Online school can be an adjustment! Pike Nurseries is helping parents and educators introduce teachable lessons from the garden to keep kids entertained with free activity sheets, lesson plans and more at its online Kids Corner. Gardening can promote well-rounded skills, as well as enhance classroom lessons.
Young learners love playing in the dirt, so the pros rounded up their best ideas on how to turn flower beds, container gardens and more into an outdoor classroom:
- Development Basics: Gardening and fine motor skills go hand in hand! The act of digging, pouring water or using a seed-starting kit can help smaller children develop strength in their hands and fingers. Gardens also provide an interactive space to engage and stimulate all of the senses – smell, touch, taste, sound and sight. Parents or teachers can prompt children to describe each sensation after finding items in a Scavenger Hunt.
- Life Skills: Planning a garden, planting seeds and watching them grow gives kids a sense of purpose and teaches the importance of responsibility and accountability. In addition, tending to a plant and ensuring it gets what it needs fosters mindfulness. Since gardening is often a slower process, children learn patience, while the wonder of seeing a flower bloom boosts self-confidence and nourishes a positive attitude towards hard work.
- Nutrition and Garden-to-Table: Nothing is more rewarding than homegrown food! Edible gardens get children excited about eating healthier and foster a sense of ownership in the garden. Parents and children can develop recipes together for scrumptious strawberries or tasty tomatoes. Gardening can also foster good habits in children, providing moderate-to-high exercise and fresh air for their lungs.
Curriculum Ideas: Gardening can be an important tool to enhance classroom learning. Activities can also be supplemented with books, a trip to the local garden center or farm and more.
- Writing: Keep a plant journal to reinforce key vocabulary and record observations and measurements. Children can also draw sketches or diagrams of their gardens. Six different activity sheets include mini-quizzes, diagrams and word search puzzles that reinforce teachings.
- Art: Children can learn about color palettes with analogous color or complementary color container gardens. Parents can lead garden-themed arts and craft time with Nature Paint Brushes, Ladybug Rocks, or Melted Crayon Pumpkins.
- Science: Botany and biology come to life using real plants to learn about photosynthesis, seed germination, basic parts of a plant and plant life cycle. Kids can also learn about the importance of pollinators and other critters in these lesson plans on Birds, Worms, Ladybugs, and Butterflies.
- Math: Basic math and units of measurement activities include counting the number of flowers or vegetables on each plant; adding or subtracting harvested crops; measuring the height of plants week-to-week using a graph; and measuring soil depth.
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Pike Nurseries provides homeowners with horticultural excellence and top-notch services. Home Garden Consultations are perfect for homeowners in need of advice on specific garden issues or plant identification and care tips. The Pick ‘n Plant service allows customers to choose their own plants in one of 19 retail stores and have certified installation partners plant for them. A custom landscape design and installation from Pike Nurseries can include patios, walkways, drainage solutions, retaining walls and of course, plants. Homeowners can schedule a landscape designer home visit by booking online or calling 855-444-7453 toll-free.
In an effort to keep customers safe, all Pike Nurseries locations are now exclusively offering delivery and curbside pick-up. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Customers can complete an online form or call a local store to order, and a Pike Nurseries employee-owner will return the call to personally consult on the request and finalize the order.
Pike Nursery, Buckhead 4020 Roswell Road Atlanta, GA 30342 Phone: 404-843-9578 | Pike Nurseries, Acworth 3602 Cobb Parkway Acworth, Georgia 30101 Phone: 678-574-5868 | |
Pike Nurseries, Milton 3155 Bethany Bend Milton, Georgia 30004 Phone: 678-433-9060 | Pike Nurseries, Cumming 6050 Bethelview Road Cumming, Georgia 30040 Phone: 770-205-1737 | |
Pike Nurseries, East Cobb 2900 Johnson Ferry Road Marietta, Georgia 30062 Phone: 770-640-6468 | Pike Nurseries, Suwanee 1105 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard Suwanee, Georgia 30024 Phone: 770-271-5433 | |
Pike Nurseries, Toco Hills 2101 LaVista Road Atlanta, Georgia 30329 Phone: 404-634-8604 | Pike Nurseries, Marietta 1875 Roswell Road Marietta, Georgia 30062 Phone: 770-977-3040 | |
Pike Nurseries, Johns Creek 5795 State Bridge Road Alpharetta, Georgia 30022 Phone: 770-813-5050 | Pike Nurseries, Lindbergh 2410 Camellia Lane NE Atlanta, Georgia 30324 Phone: 404-869-2875 | |
Pike Nurseries, West Cobb 3431 Barrett Parkway, NW Marietta, Georgia 30064 Phone: 770-423-1650 | Pike Nurseries, Towne Lake 2475 Towne Lake Parkway Woodstock, Georgia 30189 Phone: 770-926-3252 |
Please view other Pike Nurseries articles: Online Advice with Kid’s Corner, Stressless, plant more: Pike reveals top benefits of gardening, Pick the perfect pumpkin, Juicy tips for tasty tomatoes, Tips for planting modern-day victory gardens, personalized container gardens and Top essentials for a colorful spring garden.
For more information on Pike Nurseries, follow along with Pike Nurseries on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.
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