by Jacqueline Rupp
With warm breezes and budding blooms, spring is the perfect time to expose children to the wonderful world of plants, flowers, bugs and dirt — the backyard ecosystem. Lessons in everything from ecology and horticulture to art and math can be found in the garden. It doesn’t take much time or money to harvest these benefits.
As Barbara Richardson, of the Kids Gardening Department of the National Gardening Association (NGA) says, “You don’t necessarily have to get the kids involved in doing garden chores, but definitely let them see how much enjoyment you get from your activities in the yard and outdoors.
“Encourage their opinions of a flower’s fragrance, that shrub’s placement, or the flavor of the cherry tomatoes, and they might come around to asking for their own garden bed to plant.”
Family Activities
Other activities she suggests include taking a family trip to a local public garden, especially one that has special kids events; volunteering at a park; joining a community garden; planting vegetables to donate to a local food bank; or browsing through a farmer’s market and speaking with local growers. Later you can cook up a meal with your kids using the market food.
Richardson adds, “Talk about the differences between food that’s grown near home vs. that which is shipped from far away.” She also suggests unstructured explorations of the outdoors, looking, for example, at a bug’s path or which flowers a butterfly likes best.
Elsie Viehman, education coordinator for the Awbury Arboretum in Philadelphia, encourages parents to visit gardens with their children. “Follow the children’s lead,” she says. “Let them discover what they are interested in. If they seem to need some encouraging, play a game such as ‘I spy’ to spark their imaginations.
“Allow childen to experience nature with all of their senses, such as feeling the different textures of leaves. Doing this will tie lessons into their own experiences Making discoveries is a child’s first step to exploring and learing about nature.” Kids can also make comparisons, such as which leaves look similar or which plants grow in the sun and which thrive in the shade.
Like other Delaware Valley gardens, Awbury offers field trips for toddlers and grade-schoolers that emphasize getting an up-close experience in the garden. “Everyone has a chance to touch something, everybody gets a chance to be active, not just sit and watch slides. We really try to keep kids moving and engaged,” says Viehman.
Home gardening activities should be geared to a child’s developmental stage, both for interest and safety. For preschoolers, the NGA suggests keeping it simple: Pull weeds, collect seeds from fruits and veggies or play with the dirt. Placing rocks and colored stones around plants and helping to water the plants are other tasks that give small children pride in their work.
The main focus at this stage should be on safety, accompanying little ones on their explorations. Teach preschool kids about their environment through simple stories. When they are a little older, the focus can shift to creating a place of their own in the garden, such as a fort or special garden patch.\
School-aged children can begin their own garden, either indoors or out. As the kids grow, the garden can become more complex and elaborate, using graph paper to plan the garden, learning about different heights and sun needs.
Teaching Tools
When teaching children about gardening, Richardson encourages parents to teach ecologically responsible practices.
“Using ‘quick-fix’ solutions for pest, weed, and disease problems sends the wrong message to kids,” she says. “That’s not to say that people should just use organic pest control products instead of the standard poisons — the idea is to create a healthy system that resists attack. It’s also important to show children that a few pests aren’t necessarily a threat to the garden, that plants can tolerate a little bit of chewing and still produce a bountiful harvest.”
For more info on this topic, go to Safe Solutions to Garden Challenges at www.kidsgardening.com/themes/
organic6.asp.
So what are the best types of plants to begin with? You can buy annuals such as marigolds and impatiens. They are hardy and work well both indoors and out.
To really grab your kids’ attention, go for the show-stoppers, plants with great big flowers, such as the sunflower, or use easy-to-grow tasty veggies such as cherry tomatoes. The NGA also suggests the great “Atlantic giant” pumpkin, bush cucumbers and unusual varieties such as purple carrots or “Easter egg” radishes.
More Ideas
Other interesting varieties include the mimosa pudica, because when you touch the ferns they close, and bleeding hearts, as the flowers can be dissected to uncover a surprise. (Please note bleeding heart leaves and roots are poisonous)
For fragrance, the NGA suggests peonies, lilacs, lavender, and lemon balm. To attract butterflies, go native and plant specimens that naturally grow in your area. (See Eye on Nature, p. 56.) The NGA also recommends parsley, dill, milkweed, and thistles.
For indoor planting, a good place to begin is with herbs, such as basil, rosemary, dill, and chives. Many garden stores now sell kits with everything you’ll need included. Kids’ gardening tools are also easy to find, as well as
specialty merchandise, such as kids’ gardening gloves and hats.
Go to the NGA’s kid website, www.kidsgardening.com for more information on gardening with kids. You’ll find additional recommendations, such as planting aromatic night bloomers, and activities such as making and baking a compost “torte.” Add more fun with garden crafts, such as painting terra cotta pots or making mosaic steppingstones.
Safety Tips
When out in the garden with kids, safety is always a prime concern for parents. Follow these seven tips for safe gardening:
1. Avoid using toxic garden chemicals. Rather, try natural alternatives.
2. Use tools appropriate for children, such as plastic rakes and shovels.
3. Test your soil for lead.
4. Always supervise your child when using water. Pay close attention when using buckets or around ponds and other water features.
5. To protect against ticks and Lyme disease, wear light-colored clothing with long socks and always check yourself and your child after gardening.
6. Use sunscreen and wear a sun hat.
7. Teach your children about poisonous plants and those that cause skin reactions. Learn to identify poison ivy and its bothersome cousins.
Life Lessons
Gardening can be a fun activity for kids that begins a life-long appreciation of nature.
As Richardson puts it, “the cycles of life, watching a seed sprout, grow, flower, produce seed, and return to the soil to nourish the next crop of flowers is a metaphor kids can grasp, and relate to their own lives.”
She says gardening can teach kids “that there is a world around them, and that they are part of it. All creatures on this planet depend on plants for food and clean air, even clean water. The outdoors is a beautiful place, full of adventure, to be enjoyed and protected.”
Jacqueline Rupp is a local freelance writer.
Delaware Valley Public Gardens
Visiting a local public garden is a great way to interest kids in gardening. The Delaware Valley
features some of the nation’s most beautiful — and kid-friendly — horticultural displays.
Among the choices:
Awbury Arboretum, 1 Awbury Rd., Phila. The Natural Resource Education Garden offers a chance to see a working community garden, along with native plant trails. The Fairy Tale Forest is geared to children, with a walled bird sanctuary. Seasonal children’s events and educational programs are presented throughout the year. Free. 215-849-2855, http://awbury.org
Bartram’s Garden, 54th St. and Lindbergh Blvd, Phila. Visit America’s oldest botanical garden. Tour the “kitchen garden,” the butterfly/hummingbird garden, wetlands and several historic tree sites. Free. Guided tours are
$5 adult, Free for children under 12. www.bartramgarden.org
Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve, 1635 River Rd., New Hope, PA. Features 100 acres of 1,000+ varieties of native plants. The children’s guidebook is full of trail activities for kids. Guided tours run daily. Check out the indoor Sinkler Bird Observatory and the Platt Collection of hundreds of preserved birds, eggs, and nests. $5 adults, $2 ages 4-14, Free for those under 4. www.bhwp.org
Camden Children’s Garden, 3 Riverside Dr., Camden, NJ. From the Three Little Pigs Garden and underground maze to the tree house and garden train ride, this garden was designed to get kids excited about their
natural world. $5 adults, $3 children. www.camdenchildrensgarden.org.
Chanticleer, 786 Church Road Wayne, PA. This 30-acre pleasure garden features sprawling hills, stone “ruins,” a reflecting pool, numerous spots to sit, and imaginative horticultural displays, plus two exquisite mansions. $5 adults, Free for children. 610-687-4163, www.chanticleergarden.org
Longwood Gardens, Rte 1, Kennett Square, PA. The “Welcome Spring” indoor gardens program runs through mid-March, featuring
thousands of blooming flowers, weekend performances, and children’s Fun Days. Also don’t miss the Bee a-Mazed Outdoor Children’s Garden that includes tunnels, ramps, and even a queen bee’s throne. $12 adults, $2 ages 6-15, Free ages 6 and under. 610-388-1000, www.longwoodgardens.org
Morris Arboretum, 100 Northwestern Ave, Phila. This historic garden has many family favorites including the Swan Pond, Garden Railway (June-Oct.), and Log Cabin. Other attractions include fountains, water gardens, and the Mercury Loggia Grotto with a
constructed cave and winding underground trails. $8 adults, $3 children 3-12,
Free for ages 3 and under. 215-247-5777, www.business-services.upenn.edu/arboretum
Philadelphia Flower Show, Pennsylvania Convention Center 12th & Arch Sts., Phila., March 6-13. Experience this year’s theme, America the Beautiful, from the original gates of the White House to prairie flowers and Hawaiian orchids. Take a stroll through Tree House USA with a walk-though canopy and decks, and browse the spectacular displays at this preeminent garden show. $20-$26 adults, $12 children. www.theflowershow.com
Tyler Arboretum, 515 Painter Road, Media, PA. Kids enjoy the Meadow Maze labyrinth connected to the Butterfly River; collections of colorful magnolias, crabapples, and cherry trees, scattered among huge fields; and giant garden sculptures. Many popular seasonal festivals and a summer camp are offered.
$5 adults, $3 ages 3-15, Free under age 3. 610-566-9134 www.tylerarboretum.org
Winterthur, Rte. 52 Winterthur, DE. Highlights of this grand estate include the garden
tram ride, the hands-on “Touch-It” Museum area and the Enchanted Woods (full of
fairies and magical landscapes). $15 adults, $5 ages 2-11. 800-448-3883, www.winterthur.org