Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘children’

Campaign for Fair Food Drawing Contest

Posted in Action Alerts & Activism, Fun Stuff for Kids, tagged , , , , , , , on February 17, 2010 | 2 Comments »

When I first got this notice ,  Julia and I immediately sent her teacher an email about the upcoming Coalition of Immokalee Workers Kid’s Coloring Contest and guess what? She gave it to the school art teacher who is now getting ALL the grades involved! It’s awesome!

Here’s the flier and info if you and your kids want to include this in a homeschool “food unit, ” share the news with friends,  or just enter in the contest!


To young people, their parents, and all their teachers:

Farmworkers across the country pick the fruits and vegetables we need to stay healthy. And though they help put food on millions of tables across the country, most farmworkers don’t earn enough to support their own families, and many times they are treated unfairly at work in the fields. Through the Campaign for Fair Food, farmworkers and their supporters across the country are working together to create a more just food system in which farmworkers are respected and treated fairly.

To highlight the connection between young people and farmworkers, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers announces the first-ever Campaign for Fair Food drawing contest! To enter, use your imagination to draw what “Fair Food” means to you, and show how you can work together with farmworkers to make a fairer world for the people who pick our fruits and vegetables.

Farmworkers in Immokalee will select one winner from each of four age groups:

  • Pre-K – 2nd grade
  • 3rd grade – 5th grade
  • 6th grade – 8th grade
  • High School

Winners’ drawings will be featured on the front of new Campaign for Fair Food postcards, which will be distributed around the country! Each winner will also receive a framed copy of their drawing signed by members of the Immokalee farmworker community.

Submissions will be accepted from now until April 1, 2010. Drawings may be created in any medium: crayon, colored pencil, marker, etc. There is no size requirement.

Click here for the drawing contest entry form.

Fair Food Curricula
Age-appropriate curricula are available for both secular and faith-based classes by clicking on the approprite links below. If you have difficulty downloading a curriculum, please contact drawingcontest@ciw-online.org.

Pre-K through 1st Grade: general | faith-based
1st through 5th Grade: general | faith-based
Junior High: general | faith-based
High School: general | faith-based

Complete Curriculum: general | faith-based
(Pre-K through High School; zip archive containing 4 files)

Click here for photo galleries from the fields that might serve for a little inspiration!

Please contact drawingcontest@ciw-online.org with any questions.

Read Full Post »

Valuable Websites Help Parents Make Informed Decisions about Media

Posted in Fun Stuff for Kids, Natural Baby Care, tagged , , on July 16, 2009 | 4 Comments »

Common Sense Media offers reviews of movies, television shows, video games, and websites that are geared towards children. The “Common Sense Tips for a Healthy Media Diet” provide concerned parents with guidelines for managing the media their children encounter each day. Parents who are interested in the latest research will find it here as well as opportunities to get involved with the national movement to raise “media-savvy” kids.    A parent’s account can be personalized according to the age of their children, making it easier to access the wealth of information available on the site.

Common Sense Media

Common Sense Media

The National Institute on Media and the Family was founded in 1996 by Dr. David Walsh, best-selling author and international speaker. The organization’s website is an excellent resource for parents, providing current research regarding children and television as well as common sense advice. The Institute is working towards reduced screen time for young children with programs like “Switch” which helps educate parents on the media and its effect on preschoolers. The Media Wise website covers more than just TV; it also includes information for parents on music, video games, and the internet.

The TV Turnoff Network is a valuable resource for parents who are attempting to decrease their children’s time in front of the television. A thirty page guide to “tv-free” fun can be found on their website and downloaded for free. Mazes, word searches, and art activities are included in the handy guide as well as a list of related books to check out at the library. The website features directions for “TV-proofing” your home in order to reduce screen time and increase time spent playing games, reading, and being together as a family.

In closing, it is important to note that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends absolutely no television viewing for children under the age of 2 and that children should not have television sets in their bedrooms. The AAP policy statement on the topic of children and television recognizes that violent programming and commercials that glamorize drug use can indeed impact young minds. The increase in childhood obesity has been linked to excessive television viewing. Ads for fattening, sugary foods which are geared towards children, even toddlers, are also cause for concern. It is estimated that the average American child watches 3 hours of TV a day while the AAP recommends a maximum of 2 hours of quality programming. “The Smart Parent’s Guide to Kids’ TV” can be found on their website and includes current statistics about television viewing and as well as recommendations for parents.

Mainstream rating systems are not always enough.  I can honestly say that I have disagreed with a movie’s rating on multiple occasions.  Because I have been surprised in the past by content that we were not ready for our children to view, I now do my research before purchasing a video game or visiting the theater.  Of all the websites designed for this purpose, my favorites are Common Sense Media and BeliefNet’s Movie Mom.  I like that their reviews are not focused on entertainment value; instead, they provide detailed information about content in the movie that one may perceive as objectionable.   This information makes it possible for parents to make informed decisions about their children’s media diet with just a few keystrokes!

Have you used any of these websites in the past to choose books, movies, or video games for your children? Are there other sites you’d recommend to Central FL Green Guide readers?  Please share if you have a moment.

Read Full Post »

Making a Root Viewer and “One Bean” Book

Posted in Fun Stuff for Kids, Organic Gardening, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 1, 2008 | Leave a Comment »

We’re just around the corner from breaking out the seeds, transplants, compost, and more. Over at my house, we have to get the square foot garden beds ready by building new grids.

Those of you gardening with children might want to think about ways to incorporate them into the fun of fall planting.

While you can find toys like this Toysmith “root viewer” online for around $10 at various online toy shops…

…it isn’t like they are hard to make.

First, get a clear plastic cup and make a hole in the bottom for water to drain. You can use a drill or just carefully use a nail with a hammer to punch it out. Next you fill it with potting mix and water it so it is damp and draining decently. If too much dirt comes out of your hole when you water, take the dirt out. Put a small pice of cloth or paper towel in the bottom so water will seep out but the dirt will stay in.

Because the dirt is brown-black, I like using a white beans like green beans or lima beans with preschoolers so they can find their seed easily. Have them plant 2 or 3 around the cup against the side of the cup so it can be seen.

Put it in a sunny window and in two or three days, you will see the seed coat starting to break open and the main root starting to make it’s way down into the cup.

Six days later we have long main roots, some side roots, and the emergence of little plants.

Here is the view from the top of the cup:

About a week after planting, the little bean plants will be showing off nice root systems up against the side of the cup:

HINTS FOR HOMESCHOOLERS

For the homeschoolers wanting to try this project out, it’s fun to do along with “One Bean” by Anne Rockwell and illustrated by Megan Halsey. They story covers a little boy who plants a bean seed and cares for his plant and watches it grow and develop into more beans. The bright, cheery illustrations are a hit with the preschool crowd and the vocab could go up to first or second grade readers.

My daughter also enjoyed watching time lapsed beans growing when we made hers:

Read Full Post »

Are you looking for Summer Eco-Theme Day Camp?

Posted in Deals Around Town, Fun Stuff for Kids, Lessons and Classes for Kids, Local "Green" Events, Spirituality, Vegan/Vegetarian Options, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 12, 2008 | 1 Comment »

Ever the “green events” party girl, I finished 5k racing and sock hopping and now I’m off to teach summer camp kiddies with a vegan and homeschooler friendly eco-twist!

Anyone is welcome to come aboard for summer camp, UU style!

It’s non-profit and camp registration costs basically go to put on the “eco theme “ half day camp. You do not have to be a church member to attend summer camp. We’re doing it for good, green jollies. :)

Seventh Principle Day Camp

Brought to you by:

Children’s Religious Education and the Green Team

What: A day camp celebrating our Seventh UU Principle:

We affirm and promote respect for the interdependent web of all existence.

(We believe in caring for Mother Earth, the home we share with all living things.)

When: June 16 – 20, 11:00 am – 3:00pm

Who: Children of all ages are welcome to join the fun; however, we do request that children under five be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Cost: $7 a day or $30 for all 5 days. All lunches will be vegan and we have lots of inexpensive and easy suggestions. We are also accepting donations of sunscreen, “green” bug spray, and clean spray bottles

Activities will include: creating a composting system, planting a garden, creating a wall mural in the courtyard, making ourselves camp tee-shirts, taking an eco-tour of our campus, visiting Dick Azalea Park, and celebrating Mother Earth and our seventh principle in song, dance, and play.

Campers have the bonus option of sharing their camp experiences with family and friends in the June 22, Midsummer Sunday Morning Worship Service.

Need more info?

Read Full Post »

Armchair Activist: Petition to Rebuild the Russell Home

Posted in Action Alerts & Activism, tagged , , , , , , , on May 30, 2008 | 1 Comment »

This one came across my desk today so I’ve got another for the armchair activists to crusade in the name of keeping local good stuff happening!

It is an online petition to encourage “Extreme Makeover” to take on the project of rebuilding the Russell Home. If you hadn’t heard about it before, here’s some bits from the Russell Home website:

  • The Russell Home for Atypical Children in South Orlando has been in continuous operation for over 50 years without any government support.
  • The Russell Home is the only private, non-profit facility of its kind for severely handicapped children in Central Florida.
  • The ”HOME” the 24 children live in (ages from 4 to 63 yrs) was built in the 1940′s and has sheltered over a thousand physically and/or mentally challenged children for over 60 years. The home originally
    built for seven was added onto numerous times to help families in need.
  • The entire structure is beyond repair.

You can add you name to the petition letter. It reads:

To: Our Florida Community:

I support Janet Russell-Nixon and the Russell Home for Atypical Children in a quest for ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition to rebuild the Russell Home. The Russell Home, started in 1951 by Vantrease “Grandma” Russell, has housed hundreds of “children” over the last 57 years. She welcomed these children into her own home, and gave them love and care. The home, currently run by her daughters, is in dire need of repairs, refurbishing, and much needed space for the 25+ current residents. On top of that, the home is supported solely on donations from the community, which covers medicine, health care, food, clothing, etc. Let’s help them out and bring Extreme Makeover to Central Florida, to the Russell Home!

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

Read Full Post »

SFG Series: Photo Progress and Fertilizing

Posted in Fun Stuff for Kids, Organic Gardening, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 1, 2008 | 3 Comments »

PLANT FOOD

If you’ve been following along at home, your little square foot garden plot is now about six weeks old and needs some plant food/fertilizer. We’ve been giving Miracle Gro Organic Choice a whirl, and while a bit whiffy on the nose, it seems to be ok.

miraclegro.jpg

We got it for about $10 ish. I’m not sure this is what I’ll stick with, but for this mini series of articles I wanted readers to get it locally, and preferably all in one stop shopping. So that is what was at the Lowe’s on Semoran Blvd and Lake Margaret Dr. where we purchased almost everything for this project.

Just use about 1 plastic picnic spoon per square and water well. Follow the bag’s suggestions for the next application.

PHOTO PROGRESS

If you followed the same sunny planting plan we did with the bush beans and flowers, it probably has progressed a lot like Julia’s home garden. Hers is in partial shade.

Here it was at 2 weeks old:

2weeks.jpg

Here it is at 6 weeks old:

6weeks.jpg

The corner flower transplants have settled in well:

flower.jpg

The lemon yellow on the marigolds is great:

lemon.jpg

So’s the pinks on the petunias:

pink.jpg

In the middle we had teddybear sunflowers from seed. Something’s been nibbling on the leaves a bit, but they are out and on their way:

sunflower.jpg

The bush beans on the sides have had their white blooms already and are busy turning into little bean pods. We’ll be harvesting them in a few more weeks when they are about 4-5 inches long.

pods.jpg

Over at the church cinderblock plot planted in the same style, we also fertilized even though it’s a bit younger than the home garden. (It’s a lot easier on me if all my kiddie gardens are on the same schedule!) This one is out in full sun all day, and I think it would be a wee bit happier with slightly less Florida sun since concrete can get pretty hot. But it is still doing fine.

Here it is when we planted it:

schoolsfg.jpg

Here is how it looks now:

cindersfg.jpg

The bush beans here are just starting with the white bean blooms. No pods yet:

beanflower.jpg

We did orange and yellow marigolds for the corners in this plot. They are doing fine but need a little deadheading to remove old blooms.

marigold.jpg

Of course, if you go with a 4 ft x 4 ft plot in cinder block style instead of wood, you get a little more planting space in the cinder block holes. We stuffed all the holes with radish seeds and we probably can think about harvesting soon. It’s a good quick crop for kids since it is so fast.

radish.jpg

CONCLUSION

That’s it. We met all three goals we laid out for our little gardeners at the beginning of the series.

  1. Set up an organic 4 x 4 ft SFG correctly
  2. Plant it up
  3. Grow something for a while (Whether or not the plants last the season or we get to actually harvest anything edible is bonus.)

It’s actually looking pretty good that we will get a little harvest from both the wooden style and the concrete cinder block style!

All the kids I’ve been gardening with are having a good time, and one of the babies who barely talks in full sentences yet recently greeted me with “Hey… you… we dig?” when he saw me coming. He can’t even say my name right yet but he’s ready to hit the garden plot!

Previous:

Next:

Read Full Post »

SFG Series: Planting Your 4 x 4 ft Raised Bed

Posted in Fun Stuff for Kids, Organic Gardening, tagged , , , , , , , , , on February 17, 2008 | 5 Comments »

DECIDE WHAT TO PLANT

What you decide to grow is up to you. But if you are gardening with very young children, you may want to consider fast growers and/or chunky seeds like radish, bush beans, or teddy bear sunflowers. For even faster results transplant marigold, bush or patio tomato, basil, parsley, etc.

Just take care to consider the spacings of the plant when full grown. Gardenweb has a good spacings guide, but I’ve found with some of them, our Florida climate will cause surprises with things growing bigger. My parsley ended up overtaking 4 squares!

The University of Florida IFAS Extension does a nice handout for planting also. The chart near the end tells you which month to plant in, the row spacing and plant spacing. From that you can determine your square foot spacings.

A SIMPLE SUNNY PLAN

The first plan is very simple.

You need a small bag of flower/vegetable organic fertilizer, a packet of Burpee bush beans, a packet of teddy bear sunflowers, 4 marigold transplants, and 8 tomato cages. (Cost is about $25.)

Make sure you get bush beans and not pole beans. Bush beans will grow to about 2 ft tall and will do fine in a tomato cage. Longer vines will require taller support!

playschoolgarden.jpg

First, plant 1 sunflower seed inside the center of each of the middle four squares.

Next put the tomato cages all around the bed but skip the corners. If you put cardboard down at the bottom of your bed, you may need to stab the cages firmly and quickly through the cardboard. You can also use a long screwdriver to poke holes for the legs to slip though. Set the cages so the first circle is near or at the level of the soil mix.

Then help the child plant up to 4 bush bean seeds inside each tomato cage circle. (Hint: If child is very young, plant only 3 seeds and have them match it to the “legs” of the tomato cage for placement.) The cages will help keep your bean plants upright.

Next, transplant one marigold into each of the corner squares. While holding the marigold in your hand to catch it, turn the pot upside down and have child smack the bottom of the pot firmly. The plant should just slip out of it’s plastic pot. Julia thinks it is fun to “spank the pots.”

Don’t fertilize your seeds yet. They are too young and tender and you run the risk of hurting them with too strong a fertilizer. Wait until the plants are better established. With the marigolds, since they are transplants rather than seeds, you can fertilize now. Use a plastic picnic spoon to sprinkle a little bit of the fertilizer around it when it is in the ground. Follow the directions on your bag.

Your garden will look something like this:

schoolsfg.jpg

Last, water all your plants and let them grow. Then sunflowers and beans should start peeping out in a about a week.

HERB PLAN

Once you get the hang of a simple plan, it is easy to change it around. Remember to keep your taller plants on the north side of the bed so they do not shade the other plants.

If you wanted to grow herbs from transplants, you could try something like this arrangement:

herbs.jpg

It’s nice to give the Basil a tomato cage for support.

If you don’t like a certain herb, swap out it out for something else. For example — don’t plant thyme. In that square foot you could put in green onions ends from the grocery store. If you’ve use the tops in cooking, save the ends that have small roots and just push them into the ground. They will regrow. For little hands, that’s an easy thing to replant.

MORE PLANS

Better Homes and Gardens has a few plans that easily translate to a 4 x 4 ft SFG. I’ve put them below but take a look at their garden slideshow for more ideas!

Previous:

Next:

Read Full Post »

SFG Series: Filling Your 4 x 4 ft raised Bed

Posted in Fun Stuff for Kids, Organic Gardening, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on January 25, 2008 | 5 Comments »

“Dirt Day” is always a fun day over at my house. My preschooler looooves to dig and it’s one of her favorite parts to getting a new bed together.

In the All New Square Foot Gardening book, Mel Bartholomew suggests this formula for making up your soil mix for your raised bed:

  • 1/3 vermiculite
  • 1/3 peat moss
  • 1/3 compost

In a 4 x 4 ft raised bed that is 8 inches high, that translates to about 3.5 cubic feet of each thing.

That doesn’t sound so bad until you go to the store and figure out that compost is sold by the pound, you get peat moss in bales or litres, and then the best vermiculite source I found sells in quarts or bushels. (Hint for homeschoolers: There’s your math lesson of the day — converting things from one volume measure to another!)

Luckily, you don’t have to be exact.

SHOPPING LIST

First, go to the Home Harvest website and order 1.5 bushels of vermiculite. They will ship to your house. Even with the shipping, I haven’t found vermiculite locally in this quantity for a better price than the ~$30 it costs. It is your most expensive soil mix ingredient, but you never have to put it into the bed again. It won’t rot away. (Don’t substitute with perlite — perlite has a habit of rising to the top and floating away in the rain.)

It takes about a week to arrive and when it comes, save the box and packaging.

vermbag.jpg

All the rest I picked up at Lowe’s this afternoon for $40.

bags.jpg
  • 1 bag of Black Kow compost — 50 lbs
  • 1 bag Black Velvet Mushroom Compost — 40 lbs
  • 1 bag Timberline Organic Compost (cow) — 40 lbs
  • 3 bags Majestic Earth Peat Moss — 44 L per bag

The peat moss doesn’t have to be Majestic Earth Brand — any will do. Try to go with 3 to 5 different types of compost if you can. The more varied, the better, but shoot for three at minimum. But don’t worry if you have to adjust for costs and budget — just go all Black Kow. You will still grow things.

FILLING THE BED

Mel suggests using a tarp to mix all the ingredients together. My helper is too small to deal with trying to fold tarp full of more than 120 lbs of soil mix and I don’t feel like washing the tarp afterward so we do it this way instead… sort of lasagna gardening style but not quite.

The first step is to put down cardboard at the bottom of the bed. If you saved your vermiculite shipping box, you can use that. If not, use a thick layer of paper grocery bags, newspaper, or a mix of all three. This will kill off the grass and prevent weeds from popping up into your bed. If it is flying around, wet it down with a hose so it stays put.

cardboard.jpg

Next, dump two bags of peat moss in. Use a rake to spread it around to cover the cardboard.

peat.jpg

After that, dump in the two 40 lb bags of compost. Spread it evenly over the peat first, then start raking it so it is mixing together.

layer.jpg

Now dump the vermiculite in. Have child stand back because it tends to be dusty coming out of the bag. Wet it down a little bit with the hose if you need to so the dust isn’t flying around. (If dust sensitive, wear a mask or bandana around your nose while doing this.)

Do the same thing as before — use the rake to spread the vermiculite evenly across the raised bed first and then start to mix it into the other ingredients.

spreadverm.jpg

Now add your last bag of peat and your last bag of compost. Spread it out evenly, and then mix. Children tend to like the mixing so let them go at it as long as they want to. Just remind them to keep the soil mix inside the raised bed. You will end up with something like this:

mix.jpg

You may also end up with a planted rake or two!

plantrake.jpg

Previous:

Next:

Read Full Post »

SFG Series: Building a 4 x 4 ft Raised Bed

Posted in Fun Stuff for Kids, Organic Gardening, tagged , , , , , , , , , on January 17, 2008 | 2 Comments »

Different Types of Raised Beds

There are many kinds of raised beds to fit any budget and style. For our 4 x 4 ft square foot gardening project, I’ve tried to keep it simple and affordable by going with a plain wooden box frame that can be made and installed in less than an hour:

img_0755.jpg

While you can Google all sorts of styles, I will mention three other types for those who lack tools or feel nervy about carpentry with small children under foot:

  • (14) 8″ x 16″ cinderblocks. I know they get heavy, but they are cheap, and offer you extra planting space in the holes. Lay it out so you put down 3 blocks, then start the second side with 4 blocks, then the third side 3 blocks, then complete the square with 4 blocks on the last side. The inside dimensions should be about 4 x 4 ft square.
  • Raised Bed Connectors — If you get the connectors, all you need is a screwdriver. Plop your boards in and screw it up. (Both Home Depot and Lowe’s will saw your wood to size for you.)
  • 3 x 3 ft Grow Beds – Recycled plastic sections that snap together and are a smaller size to deal with.

(Those wanting a deeper 4 x 8 ft wooden bed — check Sunset’s “The Perfect Raised Bed.” If you were wondering what I use, I’m a link-a-bord fan. It’s slowly making it’s way over here from England.)

Shopping List

If you are like me, you probably have a sidekick that isn’t crazy about long errand days.

I’ve written the supply lists with the idea that it will take three trips to Home Depot or Lowe’s. One day to get lumber, one day to get soil ingredients, and plants/seeds day.

On lumber shopping day you will need:

  • (2) 8 ft long pieces of 1×8 untreated lumber for the box sides
  • (1) 4 ft long piece of 2×2 untreated lumber for the box support posts
  • Box of 1 ½ or 2 inch deck screws with at least 16 screws in it. More is ok.

SUBTOTAL:~ $25

If you can get cedar or similar rot resistant wood that is great. Otherwise get untreated pine and just know that it will require replacing after a few years.

Get them to cut the 1×8 wood into 4 foot lengths for you in the store so it is easier to transport home.

Check the scrap bin first for a 4 ft length of 2×2 that you can have cut into 1 ft sections for posts. If you have to buy a new 8 ft long piece, cut it up into 1 ft chunks and take the extras home for a second box at a later date.

On the posts, it’s nice to cut one end at a 45 angle so it is easier to drive into the ground. If you can’t, don’t worry — you can dig it in instead.

img_0722.jpg

Assembly

First, clamp a post to a board. Then drill two pilot holes with a drill bit smaller than your screw size. This will help the screw go in straight.

img_0725.jpg

After that, put the screws into the pilot holes and screw them all the way in either by hand or with a screw bit on the drill.

Then clamp the next 1 x 8 board on to the 2×2 support post and repeat the process. Keep going all around the box frame.

img_0727.jpg

Watch where you put your screws. While they don’t have to be perfect, you also don’t want to crash into another screw that is already there. Stagger it a bit. Also mind how you line up your boards as you work your way around the box frame so you will wind up square.

img_0731.jpg

When you have screwed the frame together, carry it to a sunny spot in the yard. Ideally it will get at least 6 to 8 hours of sun each day but if your yard is less than ideal, just go with the best sunny spot you have.

You can dig little holes for the posts to go down into and fill them back up once the bed sides are flat the lawn. Or if you have a soft lawn and you angled the posts, pound them into the ground with a hammer. Your raised bed is done!

img_0743.jpg

Previous:

Next:

    Read Full Post »

    Square Foot Gardening With Children (and Kid’s Tools!)

    Posted in Fun Stuff for Kids, Organic Gardening, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 12, 2008 | 8 Comments »

    img_9077.jpg

    Introduction

    I started putting in a 100 sq ft kitchen garden for myself last summer. I’m still nowhere close to being done installing beds and I’m still learning as I go along when it comes to growing edibles. But I’ve really gotten to love spending time with my preschooler puttering around in the yard. I’ve watched her make mud pies, catch anoles, plant marigolds, find caterpillers, harvest herbs, and draw endless pictures of little squares with dots inside them representing seeds.

    I decided it was high time she had a 4×4 ft raised bed of her own.

    For those who want to give it a whirl, I wrote a series of mini articles about organic square foot gardening with small children that explains how to copy our efforts at your own homes:

    All Articles in Series:

    The budget for a 4 x 4 ft bed is between $100-$150 depending on where you source your supplies.

    If you want to jump ahead on your own, the Orange County Library has copies of Mel Bartholomew’s All New Square Foot Gardening and his website provides tips for the basic set up. The GardenWeb community has a great SFG FAQ and the SFG folks at Flickr have a good collection of photos.

    Goals

    We only have three goals for our little gardeners:

    1. Set up an organic 4 x 4 ft SFG correctly
    2. Plant it up
    3. Grow something for a while

    Whether or not the plants last the season or we get to actually harvest anything edible is bonus.

     

    kidtools.jpg

    Children’s Tools

    Children especially like having their own garden tools. I bought my daughter a metal and wood long handle set that included a leaf rake, rake, hoe, and shovel by Toysmith for about $25. Brio also does a metal and wood set. We mainly use these to stir dirt around when setting up a new 4 x 4 or digging in new compost in an established 4×4 at the start of a season.

    Julia also has a small hand shovel, trowel, and scissors for harvesting. We use these the rest of the time during the season.

    I was recently at the SuperTarget on Orange Blossom Trail and Town Center Blvd and noticed they had brought back the colorful long handle tools they’ve had for the last two years in animal designs. The also have the hand tools, garden boots, butterfly nets, watering cans, magnifying glass, and more.

    There are online retailers also:

    Let It Be

    Preschoolers are best at digging, watering, and harvesting. Just don’t be surprised if they dig what you don’t want dug, water what you don’t want watered, and “harvest” everything down to nothing well before it is time to actually harvest.

    If the children want to plant feathers and sticks right along with the seeds — why not? If they want to plant and unearth the same flowers over and over — go right ahead.

    My daughter recently planted peas — cooked ones. She’s still waiting for them to pop up. She’s also planted earthworms and toads. They didn’t seem to mind it because they burrowed down even further.

    Let it be. Kiddie gardens aren’t going to be like a grown-up’s garden. Keep your sense of humor and let their garden become whatever it may. You can always make a second raised bed for yourself to maintain and grow things for dinner. The kiddie raised bed is for growing wonder.

    You may find that while your crops are tasty, theirs are more exciting!

    Next Article:

    Read Full Post »

    Follow

    Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

    Join 28 other followers