was generously supported by the William Penn Foundation, whose investment in the Literacy Rich Neighborhoods Initiative made this installation possible.
