Gardening with Preteens - Garden Plants and Gardening Forum

zotbrad · 02-17-2008, 09:00 PM

Hi, I am an after school programmer working with kids aged 11-13 and I want to start a gardening club. This club will be about three weeks long and will meet twice a week for one hour each. I live in Southern California, Mediterranean climate zone so there is absolutely no risk of frost, and is prime planting time.

I need tips and advice on what to do with each of my six one-hour periods. I know that I need to keep them engaged with hands-on activities, not like the lectures from my horticulture classes. I also need fast-germinating plants that will sprout and grow in 1-3 weeks or less. I am thinking of every kid (up to 20 kids) having their own little container of plants rather than having a plot in the ground.

Any tips or advice. Web resources will also be greatly appreciated.

Thnx so much!

lspichkin · 02-23-2008, 08:24 PM

How about growing some radishes? While they may not be every kid's favorite vegetable, they grow quickly and it would be exciting to see some real growing results in only a few weeks time. Who knows? Maybe some kids would be willing to try something new if they grew it themselves?

You might also find some ideas and lessons at this gardening site called kidsgardening.com.
I'd love to hear how it goes. When does this gardening club start?

02-17-2008, 09:00 PM	#1
zotbrad Green Gardener Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 2	Gardening with Preteens Hi, I am an after school programmer working with kids aged 11-13 and I want to start a gardening club. This club will be about three weeks long and will meet twice a week for one hour each. I live in Southern California, Mediterranean climate zone so there is absolutely no risk of frost, and is prime planting time. I need tips and advice on what to do with each of my six one-hour periods. I know that I need to keep them engaged with hands-on activities, not like the lectures from my horticulture classes. I also need fast-germinating plants that will sprout and grow in 1-3 weeks or less. I am thinking of every kid (up to 20 kids) having their own little container of plants rather than having a plot in the ground. Any tips or advice. Web resources will also be greatly appreciated. Thnx so much!

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02-23-2008, 08:24 PM	#2
lspichkin Administrator Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: West Hollywood, CA Posts: 187 Images: 88	How about growing some radishes? While they may not be every kid's favorite vegetable, they grow quickly and it would be exciting to see some real growing results in only a few weeks time. Who knows? Maybe some kids would be willing to try something new if they grew it themselves? You might also find some ideas and lessons at this gardening site called kidsgardening.com. I'd love to hear how it goes. When does this gardening club start?