Kids In The Garden Give Away

Lately I've begun to understand more about my duty as an elder and the privilege of passing on knowledge. . 

I was recently given  Mel Bartholomew's new book Square Foot Gardening With Kids. It has proved to be an excellent guide for spending time in the garden with little, and not so little, ones.

The activities are presented like lesson plans, which at first I found a little austere. I've come to appreciate the no nonsense style which makes the information easy to retain and pass on. I feel well prepared and more confident about keeping things interesting.

The approach incorporates art projects, science questions and discoveries, math problems, carpentry, writing tasks, vocabulary and ethical concepts.  Each section is divided into levels for Preschool, Early Learners, Tweens, and Teens. The focus is on kids thinking for themselves, taking responsibility, developing practical skills and having fun.

Here is a run down of some of the topics covered:

Good seeds for little fingers

Learning to shop (what kid doesn't love the lumber store and garden centre)

Getting dirty

Keeping a Journal

Fun with Art

Rewarding plants for kids

What's in a seed
Soil composition

Safety First.

This book would be useful for young families but I think even better for Grandpas and Grandmas. This is the part of our lives when we often have more time. There is no better way to use it than in the garden with our precious grandchildren.

I think the book would make a great gift for Father's Day. To win a copy leave a comment and agree to post about it if you win. I'll draw a name on May 5th. Unfortunately due to the cost of postage I will have to limit the opportunity to Canada and the U.S.A.

The premise of SFG

 "it is the simplest way to garden. It doesn’t take a lot of money, a lot of space, a lot of gardening knowledge, good soil, or fancy tools. You don’t have to do a lot of weeding, and it’s organic, too."