Room to Play | The Classroom Gardener
The following post was co-created by student teachers from the University Of British Columbia completing their community field experience in the outdoor classroom & school garden. Thank you to Simryn Mann, Sarah Reid and Amy Baatz for their outstanding contributions to student learning and for sharing their experiences of garden literacy with story stones in […]
Seeds are a fascinating lens through which a huge amount of curriculum can be explored. From mathematical routines like ‘which one doesn’t belong’ to sorting by attribute, to understanding adaptations and the needs of living things, a seed inquiry provides an entry to complex understandings, and a bridge to meaningful cross-curricular learning in the outdoor […]
One of my favourite, low prep ways to enhance and develop garden vocabulary in the outdoor classroom is to prepare garden vocabulary vases that serve as visual aids for a scavenger hunt. Inspired by the entry display into Van Dusen Gardens, a school garden vocabulary vase offers a visual and sensorial entry to knowing the […]
Dandelions are a sure sign of spring and an early source of pollen in our Spring gardens. Often considered weeds by gardeners, dandelions offer a multitude of learning opportunities with an alternative perspective that highlights the value of biodiversity in garden ecosystems. Playing with, learning from, and preparing dandelions in recipes, provides a connection to […]
Those of us teaching and learning outdoors are constantly on the look out for practical and inspiring tips for keeping the kids we learn with growing in our school gardens! This is in no way an exhaustive list, and if you have a great resource the world should know about, please send me a link. […]
If you’ve ever fallen into the black hole of Pinterest, you’ve certainly seen some cute and fun ideas for gardening with kids. Which is great because, in my opinion, gardens that are built for and with children shouldn’t be so precious that kids feel unwelcome. And if you find respite and peace by working in […]
Learning in a garden offers a wide range of multi-sensory experiences and practical knowledge building. Gardening with kids keeps me tuned in to the lesser known little factoids about plants that kids find super interesting. If you are gardening with your kids, teaching in a school garden (or just love being a garden know-it-all) read […]
Butterflies are essential pollinator friends in our ecosystem that add to the biodiversity of any garden. When it comes to butterfly STEAM, this paper project is one of my favourites because of its simplicity and large scale beauty! These butterflies can stand alone as an art display, or accentuate and enhance any nature themed […]
Butterfly gardens are rich in educational opportunities and aesthetic functionality. Depending on where you live, you can attract and support butterfly migration corridors with selected plantings and carefully designed garden beds. Connecting with a larger organization, like the David Suzuki Butterflyway Project, can help you select plantings appropriate for your climate and local butterfly species. […]
April first is known as April Fools Day where we live. Generally speaking, harmless pranks and hoaxes are perpetrated and the cleverer the hoax, the better the children laugh at the end. Use caution though, some children and adults are more sensitive than others and some pranks and hoaxes can be downright cruel or insensitive, […]
Gardening with kids opens up a wide opportunity to try new veggies and to grow your own favourites. Peas are an easy and reliable crop to start with, when growing a garden with kids. Peas picked right from the garden are incredibly sweet and with many varieties available to plant as early as February, a […]
Bug hotels are an essential addition to any garden, and particularly a children’s garden. There are really two reasons to build a bug hotel. One is to attract and house beneficial insects so that they are available to work in the garden as biological pest control, the other is to have a place for children […]
