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Harvesting vegetables. Photo: Jupiter Images
Michelle Obama is growing carrots in the White House yard, Alice Waters has become household name and the New Oxford American Dictionary recently named "locavore" the word of the year. It's fantastic, but how do you get the kids excited about vegetables? I talked to Toby Adams, manager of the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden at the New York Botanical Garden about their new Edible Garden and how to get kids interested in veggies.
Toby suggests that Michelle might have the right idea: Grow things at home and get your kids involved. As part of the new Edible Garden, the New York Botanical Garden has planted a special garden for children to explore. Toby shared some reasons why gardening with kids is such a great idea.
- Introducing children to vegetable gardening is important so that children can see the plants that become their meals. Creating this connection between plants and what we eat is one of the missions of the current exhibition.
- Don't let living in an urban environment stop you from growing something with your children. Toby insists that it is even more important to make the plant to food connection for kids who don't regularly come into contact with plants, let alone farms.
Children gardening at the New York Botanical Garden. Photo: John Peden for the New York Botanical Garden
- One way the Botanical Garden is introducing vegetables to tots is through themed gardens, like their Breakfast Bowl garden and their Pizza Pie garden, which feature the plants that become these familiar foods. Toby suggests trying this at home, even if it's just a pot planted with one tomato plant, some basil and oregano. "Pizza is something everyone can identify with," notes Toby.
- Gardening is also valuable as a way to teach children about responsibility. "They learn to care for another living thing," says Toby.
- Being outdoors and digging in the dirt is fun and healthy. "We're outside, breaking a sweat," says Toby, "What's healthier than that?"
- Gardening might just get your kids to like eating vegetables. "During our gardening programs many of the parents who participate with their children will comment that their kids have grown a palette for broccoli," notes Toby.
- Raising vegetables heightens children's awareness about the social issues surrounding our food supply. It's much easier to understand why eating locally and supporting farmers is important, if farming is an activity a child has participated in.
- Gardening can boost confidence. Giving children measurable goals that they can aspire to accomplish can make them feel confident, proud and capable.
Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)
Another great kid- friendly activity your readers would enjoy is to grow a TickleMe Plant from seeds and then watching the plant MOVE when Tickled! As a first grade teacher I no longer plant Lima beans, as the growing of this interactive plant, proved to be much more exciting and educational for my student's.
ReplyI found my supplies for a classroom kit at http://www.ticklemeplant.com but they also sell individual greenhouses and even party favors, with everything you need to grow your own TickleMe Plant from seeds. I assure you your kids will be more excited about gardening, and its just fun to watch the expressions of the faces of children (and even adults) when they see the plant close its leaves and droop when tickled,
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