Do you have an open space that has no purpose yet?
Are you thinking of activities to keep your students physically active?
Or do you just want to add some school activities for the kids?
Well, a school garden might be the best idea you can take. See here how you can use a garden as a school activity.
Do Some Action
Building a school garden will need careful planning. Take these steps to start:
- Get support from your school administration. You need their support and permission on this project. Emphasize the garden’s benefits.
- Secure a source of budget. Look for organizations that give financial support in the build-up of a school garden.
- Pick out the location for the garden. You might start small with container gardening and expand with time.
- Determine your garden set-up. Will garden tasks involve students and teachers? Will this complement academic subjects? Will each class have their own plot and what seeds will they grow? When will these activities happen?
- Engage a small adult group and older students that will serve as volunteers who will see each garden activity.
- Once settled, implement every inch in your plan. Visit regularly to see and record progress and success.
Additional Tips
- All students – even with disabilities can join the activity. That’s one good thing with garden activities. They don’t limit one’s ability to participate. You can create various tasks that can adapt to a kid’s disability. Just make sure to set additional instruction for them to follow. Students with disabilities can work with other students and adults to finish the task. Ensure proper supervision for kids with personal behavior issues especially when using equipment that involves safety risks.
- Get volunteers to assist with the maintenance of the garden during the summer season for trimming, weeding, and watering.
- Include writing skills activity for students that focus on the garden and its importance.
- Create a garden club that may include adult and older students to oversee the activities.
- Get as many students as possible to be involved with harvesting. Consider the time element with these as different plants have different harvesting time.
- Keep up with the endeavor to ensure that students are engaged with the garden at least twice a month. May it be through the garden physically or through lessons.
- Host weekend event to get assistance on your start. Invite volunteers to help you with the garden construction, planter set-up, and plant seeds.
- Use your harvest to let the kids have a taste test.
A school garden may seem a lot to do at first but think of the benefits it will give to the students and to our earth. Hopefully, this has given you ideas on how you can pursue gardening as a school activity.
