A school garden is a wonderful place to inspire children and to help them learn. The benefits of a school garden enhance many aspects of education, and can be a fun and joyful place to spend time. Gardening in schools can give children a great basis upon which to build going forward.
Gardening in schools is a great way to get children to engage with the natural world, and how things grow out in the wild. While some children will have access to a garden and/or the natural environment, a great many will not, and the benefits of time spent in such environments are huge. The shared outdoor space at school can be used to learn, engage with and enjoy the world outside.
A school garden doesn’t have to be an elaborate affair; even the smallest space can be used to grow plants, flowers and vegetables, and get children involved in it. Whether you have a large and dedicated area or a single planter, there is so much that can be done with even limited space.
Remember also that gardening can be done year round. While the warmer months may seem more bountiful, a successful growing environment needs constant care and attention; there is always something to be done. Different plants and environments will need different sorts and amounts of care, so it can always be adapted to the children’s needs, depending on what you choose to grow. You can have an inspiring space at all times of year if you choose your plants carefully.
Growing vegetables and fruits are a great way to teach children where their food comes from. Teaching them about the life cycle of different plants, and about growing seasons and climate, are all possible when you show them how to tend a garden. Children can engage with how food is produced, which can help them to form healthy relationships with their diets.
Playdale has a range of Environmental Play, including Planters, bird tables, a Worm Villa and Composter to help make the outdoors an inviting place to be. These pieces help to bridge the gap between the natural and the built environment, and ensure you can manage children’s safety while introducing them to the great outdoors. While on the one hand you have the classroom, and on the other the world outside, a managed garden can provide an in-between environment where aspects can be observed and managed by children.
Gardening also leans into a lot of curriculum subjects. Self-evidently Biology and the Sciences are involved in growing a garden, but also present are more practical subjects such as D&T and even creative subjects like Art. A garden can even show children how the different curriculum subjects are all linked together, and can inspire them in ways that are harder to measure.
Taking the classroom outside and into the garden provides all kinds of opportunities for kids to both learn and play. With the natural world on their doorstep, you can provide for their wellbeing as well as their education, helping them to gain a lifelong love for the natural world.
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