Christine Paterson Shirley Lew Haidee Parker Richmond Public Library

Get children growing with on-line gardening sites

It’s that time of year again, and gardeners are already out in full force. Many parents and teachers already know the joys of shoveling and planting, but may not be aware of the benefits that gardening can have for children. Kids who get involved with gardening will get outside more, gain self-esteem, and learn about science. To get kids growing, start with these websites.

Kidsgardening.com at /redirect.cfm?http://www.kidsgardening.com/ is a site dedicated to getting kids involved in the garden. The Parents’ Primer link provides information on such topics as age-appropriate gardening activities, how to “turn kids on” to gardening, and plants kids love. Teachers will appreciate the articles on how gardening can be used in school. KinderGarden, at /redirect.cfm?http://aggiehorticulture.tamu.edu/kindergarden/kinder.htm, also has lots of ideas for teachers, including suggested projects like making a scarecrow and keeping a garden journal.

Kids themselves can check out Kids’ Valley Garden at /redirect.cfm?http://www.raw-connections.com/garden/, which has tips on planning a garden, how and what to plant, and how to keep plants healthy. Kids who like creepy crawly things can explore The Adventures of Herman the Worm at /redirect.cfm?http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/worms/ to find out about the worm’s place in the ecosystem and how worms contribute to plant growth. Herman’s Fun Place provides kids with worm jokes as well as a variety of games that test their worm knowledge.

Upper elementary school children will enjoy The Great Plant Escape at /redirect.cfm?http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/gpe/index.html. This site teaches kids how plants grow and then tests what they’ve learned. Click on each of the “plant mysteries” to find out that soybeans are the most widely used seeds in the world, how photosynthesis works, and much more.

Kids who want to set up a compost should go to Composting for Kids at /redirect.cfm?http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/sustainable/slidesets/kidscompost/cover.html, which provides a slide show detailing how to begin, where to place your compost, and more. It includes all the dos and don’ts, and discusses how to use a compost to make plants grow.

Don’t forget to look at the Gardening for Kids Theme Page at /redirect.cfm?http://www.cln.org/themes/gardening.html, as well as Kids Garden at /redirect.cfm?http://www.i5ive.com/welcome.cfm/kids_gardening for links to more sites.

This column and its links can be accessed from the Internet version of the Richmond Review, found on the Richmond Public Library’s website. There are free use Internet stations at all three Library branches. Please email comments/suggestions to column@yourlibrary.ca.