Gardening

A lot of children enjoy the responsibility of managing their own garden. At first attempt it is preferable to restrict the overall size and complexity. Early success and positive reinforcement can be easily achieved by keeping things manageable. The necessary equipment need be no more sophisticated than a hand trowel, a sturdy pair of boots, some reinforced gardening gloves, sunhat, fertile seeds, scissors, string, and a decent watering can. Salad gardens are a great choice for children who appreciate routine and enjoy contributing in their own way to family meals. Salad greens are particularly easy to grow organically and are equally suitable for outdoor plots, container gardens, and window boxes. They are visually decorative and a combination...

In today’s world, a thoughtfully designed organic garden is one of the safest and most productive environments for children to engage and develop the full range of their physical and mental abilities. Without question, this depends upon an adequate level of adult supervision and an awareness of each child’s tendency to absorb both safe and unsafe practices through their capacity for close observation and imitation. Like most learning situations, garden safety requires constant instruction and practical application from individuals who elicit the respect and trust of their charges. By consistently demonstrating a strong commitment to garden and outdoor safety, parents and supervising adults can gradually promote a similar response in...

From a young age, children benefit from gathering the knowledge and skills necessary to raise plants and develop an organic garden. In earlier times, a significant percentage of people depended on their own abilities to provide sufficient food for their families. While subsistence agriculture is still a factor in many regions of poor and developing nations, the emphasis has now shifted toward large scale commercial plantations. Such enterprises are dominated by limited numbers of high demand crops which are largely processed with the assistance of mechanised technologies. For the last century, sociologists have explained the importance of guardianship in relation to food, development, and sustainability. By establishing guardianship over any...

From an early age, children are naturally inquisitive and enjoy participating in simple gardening activities. Their interest can be encouraged by allowing them to safely explore the various shapes, colours, and events which surround them. Because most toddlers have short attention spans and tire easily, it is a good idea to restrict the length of each session and to focus on activities which can be readily understood and easily incorporated into their everyday experience of the world. One of the most appealing activities for young children is harvesting brightly coloured fruits and vegetables. With the widespread dominance of supermarkets and packaged foods, it is a privilege for children to experience the original source of fresh produce....