Episode 19: Connecting your Child to Life Through Gardening

season 6

“Gardening isn’t just an activity that we do. In so many ways, it shows us the essence of the cycles of life, from the seed to the aging, dying plant.” Today on Seasonal Thursday, I’ll be talking about the Waldorf Education-inspired approach to gardening with young children. Once again, I will invite you to place yourself in the young child’s world of feeling instead of knowing, experiencing instead of overthinking. I’ll take a look at the importance of nature in early childhood before taking a deep dive into ‘the willing phase’. Then, onto the gardening, where you’ll learn how to plan your garden and decide what to plant, making sure that you have the right tools, the importance of designated gardening clothes, and so much more! And, of course, you’ll get some ideas for fun gardening activities, some of which are there to extend the experience beyond just gardening. Make sure that you tune in and come grow with us.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Living into an experience, instead of thinking your way through it.
• How ‘feeling‘ is more important than ‘knowing‘ for the young child.
• The importance of nature in early childhood.
• Waldorf Educations’s three phases of the growing child, paying closer attention to ‘the willing phase‘.
• Planning your garden and deciding what to plant.
• The importance of organic seeds/food.
• Making sure that you have the right tools.
• How to create a separate play area for your child.
• Another reminder that children play themselves into life.
• Some fun gardening activities for children aged 18 months and older.
• The importance of having the right clothes and why distinctively different clothes for gardening matters.
• We talk about how to keep it simple.
• Little things that you can do to add to the experience, beyond just gardening.
• Creating a small, personal garden bed for the slightly older child.