Honor Earth Day by Planting a Garden and Growing Minds

In honor of Earth Day, we thought of some way to show some love to the Earth and nature. Planting a garden is the perfect way to welcome Spring by creating an educational and life-sustaining work of culinary and horticultural art that your whole family can enjoy!

The Corona Challenge

This year we had an incredibly tough time finding starter plants due to many nurseries being closed. We did find a neighbor selling some starter plants so ask around or post ISO on local online yardsale groups!

This year, even seeds were scarce this year as many families brave the gardening challenges and grow their own food to become more self-sufficient. I have to be honest that I have never started a garden from seed, but this year I am determined to really get some good crops. When we couldn’t get seeds, we spit out our tomatoes and squeezed pepper seeds and scooping cucumbers into this little greenhouse system we found on Amazon!

Gardening Grows Minds

Here are ideas about how to make growing a garden more fun or educational for kids:

Treasure Hunt: While we were scrapping out the top soil/debre from last year’s garden, we decided to have the kids get involved. Find some “treasures” around the house and burry them in the garden dirt! Have the kids excavate (scape the top layer of soil) and search for “top pocket finds”. (Sorry for the Oak Island reference!)

Scavenger Hunt: Search google or just make your own list of things a kiddo can find in the outdoor place you are! Whether is a garden, backyard, park or city street, google has it or just start writing down a list of things you see or drawings for the little ones!

Soup & Salad: Use a mix of containers and decorate them to look like plates and bowls to grow meal ingredients for soup and salad for your family. Then your family can celebrate with a Salad Party when it’s time to harvest food grown yourselves!

Planting a Rainbow: Get some ideas for a colorful Flower Garden with the book.

Plant Life Cycle Mini Book: This is a fun and creative way to get kids to understand the life-cycle of plants.
Rainbow on My Plate Game: During harvest time, grab the colorful fruits and vegetables and put them on your plate, creating a rainbow!

Pizza Garden: great idea from our friends at the Camden Children’s Garden. You can do this in a container garden large or small. Including your favorite pizza ingredients like tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, onions, oregano, basil, etc.

Marchelle Roberts at the Pizza Garden Exhibit at the Camden Children’s Garden .

Soup & Salad Container Garden: This inspiration is from 2010 Philadelphia Flower Show Exhibit by Camden Children’s Garden ans Campbell Soup . The display educated visitors about how easy it can be to grow their own produce, and motivate families to prepare fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables and enjoy these meals together. The reference to “Soup and Salad” pays homage to two healthy meals that are enjoyed by most cultures in various ways throughout the world. As some big ideas for your Soup & Salad Garden, be inspired by the exhibit that still lives on at the Camden Children’s Garden! A giant-sized sculpted soup bowl and salad plate serve as the fanciful containers for the plants that will become the delectable, nutritious ingredients often found in soup and salad. Blended throughout the display are plump tomatoes, spicy peppers, mineral-laden potatoes, vitamin-rich lettuce, carrots, Swiss chard and other high-fiber plants such as broccoli and cabbage. This productive children’s vegetable garden is infused with savory herbs such as purple basil, oregano, rosemary and sage.

GARDENS GROW TO FEED THE POOR

All too often, poverty is allied with poor nutrition, lack of access to healthy food, and subsequent obesity resulting from poor eating choices. Through its Community Gardening Programs, Fresh Food Events, GrowLab hands-on nutrition/science program in Camden schools, and the various educational activities held at he Camden Children’s Garden, the Camden City Garden Club strives to help break this cycle by teaching children and adults how to grow their own produce, educating them on how to prepare tasty, nutritious meals inexpensively and from local sources.

How to Start a Beginner Vegetable Garden from Scratch by Better Homes & Gardens

The vegetable gardening tips you’ll need to plan, prepare, plant, and maintain a successful garden.

More Earthy Educational Fun

So maybe we are not all up for planting a garden this year! There’s a ton more you can do to for the Earth…even Earthly education virtually! (Thanks to the Upper Dublin School District for the awesome e-resources!)