There is one huge piece we haven't discussed, why this garden project is so important and how it came to be. We work with lower income families, families in generational poverty, families in situational poverty, and one of the brain storm ideas we had in supporting healthy foods and meals was a community garden. Not only are we teaching children about how to tend and care for something, how to grow, where food comes from, and take pride, but also the lesson on how to sustain your own existence. It is an absolute joy to see families eating food that they have grown and harvested. So, this project has more meaning than just in class project.
We came across a great list of tips when gardening with children and how to keep their interest high.
o Start gardening with children when they are young and curious. Preschoolers can and do have success and fun growing a garden.
o When working with younger children and trying to keep their interest don’t overwhelming them, take breaks and use simple language.
o Make it FUN!!! Don’t make it a chore.
o Clearly define expectations.
o When explaining gardening techniques and information use books, visuals, puppets, skits, pictures, and props. Make it FUN!
o Encourage questions and help find the answers.
o Don’t project your expectation. A single carrot or tomato is a success!
o Involve children and their ideas. Ownership is important.
o Make it FUN!
o For very young children keep a simple garden plot and grow plants that grow quick. Allow each child to attend to their own plants.
o Plant crops according to your planting zone. Experimenting is fun too but make you talk about how sometimes experiments work and sometimes they don’t. Treat even dead or diseased plants as a success. Use it as an opportunity for a teachable moment. This is all part of the planting process.
o Don’t assume that they understand gardening concepts. Teach everything. Make it FUN!
o One of the main reason’s we garden is to eat what we grow. Do cooking projects with your harvest, have the school lunch made from the harvest or make a classroom cookbook.
o Capitalize on what children like to do or share what they know with other people. Young children love to be helpful.
o Field Trips to local farms.
o HAVE FUN!!!! J
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