Gardening with Children

1. Gardening with Children Panel of Houston County Extension Master Gardeners La Crescent Community Garden/School Garden Coordinator

2. Who we are - Introductions Why We Care Grow Future Gardeners Benefits to Children Safety in the Garden How Knowledge of Child Development Helps Age Appropriate Activities Examples Growing Micro greens in the classroom DIY activity – make your own seed tape Reflections of coordinating a school garden What works well What doesn’t

3. Benefits to Children Improvement in Social and Emotional Skills

4. Improvement in Eating and Nutrition

5. Significant improvement in science achievement scores

6. Garden Activities Bring Lifelong Benefits

7. And Another Way to Say it………. Gardening with Kids affects the Child’s Brain, Body and Soul.

8. How it Affects the Brain

9. How it Affects the Body

10. How Gardening Affects the Soul

11. Getting Started – Safety

12. Child Development Principles 1st Principle Children are active learners 2nd Principle Development occurs in children in orderly sequence during 1st nine years of life.

13. Child Development Principles 3rd Principle Experiences and activities that stimulate development should be presented in increasingly complex and organized ways.

14. Child Development Principles 4th Principle Need to practice newly acquired gardening skills 5th Principle All individuals (adult and children) have preferred means of learning –

15. Examples of What Works for Different Ages Infants – enjoy the fresh air. Plant a tree for them! Ages two to four Engage them; Supervise but have fun Plant big seeds Harvest - tomatoes easy to pick; carry produce Water with a watering can Learn names of different flowers and vegetables Dig in the dirt. Test the senses – touch, smell, see, hear

16. Age Appropriate Activities Ages 5 to 8 Harvest berries Harvest peas and beans Pull weeds Rake leaves Dead-head annual flowers Plant seeds in small pots Transplant young seedlings to larger pots Plant seedlings in the garden Help choose varieties of vegetables, herbs or flowers to plant and grow Hunt for pests and collect them, i.e. chewing caterpillars, squash bugs, Japanese beetles.

17. Age Appropriate Activities - Continued Ages 9 and up Help design a specific garden; could be vegetable, pizza garden, herb, perennial, color etc. Divide perennials Choose fruit trees and care for them Harvest any and all vegetables and fruits Use a hoe Compost Prune Mow lawns Help put in a drip watering system.

18. Age Specific Activities - Continued Ages 12 and Up Choose trees Create a topiary Design and plant vegetable and herb garden Plan and plant for beneficial insects and wildlife Prune fruit trees Prune roses Use a string line trimmer Concentrate on special interest plants such as native species, plants for pollinators, rare and unusual

19. Age Specific - Continued Ages 15 and Up Build raised planters Control pests Roto till garden and amend soil Maintain and repair water systems Maintain a lawn mower and tiller May try hand at entrepreneurship – sell vegetables, cut flowers, mow lawns, etc. Build small greenhouse

20. Examples of Gardening Activities with Youth Growing Micro greens with kids

21. Planting Micro greens

22. Planting Micro Greens

23. Exercise – to Try at Home; Make your own Seed Tape

24. DIY Seed Tape - Supplies Newspapers Scissors Marker Assorted Seeds Flour Water Jar for Storage Small Rubber Bands

25. DIY Seed Tape Determine spacing (found on back of package Use a ruler and marker to mark off distances Create “paste” - mix flour and water in small jar. (1 Tbsp flour and two tsp water makes 12 seed tapes.) Drop seeds onto the flour paste Allow to dry completely. Roll seed tape up, write each plant name on outside. Slip rubber band on to hold together and store in jar.

26. Reflections on working with kids in School or Community Garden

27. Questions?