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NIFTY IDEAS TO MAKE GARDENING FUN FOR CHILDREN
Have you ever tried to interest kids in gardening?
At a recent meeting, one of my fellow Carver/Scott Master Gardeners presented a wonderful list of ideas for turning kids on to gardening.
"I've found over the years that kids are very interested in anything that involves digging in the dirt," explained this former elementary school teacher. Most of these ideas are suitable for either home or classroom and are described in more detail in the books listed at the end of this column. Hare are several ideas are for making herbal products.
For shiny hair: an after-shampoo rinse for hair contains chamomile flowers.
For dog and cat fleas: dried mint leaves are wrapped inside a handkerchief and placed wherever the cat or dog sleeps.
Home-dyed T-shirts: requires boiling 20 whole dandelions in a pot of water, then simmering the T-shirt in the solution for 30 minutes.
Herb shampoo: ingredients include olive oil, castile soap and one or more of the herbs rosemary, thyme, lemon verbena or ginger. Ingredients are mixed, stored for a week and then strained into a container.
The following ideas demonstrate how plants grow:
Ginger root: Sections of fresh ginger root are planted in soil in pots or empty milk cartons. A month after planting, the root sections begin sprouting "bumps" which eventually become stems, then fascinating plants.
Mango: Project involves removing flat bean-like mango seed from inside the thick cardboard-like husk and planting in soil. Fast-growing red-leafed tree begins growing in three weeks and becomes impressive indoor tree.
Water circulation inside plant: Projects involve placing carrots or celery with intact leaves in glasses of water colored with food coloring. Kids observe how the colored water travels through the plant tissue.
Plant growth and light: Radish seeds are planted in a jar stuffed with damp cotton. Seeds germinate and grow in the direction of the sun regardless of which way the jar is turned.
The following ideas are craft projects.
Flower drying: Instructions tell how to dry fresh-cut flowers using clean kitty litter, a cornmeal/borax mix, clean sand or silica gel. Flowers that can be easily dried include roses, butterfly bush, chrysanthemums, dandelions, daisies, marigolds, dahlias, zinnias and sunflowers.
Perfumed oil: This project involves alternately soaking and straining herb leaves, allspice, cinnamon sticks or cloves in vegetable oil. The perfumed oil can be used to make potpourri, candles or soaps.
Teepee garden: A fascinating backyard project that demonstrates how plants grow and also provides a place for kids to hide and play. A teepee is constructed using bamboo or other types of poles or tree branches. Best fast-growing vines are scarlet runner beans, Jack-be-little pumpkins and morning glory. Besides the climbing plants, sunflowers can be planted behind teepee to "stand guard," marigolds can be planted in front for fragrance and fresh bouquets, and radishes can be planted for food snacks.
Scarecrows: While scarecrows usually fail to keep birds and animals out of the garden, they almost always add humor and fun and encourage imagination in kids and parents. Scarecrows can be "dressed" with all sorts of crazy clothes; or, fast-growing vines can be planted to form the scarecrow's suit or dress.
Candied flowers: Yes, many flowers are edible! Good choices for preserving are the blossoms from apples, pansies, roses, plum, scarlet runner bean, strawberry, squash and zucchini. Edible flowers can be preserved as a hard candy by painting with egg whites and then sprinkling with sugar. Think of it as a slightly devious way of teaching kids to eat broccoli!
Vegetable labels: The seed packet itself can be attached to a popsicle stick, or kids can cut out photos of vegetables and flowers from magazines, then glue the pictures to rectangles of stiff plastic, which can be attached to sticks. Placing the mini signs at the front of each row adds interest to the garden as each species emerges from the ground and grows to maturity.
For complete details on these and other gardening projects for kids, check out these books: The Herb and Spice Book for Kids, by Alice Siegel; Gardening Wizardry for Kids, by Patricia L. Kite; Ready, Set, Grow, by Suzzanne Bales; and Learn and Play in the Garden, by Meg Herd.
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PUTTING DOWN ROOTS:
A Delightful Blend of
Gardening Wisdom, Wit
and Whimsy
$10 + $2 for shipping
by Cliff Johnson |
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