Gardening Projects for KidsGardening Projects for Kids

“What better way to begin to explore the natural world than to experience the magic and beauty of a family garden.” —Arden Bucklin-Sporer, author of How to Grow a School Garden

Many gardeners find that once they have children gardening goes the way of late-night dinner parties and Sunday morning sleep-ins. Raising kids and maintaining a garden can be a juggling act, leaving the family garden forgotten and neglected. But kids can make great gardening companions, and the benefits of including them are impossible to ignore. Gardening gets kids outdoors and away from television and video games, increases their connection to plants and animals, and helps build enthusiasm for fresh fruits and vegetables. Their involvement becomes the real harvest of a family garden.

In The Book of Gardening Projects for Kids, Whitney Cohen and John Fisher draw on years of experience in the Life Lab Garden Classroom and gardening with their own children to teach parents how to integrate the garden into their family life, no matter its scope or scale. The book features simple, practical gardening advice, including how to design a play-friendly garden, ideas for fun-filled theme gardens, and how to cook and preserve the garden's bounty. 101 engaging, family-friendly garden activities are also featured, from making Crunch-n-Munch Vegetable Beds and Muddy Miniature Masterpieces to harvesting berries for Fresh Fruity Pops.

Authors Cohen and Fisher are gardeners, parents, and educators with Life Lab, a California organization promoting garden-based education. They give instructions and tips, not just on planting, harvesting, preserving, and storing food, but also on planning a play-friendly family garden with room for swings, places to hide, miniature landscapes for fairies and dinosaurs, kid-sized tools, and plants kids can graze on right off the vine. They also provide recipes and give ideas for garden theme parties, games, and crafts. The book concludes with suggestions for further reading. Color photographs are presented throughout. Annotation ©2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
This step-by-step guide to working side-by-side with kids will inspire all parents to grow their own little gardener and to get dirty, plant seeds, and enjoy the garden's delicious rewards.
Features gardening advice, including how to design a play-friendly garden, ideas for fun-filled theme gardens, and how to cook and preserve the garden's bounty.