Connections children can make when gardening are limitless and invaluable. Just learning how food is grown instead of thinking it comes from the grocery shelf bin can be amazing to a child. Giving children the chance to grow food from seed can take them through the entire life cycle of the plant. Once they understand the parts of a plant, you can introduce the idea of which foods they eat are roots, bulbs, stems, leaves, flowers, fruit, seeds. A cultural connection to their heritage can be made when certain varieties of herbs and vegetables can be grown and cooked or prepared into familiar dishes traditional to their culture. Growing fruit trees would be a wonderful way to connect children with the life cycle of trees and both plants and trees can connect children to literature, art and history. Who was Johnny Appleseed, why are pumpkins so popular for Halloween, what was the Legend of the Bluebonnet, where did the Poinsettia get its name and what is it considered a Christmas Flower, and a thousand more questions can be explored at every age level. Experiments can be made with seeds and plants to connect children with science, geography, biomes. Why are growing native plants better for the pollinators? A connection to migration of the Monarch can be made as well as ecology when a Way Station is added to the school yard. What is the connection of the Monarch to the Mexican Heritage? Connections to medicinal plants and their remedies can be made just by planting aloe. I won't go on, as space is running out but with imagination, we can find limitless connections to every aspect of a child's life.
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Patricia Griffin
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