Gardening Safety with Children at Home and School

Gardening is a great hands-on activity for families and schools. Here are several issues to consider for safety.

Know student health histories. Check for any asthma problems. Make sure that no one is allergic to any plant you will use. Allergies can manifest themselves as skin rashes, respiratory problems, hay fever, vomiting, bleeding. In the garden, students may have allergies to peanuts, mold, dust, pollen, leaves and insect stings. Keep child emergency cards with you for reference.

Pick safe, sturdy tools. Select tools for age-appropriateness. Avoid sharp tools: spades, hoes, trowels, rakes and trimmers. Nix rusty tools. Teach tool safety. Demonstrate how to hold, use and clean tools.

Monitor children. Older students may be careless when using equipment. Younger kids may forget how to use the tools. Take away gardening privileges if a student is careless, rough or won't listen. I always keep a supply of boring worksheets on hand and give these out if students are fooling around. I tell the student that if she can't do the fun lessons properly, then she will have to do dull ones where she will be safe.

Avoid toxic plants . Know your poisonous plants and keep them out of your garden. Remember that plants may have some poisonous parts and some non-toxic parts. Check the link below for a rundown of safe and unsafe plants.

Beware or fertilizers, plant food and pesticides. These products are deadly poisonous. Do not use these chemicals with young children.

Explore organic fertilizers and pesticides. Organic products should still be used with care, but they are much safer.

Experiment with natural fertilizers and pesticides. The Native Americans used fish heads for fertilizer. They would place fish heads around their corn plants. Composting is a perfect venue for natural gardening. Planting marigolds around a garden will keep rodents out of the garden.

Build a bat house. Bats are happy to help keep insects under control.

Know your garden bugs. Some garden pests are dangerous to humans also. Learn which are dangerous and which are just pesky.

Wear proper gardening gear. Gloves, long-sleeved shirts and long pants are a must. They protect kids from scratches, callouses, blisters, stings and bites. I try to avoid using insect spray on children and proper clothing helps reduce problems. Wear sunhats or visors. Hats with nets are the best.

Keep proper supplies available. An Epi-Pen, bee sting kit handy, first aid kit, hand sanitize (to disinfect cuts) and cell phone or walkie-talkie.

Wash handling plants. This can prevent the spread of any toxins picked up in the garden.

Gardening is a great lesson plans when you're prepared.