June 01, 2024

Quote of the Week

"Why try to explain miracles to your kids when you can just have them plant a garden" --Robert Brault

How Gardening Helps Kids Grow

Kids love to dig in the dirt and watch things grow, and gardening is a natural extension of these interests. In addition to dirt under their nails and smudges on their knees, kids can gain so much from gardening — physically, intellectually, and emotionally. Introducing kids to the joy and benefits of gardening from an early age will help them in ways that you may not have anticipated.

The basics are: plant a seed, watch it grow. But along the way, children can learn new skills and develop physically, intellectually and emotionally, all while enjoying every step of the process.Gardening goes beyond the basics of seed + soil = plant and is a valuable activity for kids to enjoy while spending time outside. Along the way, they’ll reap unanticipated benefits and develop alongside the plants they are caring for. So get outside and grow something together! Read more in this week's featured article, and if you need some more guidance, here is a great list of books on gardening with kids.

Reading Corner

Title: The Vegetables We Eat
By: Gail Gibbons
Ages: 2-7

Peppers, beans, corn, and peas! Nonfiction superstar Gail Gibbons lays out the basics of veggies with colorful watercolors and straightforward text. Learn how they grow, how they get to stores, and how many kinds there are—and learn some weird trivia, too! Diagrams, cross sections, and illustrations get kids up close and personal with glossy red peppers, plump orange pumpkins, delectable little peas, and dozens of other vegetables in this essential primer on the subject.

Be the Change

This summer season, try out a small "square foot" garden--a great way to get started gardening with your kids.