The 4H Childrens Gardens:

1
The 4-H Childrens Gardens

• Planting Curiosity,
• Nurturing Wonder,
• Growing Understanding!

2
Curiosity, Wonder, Understanding

• The 4-H Childrens Garden is a magical
• place of learning.
• 12-year-old

3
Creating Magical Places

• Space
• Creating these magical spaces
• Plants the real magic!
• Experiences
• Hands-on, interactive
• Education programs
• Staying Connected
• Website
• Wonder Wall
• Having FUN!

4
4-H Childrens Gardens

• Outdoor 4-H Childrens Garden
• About 2/3 acre
• 65 theme areas
• Indoor 4-H Childrens Garden
• 1500 square feet
• 25 theme areas
• Curiosity Classroom

5
The 4-H Childrens Gardens
6
Indoor 4-H Childrens Garden
7
Creating Childrens Gardens

• Know your audience (kids)
• Think like a kid (your audience)
• Dont talk down to kids
• Meet kids needs
• Test spaces on kids watch what they do

8
What do you need to know?

• About kids
• About gardens

9
About Kids

• Kids are curious and full of wonder
• Kids are concrete thinkers
• Kids like things that are familiar
• Kids dont care about adult gardening rules
• Kids want and need hands-on
• Kids love to be surrounded by plants
• Kids experience things
• intensely

10
About Kids

• Kids are amazed by little things
• Kids will meet or exceed expectations
• Kids like to learn
• Kids learn based on what they already know
• Rules are made to be tested (broken)
• Kids notice the details
• NOT the vistas

11
About Gardens

• Garden rules are made to be broken
• Gardens come in all shapes and sizes
• Gardens appeal to all the senses
• Gardens should be hands-on (touched, smelled,
  hidden in, picked, )
• Gardens are amazing!
• Gardens are FUN!!
• It is OK to have garden
• failures

12
Planting Curiosity

• Theme gardens rule!!

13
ABC Garden

• Alyssum
• Basil
• Marigold
• Nasturtium
• Yarrow
• Zinnia

14
Peter Rabbit Herb Garden

• Beet MacGregor's Favorite
• Radish French Breakfast
• Rhubarb Valentine
• Mint
• Lemon Balm
• Tansy
• Lavender
• Chamomile

15
Cereal Bowl Garden

• Corn for Cornflakes
• Wheat for Wheaties
• Rye for bread
• Oats for Oatmeal
• Buckwheat for pancakes
• Sugar Beets for sugar

16
Crayon Color Garden

• Strawberry pink
• Lavender
• Goldenrod
• Cornflower
• Dianthus pink
• Pumpkin

17
Jack and the Giants Garden

• Climbing beans (Scarlet Runner)
• Giant sunflowers
• Arundo grass

18
Hispanic-American Garden

• Mexican Sage
• Mexican Tea
• Tomato Big Rainbow
• Tomatillo
• Ornamental
• Pepper
• Cilantro
• Pepper Salsa

19
Performing Plants Garden

• Cup plant
• Compass plant
• Ladys Mantle
• Obedient plant
• Evening primrose
• Mosquito plant

20
Teddy Bear and Animals

• Dandelions
• Spider plant
• Lambs ears
• Lambs quarters
• Snapdragon
• Goldfish plant
• Hens and chicks

21
Pizza Garden

• Wheat
• Tomato
• Basil
• Oregano
• Peppers
• Onions
• Marigold, The Cheese

22
Around the World Herb Garden
23
My Favorite Foods Garden
24
Take a Deep Breath
Little lessons from flowers for a happier world
25
Follow Your Nose Garden
26
Michigan Garden

• Sand dunes
• Big Mac bridge
• Plank road

27
Harrys Herbology Garden
28
Nurturing Wonder

• It has to be interactive fun!

29
Monet Bridge
30
Dance Chimes
31
Its OK to touch and smell!
32
Nurturing Wonder

• Plants the real wonders!

33
Sensitive Plant
34
Eyeball Plant
35
Snapdragon
36
Broom Corn
37
Sunflower Teddy Bear
38
Cool Kid Plants

• Sensitive plant
• Eyeball plant
• Snapdragon
• Cherry tomato Matts Wild Cherry
• Basil Magical Michael
• Broom corn
• Chocolate Mint
• Sunflower Teddy Bear
• Scarlet Runner Bean
• Pumpkin Cinderella

39
Growing Understanding

• Programs

40
Butterflies in the Garden

• March 1 April 27, 2007

41
Butterflies in the Garden
42
Butterflies in the Garden
43
Butterflies in the Garden
44
Butterflies in the Garden
45
Family Programs

• Dinosaur Day
• Bug Day
• Teddy Bear Tea Party
• Around the World Jubilee
• Compost Day
• Plant Detectives
• Harvest Festival

46
Multi-day Summer Programs

• Stories in the Garden
• Kid Curator
• Garden Chefs
• Camp Monet

47
Garden Chefs
48
Seeds of Science

• Day-long field trips
• Multi-day
• Visits separated by 1-2 weeks
• Specific between visit experiments, activities,
  connections
• Designed with teachers

49
Seeds of Science
50
Seeds of Science - Questions
51
Kids Questions

• Why do we even have aphids?
• Where do plant smells come from?
• Do Poinsettias have red chlorophyll?
• Do the leaves of Sensitive plant close when it
  rains?

52
Staying Connected
53
On-line Wonder Wall
54
On-line Wonder Wall
55
Wonder Wall Questions

• Why are most plants green?
• Is the style like the filament on the male part
  of the flower?
• Is all pollen the same color?
• What is the most important
• part of a flower
• the stamen or pistil?

56
Wonder Wall Questions

• Sometimes a plants stem is cut, but if I put the
  stem and flower in water then in 2 weeks it will
  have roots. Why are the roots growing?
• Why do plants smell good?
• How come flowers dont have
• smell when they are old?

57
Staying Connected

• http//4hgarden.msu.edu/kidstour

58
Where to from here?

• Be curious about everything
• Value kids curiosity
• Always ask why?
• Never cease to stand like curious children
  before the great mystery into which we
• have been born.
• -A. Einstein

59
Where to from here?

• Visit the 4-H Childrens Garden
• In person
• On-line (http//4hgarden.msu.edu/kidstour)
• Support the 4-H Childrens Garden
• Theme gardens
• Programs
• Bricks
• Become a Friend of the 4-H Childrens Gardens
• Garden with kids where ever you are
• Encourage curiosity in
• everyone

60
Learn more!

• National Children and Youth
• Gardening Symposium
• July 19-21, 2007
• Minnesota Landscape Arboretum

61
Join Us

• Look at a garden
• Through a childs eyes
• Its magic, its wonder
• Its full of surprise!

62
Contact Info.

• Dr. Norm Lownds
• lownds_at_msu.edu
• 517-355-5191 ext. 1-349