Learning in the Garden

Gardening is such a wonderful learning experience for kids. Not only is gardening an useful lifeskill, but it also provides an excellent opportunity to learn about plant science and garden insects, practice math skills, and much more. In this post I share some activity ideas for learning in the garden, plus some links to resources if you want to dive in deeper.

If you're looking for a printable garden unit study, I have one available here: Learning in the Garden Printable Unit Study Pack.

Garden Math

Garden size calculations

-Have your child measure your garden space and calculate the perimeter and area.

-Help your child calculate the amount of garden soil you will need for your garden and how much it will cost.

Plant spacing

Give your child ruler or tape measure and have them help measure the right amount of space between seeds or plants as you're planting your garden.

Measure and track plant growth

-Once your seeds sprout, have your child measure and record their daily growth.

-Count leaves, flowers, and fruit/vegetables as they develop.

Counting and sorting seeds

Younger kids can practice their counting and sorting skills by counting or sorting seeds.

Explore Symmetry

-Talk about symmetry and asymmetry and then look at leaves and flowers in the garden and discuss whether or not they are symmetrical.

-Choose a leaf to pick. Cut it in half along the center vein. Tape one half to a piece of paper and challenge your child to sketch the missing half.

*For another great garden math activity, check out this blog post from STEAM MA: Real Life = Real Math Lesson

Garden Science

Seed anatomy

-Teach your kids about seeds and their anatomy. Here are some good resources:

-Easy Science for Kids: Structure of a Seed

-SciShow Kids- What's Inside a Bean?

Plant anatomy

-Teach your kids about the different parts of a plant. Here are some good resources:

-Homeschool Pop- Plant Parts and Functions

-SciShow Kids- Look Inside a Flower

-Ducksters- Biology for Kids- Plants

Explore what plants need to grow

Talk about the things plants need to grow- sunlight, soil (or another source of nutrients), air, and water. Try growing some seeds without one of these things. What happens if you try to grow a seed without light? How about without water?

Check out these resources:

-SciShow Kids- How Does a Seed Become a Plant?

-Bean Growth Time Lapse Video

Learn about garden insects

-Journal and research about the different insects you come across in the garden.

-Learn about insects that are beneficial to the garden like pollinators and insects that eat harmful garden insects.

-Learn about insects that can be harmful to the garden like aphids and hornworms.

Language Arts in the Garden

Make lists

-Have your child make a list of plants they would like to grow.

-Have your child take inventory and make a list of all your seeds.

-Have your child write a shopping list of the supplies needed for this year's garden.

Garden journaling

Make some journaling sheets or grab a free printable one here. Encourage your kids to draw and write about the changes they see in the garden each day.

Garden writing prompts

-Describe the lifecycle of a plant from the perspective of a plant.

-Write a description of your dream garden.

-Write about a change you've noticed in your garden recently

-If you could be any garden insect which would you be and why?

Write an acrostic poem

Acrostic poems are poems in which the first letter of each line spell out a word. Challenge your kids to write an acrostic poem featuring the word "GARDEN" or "FLOWER".

Garden Geography

-Have your kids create a garden plan before you plant and a garden map after you plant.

-Learn about planting zones and what types of plants grow best in your climate.

Garden Art

Make garden markers:

Make markers for your garden rows by painting crop names on rocks. Use acrylic paint and some sort of weatherproof sealant.

Paint pots:

Paint terra cotta pots with acrylic paints. Then seal with a weatherproof sealant

Make a fairy houses:

Make fairy houses to decorate your garden. You can make your own with popsicle sticks or terra cotta pots, or just buy tiny wooden bird houses to paint. Here are a few posts with fun fairy garden ideas:

-Fairy garden ideas: 13 ways to bring some magic to your backyard

-Prudent Penny Pincher-101 Best DIY Fairy Garden Ideas

If you enjoyed this post, check out my printable Learning in the Garden Pack:

Learning in the Garden Printable Unit Study Pack

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