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School has been out for a few weeks now and doesn’t resume for a few weeks more. Are your kids showing signs of boredom during the downtime of summer vacation? Use this time to cultivate an interest in gardening and the environment with some of the suggestions below. As a bonus, these activities may help keep kids' academic muscles engaged during the summer.
1. Consider a field trip: This can be a visit to a destination close to home or a bit farther away. Adkins Arboretum is located near Ridgely. Visitors can walk the grounds for free Tuesdays through Sunday, and there are areas of the Arboretum that will interest younger visitors, including Emily’s Play Garden. A great mix of plants and wildlife are on display at the Arboretum with many markers to point out highlights on the property. If you are looking for a longer excursion, consider Winterthur in northern Delaware. They have a charming Enchanted Garden that will enchant visitors young and old. With lots of shaded paths, the entire garden is an oasis on sweltering summer days.
2. Plan a garden project: Use local libraries as a starting point to plan a gardening project. Most kids are proficient in online research, but going to a bricks and mortar library and pulling real books from real shelves holds a magic all its own. Look for “how to” books on growing plants from seeds, supporting pollinators, or attracting birds to your yard, then check the books out and complete a project at home. (If you are looking for seeds visit the Talbot County Public Library in Easton. They house the Talbot County Free Seed Library, seeds collected by University of Maryland Extension and Talbot County Master Gardeners and stored in an old-fashioned card catalog!)
3. Start a nature journal: Give kids a notebook, some pencils and art supplies, and send them outdoors, asking them to record what they see and hear in their journal. There is no right or wrong way to journal, let them know it is their book to create and record what interests them. Encourage them to fill the pages with their drawings, to create maps, write poems, record tree trunk measurements, keep count of creatures they see-whatever catches their fancy. Encourage them to continue with their journals once school resumes so that they take time to reconnect with nature.
The Caroline County Garden Club has a Young Gardeners Committee which works with student groups to explore different areas of gardening. Please contact us at ccgardenclubinfo@gmail.com or follow us on Facebook at “Caroline County Garden Club-Maryland” to learn more about what the club can offer young gardeners.
