The Garden is our Teacher

Welcome to our garden classroom!

In our learning community the garden is the heart and soul of our environment. It truly is the children's garden. They helped to create it from a humble patch of grassy earth with rocky soil, and everyday they tend to it by watering, seeding, planting, adding compost, mulching and weeding.

Anything you can teach in an indoor classroom can be taught outdoors, often in ways that are more enjoyable for children. Working in a garden cements the learning in real, hands-on, practical experience and brings lessons back to being stimulating and fun. In addition, a garden classroom offers extra elements that cannot be so easily found in an indoor school.

Check out some of the many wonderful ways gardening supports the development of young children:
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Motor Skill Development - Gardening requires children to practice and hone in on their fine motor skills. Planting seeds, scooping dirt and watering plants all help to improve motor skills, which can in term help to improve their concentration and learning capabilities.

Sensory Exploration - Gardening can heighten all senses in children. They can feel the dirt, flowers, fruit, leaves and seeds, see the vibrant colors and sizes of plants, hear the sound of leaves rustling and fruit/vegetables being picked and smell the flowers, fruits and fresh herbs.  Best of all, they can taste the outcome of their hard work! By engaging all the senses, gardening can help children to better understand the process of gardening and where their food comes from.

​Responsibility - The garden teaches responsibility to children, as they learn that it is their job to take care of their seeds, plants, and farm animals each day in order for them to be healthy. 

Confidence - Give a child the experience of dabbling a tiny seed into a hole, watering it, protecting it and watching it explode into life and growth—and they might just feel like they have magic powers!

Promotes Healthy Eating - When children are involved in every step of the process of growing and preparing healthy food they are more likely to gain a sense of ownership and pride over their healthy eating choices. ​

They are also more open to trying new foods!

One study found that students involved in hands-on school gardening programs developed an increased snacking preference for fruits and vegetables. The research supporting this type of gardening program continues to rack up. Garden Organic reports many studies in their Growing Health Benefits Report that demonstrate how gardening can be instrumental in preventing obesity as well as other health problems. Preparing garden foods together really inspires the kids to eat fresh colorful foods that they might not have tried if they had not connected to the process first.

The kids love snacking on fresh black eye peas and then turning them into a beautiful garden salad!

Introduction to Science & Math - There are so many parts of gardening which introduce children to basic concepts of science and math. Math concepts can include counting seeds, measuring the dimensions of garden beds, measuring soil depth and counting petals/leaves. Science concepts can include the sprouting process and gaining an understanding of how plants require sunlight, water and fertile soil for growth. The garden is a place where children learn about the seasons and cycles of life.​

Exercise - Garden tasks such as digging, raking and turning compost use a variety of muscles in the upper and lower body. But more than mere exercise, gardening teaches children a pattern of healthy activity. The physical tasks of food growing can contribute to a broader understanding of the various ways of staying active.

Integrating STEM Skills - Gardening teaches important reasoning, initiation, planning and organization skills. Children can read up on the various stages of growth, the tools they’ll need or different ways the plants are used after they grow. Children measure their plants or make other observations and record their observations in a journal. Weather cycles, measuring rainfall and monitoring the insect life around the plants can also foster a real scientific curiosity.

Focus & Memory - Consistent involvement in gardening can contribute to improved alertness, cognitive abilities and social skills. Children also perform better mentally when they have access to green space, according to a study published in the American Journal of Public Health. The symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are also relieved by outdoor green space, helping children focus both while they occupy the space as well as later in the day. The improvements in memory and attention were even more significant when children engaged in an activity outdoors, such as—you guessed it—gardening!

Stress Relieving - A main benefit of gardening is learning to relax,” says counselor and maternal child nurse Orly Katz, LCPC. Katz emphasizes that gardening helps children make a habit of calming themselves. “Gardening allows kids to be alone, it allows them to breathe fresh air and be in peace by themselves.”
Research indicates that the calming effect gardening has on the brain extends even beyond the actual act of gardening. Orly sees children learning to relax on their own when they garden. “By the time these kids are adults, they are comfortable initiating time alone, breathing fresh air and thinking,” she explains. “They don't need to learn to relax, they have an outlet they've been comfortable with since childhood.”

Psychological Well-being - Garden Organic states that elements of gardening have the ability to trigger emotions in people. For example, flowers produce powerful positive emotions and have both immediate and long-term effects on emotional reactions, mood and social behavior.

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Gardening has been shown to have a positive impact on peoples’ health and well being. It also states that those who are involved in gardening find life more satisfying and feel they have positive things happening in their lives.

A Celebration of Life! The garden is a beautiful environment for creating art, practicing yoga, being silly, and hosting family potlucks!

Easy 'Cheesy' Kale Chips

These tasty and nutritious kale chips are a huge hit with the kids!
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1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Take out the stems of the kale and tear into smaller pieces then wash and dry in salad spinner. Add kale to a large mixing bowl and drizzle with oil. Use hands to massage the kale to soften its texture and disperse the oil. Set aside.
3. Add 4 Tbsp nutritional yeast and 1/2 tsp salt to the kale and toss to distribute, working it into the grooves so it's thoroughly coated.
4. Divide kale between 2 large baking sheets (or more if increasing batch size) and spread into an even layer, making sure the pieces aren't overlapping to ensure crispiness. You may need to bake them in two batches depending on size of baking sheets.
5. Sprinkle the kale with 1-2 Tbsp nutritional yeast for extra flavor and bake for 15 minutes. Then remove from oven and toss/flip kale to ensure even baking.
6. Bake for 5-10 minutes more, or until chips are crispy and golden brown. Watch carefully to ensure they don't burn. Let cool slightly before enjoying.

For more of our garden goodness check out our article in the Austin American Statesman and a video of the kids in action on Issue TV!

See you next time!