Gardens can answer some of kids’ biggest questions, such as “Where does my food come from?” “Is nature important?” Growing food has been proven to be an effective way to change behavior and attitude towards healthy food choices and the environment. There are demonstrated connections between growing your own food and positive attitudes towards fruits and vegetables. Get kids in the garden, and before you know it, they’ll be checking the planting calendar on their own, eating a cucumber straight from the vine, and even cooking with the food they grew themselves! School gardens, in particular, empower and inspire kids to act on their own behalf and make healthy food choices, leading to lifelong habits of eating and cooking fresh, healthy, fruits and vegetables. Using multiple senses to touch, taste, see, hear, and feel all of the plants, soil, water, and wildlife in gardens can create a rich learning experience and encourage kids to reconnect to the source of their food – and nature! Get more info and register here.

• Here are a few simple, fun ways to get kids involved in the garden:
• Include them in designing the garden space as an art project
• Give each kid a unique regular task to encourage responsibility and ownership
• Keep a garden journal to measure, observe, and draw changes
• Planting and getting your hands dirty is an important part of the hands-on fun
• Observe and learn about helpful and harmful bugs
• Taste and cook in the garden – keep kitchen utensils on hand!
• Have a harvest party and invite parents, staff, and neighbors to celebrate
• Learn about saving seeds to get ready for the next year’s garden!

Want to learn more about how to use school gardens effectively? Join us on Thursday, November 13, 6:30-8pm for a School Garden Leadership Training II, which will focus on how to use the school garden in the classroom. Want to hear about best practices and successful activities? Interested in tips for classroom management in the garden? Got a favorite lesson to share? Come out to a fun evening event to share ideas and be inspired by other teachers, parents, and staff who use school gardens. Food is provided, and you’ll have a chance to enter a raffle to win school garden supplies.