7. My child has special needs or is very active. Is this an appropriate activity?
Sunday, May 24, 2009 at 8:54PM Kids Grow Greener
In general, kids in 2010 do not get enough time outdoors. I highly recommend a wonderful book on this subject: Last Child in the Woods, by Richard Louv. He posits that many problems with children being diagnosed as hyperactive stem from the much-decreased time young ones spend in nature, discovering its wonders and diversity and forming relationships with the natural world. We all know only too well how much time most children spend indoors, glued to seats and/or screens.
As an educator, I have seen firsthand and been told by other teachers that gardening is a great fit for children who may have trouble with conventional, sit-down, 'chalk and talk' types of learning. There are so many and varied tasks in gardening, requiring and developing gross-motor, fine-motor, and thinking skills, that boredom is not an issue. Their senses are awakened by the constantly changing sights, textures and smells of soil and of growing plants.
At the same time, there is a precious continuity of learning that happens, whether it be in an 'outdoor classroom' or a home garden, when kids are masters of a small piece of earth and watch it change. Everyone loves to see the results of their labors. If they can be eaten, so much the better!