Green Tip: Encourage Green-Thumbed Children

Eco-parents, consider giving kids a garden patch that they can design and cultivate on their own (younger children will need some supervision, of course).  Cornell University's "Greener Voices" study suggests that children are more engaged in learning when they are responsible for planning and decision making. Even if your child's mini-garden turns out to be a disaster, he or she will still learn a small-scale lesson about the challenges and rewards of caring for the Earth. Check out Cornell's Garden-Based Learning Web site for additional child-friendly garden activities.

--D.W.

Sources:  Time, Cornell University, The Daily Green, Digital Journal

Comments

[Sara B,, Norfolk]

This is so true. It will teach responsibility too, as they need to water their plants, weed the garden, etc. Every child should have a garden...or even an indoor herb garden on the window sill. The great part about an herb garden is that they get to see Mom use their plants to make tasty dinners! Rosemary and chives have pretty flowers, as I also realize children appreciate flowers too! Everyone should have to tend a garden before they get a pet, and everyone should have to care for an animal before they have children!! :) That's my two cents!

[Polar Bear]

My kids grow herbs and some veggies. They love it and as you say it teaches them responsibility as well.

[E.A.]

This is great, hope to see more of it and I hope people really try it and stick it out with their kids in the garden. Great comments above about the steps of responsibility.

Good that the article mentions "even if...turns out to be a disaster" If there is a failure the child will notice and you can talk about why and how to do better next time. That's why gardeners are such good optimists, there is always next year.

Take your child with you to the local farm/nursery/greenhouse or garden center and make lists first to study up, then go back again to purchase. If they are still young enough to stick things in their mouths when you turn your head, stay away from toxic plants (like foxgloves... even if your child is crazy about how they look). They can look forward to adding those things when they become more mature and responsible.

If the child wants to take bounties from the garden to their class, work with their teacher to make it happen. It will spread the garden interest to the other kids.

Be inspired by children's books from the library...garden alphabets, poems, stories about birds and butterflies...they all have beautiful illustrations and interesting messages for inspiration.

[Betsy Loeb]

This is WONDERFUL!!
I work primarily with educators who are with children birth through age 5. Are there studies that document the importance of gardening for younger age? (I assume many of the same as mentioned for older.) Also, additional activities? (Again, most can be adapted. THANKS!

[Gardeners Belfast]

Hi.

Good idea. My grandfather was a head gardner before he retired, and of course as a child, I could have learned so much from him, but didn't. Now it's much too late of course, (he passed away many years ago).

Perhaps if I had been encouraged more as a child, I would have learn't something valuable.