Cultivate Hope: Gardening with Children

Little boys are going to love watching the ants, worms and other crawling things that emerge from the garden in the Spring. Give them a stick, some rocks and pile of dirt and watch the creativity ooze from them.  Children are amazing when allowed to be free.

Little girls may love gathering the Tulips and tying them into a bouquet for their favorite person of the day.  They will also love to get their hands dirty when as they plant the live, growing things. They will be inspired by their participation in making the world beautiful.

Children will get excited to taste the vegetables when they have had a hand in growing them.  Children also are natural learners. If you paint rock labels, the children will learn more garden vocabulary. Go ahead and add more information, like the rock in the photo. These children will know how lettuce, grows, how to spell it, what nutrients are in it, and so much more by the end of the growing season.

The learning that takes place in the garden stretches beyond labels and science. Gardening has been shown to open channels of creativity, help people have a more connected sense to their food and happenings of the Earth.  Gardening has helped people establish mental clarity and emotional stability.

Gardening also offers job skills along with relationship skills.  A wonderful example of this can be seen at an important local event for gardeners and wanna-be gardeners:

Gardens on Spring Creek is hosting the 3rd Annual Cultivate Hope Benefit on Thursday, May 6th, 2010. The Garden on Spring Creek is located on 2145 Centre Ave, Fort Collins.
Here is how Matthew's House describes this very special event:

"A garden party and silent auction of garden art, flower pots, plants and all things garden.
This garden-themed party focuses on life and the new growth that can happen when young people are given the resources and support they need to grow and blossom.
This silent auction style event will feature a variety of innovative garden art, live plants and gardening accessories as well as live music by SHEL, tasty hors d’oeuvres created from locally produced food and tasty local beverages from Odell Brewing, Snowy Peaks Winery and Morning Fresh Dairy.

New this year will be a couple of mini drop-in, informal “garden chats” hosted by local experts, including Tom Throgmorton, local celebrity gardener and KUNC radio personality!
Bath Garden Center will give away "Plants for a Year" to one lucky guest.
Youth will also speak briefly during the event about their experiences at the Matthews House. It’s going to be a fun time - you won’t want to miss it!"

To see bios for guest speakers, list of artists and projects, and the list of generous Garden Sponsors, plus so much more, go to this website:

http://http://www.thematthewshouse.org/html/cultivate_hope_2010.html

To see more garden-based learning opportunities for adults, youth and children available through Gardens on Spring Creek, go to the following site:
http://http://www.fcgov.com/horticulture/

For more great ideas, visit this FREE internet gardening magazine.
http://www.global-garden.com.au/gardenkids.htm

The video comes from a blogspot called Garden-Based Learning Videos. It is a collection of web-based videos related to garden-based learning, school gardens, and garden-based nutrition.

http://lifelabvideos.blogspot.com/search/label/Gardening%20Skills%20for%20Kids