Submitted by Michelle Gobert
Forest County Master Gardener Volunteer
For many of us our interest in gardening started when a parent or grandparent shared their interest with you as a child. Summer gardening offers numerous benefits to youth and is a great way to get kids to try new fruits and vegetables and the sustainable practices to grow them. Gardening is a fantastic way to teach kids about science, as well as increase their physical activity as they pull weeds, plant seeds, water, and maintain the gardens.
Gardening can also get routine, tiring, and even boring for some of us, especially for kids. Here are some tips for engaging kids with gardening:
All About Gardens : a Cloverbud gardening project at Crandon School Garden
Youth ages five to seven are invited to participate in “All About Gardens” a six-week gardening project with 4-H leaders Melanie Wagoner and Jill Krueger. The six-week series will be held on Tuesday evenings from 6-7 p.m. at the Crandon School garden. The first session will be held on Tuesday, July 11th.
Like 4-H for older kids, Cloverbuds help kids 5-7 grow as competent, caring, and contributing members in their families and communities through fun, interactive activities, and programming! Parents/caregivers are asked to stay and participate together with their child in order encourage youth to have fun and learn to work together in meetings, activities, and special events. To participate youth must enroll in Forest County 4-H. Enrollment is free and available online at https://forest.extension.wisc.edu/4-h/
Start Small
If your kids are new to gardening, have them start off by growing a few seeds inside for them to tend to. Consider placing the pot somewhere in the kitchen where there is a chance your child will see it multiple times a day. This will allow your child to observe the small changes to the plant as it grows. Once your child sees the phenomenon of a seed growing into something edible, they may be more eager to put in the effort required in a garden.
Give them a job
Many experts suggest giving kids a specific job in the garden. Pick a task that will not affect the garden too much if they make a few mistakes and that they can do without too much of your help. Simple tasks include pulling weeds, adding soil or mulch, or shredding newspaper for compost. These small tasks allow them to help and feel ownership in the garden while also learning important information about how things grow.
Give them ownership
Once a child has mastered some experience with gardening, give them a plot of their own in a larger garden to tend to. Let them choose what they want to grow in their plot and encourage its maintenance throughout the growing season. They can choose what to do with their harvest – perhaps they will eat it, add it to a family recipe, or donate it to a local food pantry.
Read Books About Gardening
Picture books can be a great way to introduce gardening concepts to young kids, and further interest for older children. Some book ideas include Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert, and Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens. Ask your local public librarian or elementary teacher for more gardening book ideas.
Safety in the Garden
Safety in the garden is very important. Make sure gardening tools are appropriate for the age of the child, if at all. Sunscreen, bug repellent and a wearing a hat is good advice for all ages of people in the garden. Children should never handle garden chemicals and all produce should be washed properly before consuming.
Garden Spaces
Depending on the age of your child will determine what type of space you need to consider. Remember that some young children like to run, skip and move around. Allow kids to engage in digging and raking of the space prior to any plants being put in the ground. Often times it is very difficult for young children to stay on the path and small plants often get trampled. Planting defined pathways between rows of plants will help.
Keeping them engaged
Young children have a short attention span, so make sure you have a list of activities that will keep them involved, from digging holes, to searching for insect, to watering plants or picking vegetables.
Build a sustainable garden
Most importantly enjoy this time in the garden. Developing a garden project and/or habit will be much easier and more enjoyable for everyone involved if you involve youth as partners in your garden. Ask for their input about what to grow and how to design the garden. Engaging youth as a valuable partner in your garden will build not only a sustainable garden but a healthy relationship.
