Outdoor

Cylinder Gardening

Submitted by sarahp on Mon, 02/25/2013 - 00:52

By:

Sarah Pounders

Right Side Box:

Download the Cylinder Gardening Lesson for more details.

A big gardening program…in a little garden space. Cylinder Gardening uses bottomless cylinders (1/2 of a 5 gallon bucket) as small, individual gardens for growing vegetables. Perfect for schools with limited growing space and poor soil, cylinder gardens require little land and minimal pre-gardening preparation or experience. Once the cylinders are filled and planted, the only labor is minor maintenance, watering and harvesting. Recommended plant varieties mature from seed in 30 to 90 days to fit within one school semester.

Winter Creativity

Submitted by sarahp on Sat, 12/29/2012 - 01:29

By:

Marci Birkes

Want to put a new spin on your family’s backyard winter fun? Sparking far more creativity than the typical snowman (although I’ve seen a few highly creative snowmen in my day) introduce your family to the work of sculpture and photography artist Andy Goldsworthy.

The Youth Garden Grant

Submitted by sarahp on Sun, 10/28/2012 - 23:10

By:

NGA Staff

Right Side Box:

The Home Depot is the world's largest home improvement specialty retailer, with 2,241 retail stores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, 10 Canadian provinces, Mexico and China. Visit The Home Depot Garden Club site for more information.

Plants. Soil. Shovels.

Inspiration. Motivation. Recognition.

As sponsor of the Youth Garden Grant Program, The Home Depot provides schools and nonprofit organizations with the tangible and intangible supplies needed to grow and sustain vibrant youth gardening programs.

Teens Reaching Youth in Utah

Submitted by sarahp on Sun, 09/30/2012 - 17:24

By:

Dave Francis

Building forts, picking berries and floating stick boats can be pleasant childhood experiences that lead to fond memories and a lifelong appreciation of nature. However, children today are far less likely than past generations to spend time playing outside, and a growing body of research says children are paying a high price for it.

Know Your Food

Submitted by cynthiad on Mon, 08/13/2012 - 16:05

By:

Cynthia Domenghini, NGA Staff

Right Side Box:

The 2012 Food Day School Curriculum was designed for educators as a Food Day resource that can be used in the classroom or to increase your own knowledge about what it means to Eat Real: Download the 2012 Food Day School Curriculum

Many times gardening is promoted as a way to teach youth where their food comes from. This phrase, “know where your food comes from,” is one that has received much attention and rightfully so.

Looking for Opportunities to Grow

Submitted by cynthiad on Mon, 07/16/2012 - 11:10

By:

Becky Wivagg with Cynthia Domenghini, NGA Staff

Right Side Box:

Looking for Activites to Help Youth Grow?

Download these free attachments and get your students outside!

Discover a Rain Garden (PDF) »
Discover a Sensory Garden (PDF) »

Sharing the Love: Spreading Seeds

Submitted by RoseJM on Mon, 06/11/2012 - 00:00

By:

Rose Judd-Murray, NGA Staff

Right Side Box:

How-To: Make A Seed Bomb

Materials:

Clay (purchase at craft stores)
Compost or potting soil
Seeds (we recommend easy-to-grow or native varieties)

Bring this activity home, or share it in the classroom with these easy step-by-step directions (PDF). »

Taking a walk together as a family is a great way to teach your kids about varieties of flowers, shrubs, and trees. It's an unstressful time to engage and allow them to ask questions about their own local environment.

Developing Character in the Garden

Submitted by cynthiad on Sat, 05/12/2012 - 07:39

Anti-Bullying Strategies

By:

Cynthia Domenghini, NGA Staff

Right Side Box:

Creating a No-Bully Zone

Although the 2011-2012 school year is coming to an end, this is a great time to start planning an anti-bullying unit for the start of the 2012-2013 school year. Here is an activity to guide you and your students through the process of designing your own anti-bullying contract.

Download the Bullying Prevention Activity (PDF) »

Young gardeners contributing to the larger effort of beautifying the school.Within a garden live many individual plants. Each of these plants alone can be beautiful and unique, but as a whole, alongside all the other plants, they are so much more.

The Rain Garden is an Effective Tool

Submitted by cynthiad on Sun, 04/15/2012 - 14:31

By:

Rose Judd-Murray, NGA Staff

Right Side Box:

A Book for a Rainy Day

Title: The Listening Walk
Author: Paul Showers
Illustrator: Aliki
ISBN: 978- 0064433228

“Because Your Children Live What They Learn…”

By:

Cynthia Domenghini, NGA Staff

Right Side Box:

Here are some meaningful plant selections to incorporate into your peace garden:

Rhododendron - in Russia, the blossoms signify peace, health, and purity

Mistletoe - in Scandinavia, associated with Frigga, the goddess of love

White pine tree - for the Native American Haudenosaunee, or Six Nations Peoples, the five needles joined together indicate unity

Peace Rose - a rose variety introduced in 1945 to commemorate the end of World War II

Sunflowers - a symbol of freedom from the threat of nuclear weapons during the 1990s. Sunflowers are warm and welcoming; grow in friendly crowds; and produce nutritious seeds for people and wildlife.

Cosmos - named after the Greek word for well-ordered universe; symbolizes peace and order

Education in the garden is a great way to teach kids to live responsibly and peacefully.This philosophy, from the creator of Playschool Child Care, Inc., Carol Acosta, is what continues to guide the program more than 25 years later.