Teaching Kids About Organic Gardening

One of the most important things you can pass along to kids is the love and importance of organic gardening. Organic gardens are free of chemicals and much better for the environment. Organic gardening is a state of mind. Allowing kids to grow up green means teaching them to respect our environment. No matter where you live, teaching kids about organic gardening is easy and worthwhile. These gardens are great places for kids to develop ideas, attitudes, and skills associated with nature, which can be carried on into adulthood.

To introduce kids to organic gardening, begin with teaching them about the basics of soil and its importance. While the kids might find playing in it fun, they may be surprised to learn that soil is the basis for nearly all growing things. Soil is also filled with many living creatures responsible for keeping it healthy, like the earthworm. Let the kids dig around in search of earthworms. Place them in a clear container with soil and allow them to watch their activity for a day or two before releasing them back in the garden. Earthworms create tunnels in the soil, helping with air and water. They also eat from decaying plant materials, which pass through and fertilize the soil. Compost also enhances the soil, and healthy soil produces healthy plants. Compost is made up of organic materials that break down in the soil. Green items, like grass clippings or vegetable scraps, added to compost produce nitrogen. Brown items, like leaves or newspaper, are sources of carbon. This organic matter helps to nourish and feed the soil. By adding organic matter to the garden, kids are learning the importance of caring for and giving back to the environment.

Let the kids to create a garden of their own. Kids oftentimes welcome the idea of creating their very own garden. Keep it simple and allow them to choose what plants to put in the garden. When planning their organic garden, allow them not only to choose plants but also its location and layout. Just keep it in a sunny area easily viewed by you. Keep in mind that gardens do not have to be laid out in traditional rectangular plots. They can also be designed and grown in raised beds or containers, especially areas offering little space. While you should offer ideas, let the kids come up with some of their own, such as the inclusion of a secluded play area. Teach them the importance of garden etiquette, such as what plants are safe, where to step in the garden, and how to care for it. Give them subtle, but fun, instructions for learning the basics of growing plants. Let the kids help with soil preparation, seed planting, and maintenance. Caring for their own garden gives kids a sense of pride and accomplishment. Use this opportunity as a teaching tool about the importance of healthy soil, proper watering, and weeding. Provide child-sized gardening tools and teach them not only how to use them but when. Also, make sure the tools are age appropriate. Teach kids to put away hoses and other gardening tools after each use. Keeping their tools in a regular spot, such as a small gardening shed, can help kids develop good organization skills. The kids will also be more likely to use them on a regular basis if they know where to find them.

Organic gardens are a good way to get them interested in the environment, especially when all five senses are used and stimulated. "Be aware of your surroundings." Make this your gardening motto. Create areas and pathways throughout the garden that provide interesting visual and textural displays as well as unique sounds, fragrances, and tastes. Take the kids for a walk through the garden. Have them touch various plants and ask them to describe how they feel. Let them describe what they see, hear, smell, and taste as well. Encourage kids to use their senses. For instance, touching various textures may be pleasing, but take time to feel other things, like the sun on their skin. Listen to birds chirp, water trickle, and wind chimes clink, but also hear the soft rustling of nearby grasses and leaves. Don't just smell the flowers, smell the rain in the air or the soil beneath. Look at the many colors and shapes, but also see various insects and other wildlife up close. Fruits and veggies are great for tickling the taste buds, but allow kids to explore other edible plants as well. Again, make it clear what plants are safe and which are not. Try edible flowers, like nasturtiums; those with edible seeds, like sunflowers; or various herbs, like mint. Also, include whimsical accessories that kids can paint or help create such as murals or stepping-stones. Include textured walkways and paths using various materials such as bark mulch, pebbles, or bricks.

Observe various weather patterns and their effects on garden plants. Discuss the importance of rain and its effect in the garden. Entertain the kids with fun wives tales and lore to test their accuracy. For instance, birds are said to fly closer to the ground before stormy weather, and flowers are thought to smell more intense just before rain. The organic garden is a welcoming habitat for wildlife. Explain how plants and animals depend on one another for survival, such as with pollination. Learn about birds, insects, and other creatures native to your region and see if the kids can spot them in the garden. Encourage wildlife in the garden by adding recycled habitat homes. For instance, an old mailbox can be fixed up and reused as a decorative haven for birds. Garden recycling is another great way to inspire interest in the environment. Finding creative ways to help our earth is not only fun but also easy. Reuse grass clippings, leaves, garden waste, newspapers, and kitchen scraps in the compost pile. Reuse leaves, pine needles, shredded bark, and similar organic materials as environmental-friendly mulch. Reuse ordinary, everyday items as containers and interesting garden art.

Gardens are places of special meaning and fond memories. There's no better learning tool for children than organic gardening. Organic gardening teaches kids about the value of hard work and its rewards. Not only do kids get hands-on experience, but they are more open to learning, developing lifelong skills for interacting with nature as well as with others. Growing up green teaches kids to value and respect our environment, as well as themselves and others. As parents, there's no greater contribution to a healthier and more stable future than teaching our kids about organic gardening.