Garden activities are pretty darn cool when you’re
a kid. Best of all, gardening develops a better understanding of healthy eating,
ecological concepts and environmental responsibility.
Dad, I want to plant a garden.
My son looked up at me expectantly, assuming that I could take it from there. But I couldn’t. I knew a little about gardening, but not enough. It took a lot of research and advice from grandparents to create our first backyard vegetable garden.
The next year a funny thing happened. Neighborhood kids began showing up at my door. “Can we borrow some potting soil?” asked one. “Is now a good time to plant sunflowers?” asked another. Many inquired, “How do you keep the deer away?” One after the other, they trekked to our house seeking advice. My son fielded most of the questions, and his enthusiasm was contagious. Soon we had a whole group of kids excited about planting, nurturing and harvesting gardens of all types and sizes. Here were kids with cell phones, computers and video game systems - kids with access to every imaginable technological gadget on earth - choosing to spend time outside, literally getting their hands dirty and loving it.
It shouldn’t have surprised me. Most kids have an innate interest in the natural world. Playing with mud, getting under the sprinkler, fending off pests and witnessing the “magic” of growth are right up their alley. With just a little encouragement and education, kids take to gardening like ducks to water. Yet how many parents today have both the time and knowledge to teach gardening in a child-friendly format? That’s the idea behind GardenBuddy.com - to serve as a fun, relevant resource for that vital motivation and information. The games are fast-paced and exciting, yet they also teach important gardening lessons. Even our catchy songs give gardening tips!
You might say my son sowed the first seeds of GardenBuddy.com. But my hope is that children from all walks of life will reap the benefits.
Happy planting!
- John Williams,
Founder
My son looked up at me expectantly, assuming that I could take it from there. But I couldn’t. I knew a little about gardening, but not enough. It took a lot of research and advice from grandparents to create our first backyard vegetable garden.
The next year a funny thing happened. Neighborhood kids began showing up at my door. “Can we borrow some potting soil?” asked one. “Is now a good time to plant sunflowers?” asked another. Many inquired, “How do you keep the deer away?” One after the other, they trekked to our house seeking advice. My son fielded most of the questions, and his enthusiasm was contagious. Soon we had a whole group of kids excited about planting, nurturing and harvesting gardens of all types and sizes. Here were kids with cell phones, computers and video game systems - kids with access to every imaginable technological gadget on earth - choosing to spend time outside, literally getting their hands dirty and loving it.
It shouldn’t have surprised me. Most kids have an innate interest in the natural world. Playing with mud, getting under the sprinkler, fending off pests and witnessing the “magic” of growth are right up their alley. With just a little encouragement and education, kids take to gardening like ducks to water. Yet how many parents today have both the time and knowledge to teach gardening in a child-friendly format? That’s the idea behind GardenBuddy.com - to serve as a fun, relevant resource for that vital motivation and information. The games are fast-paced and exciting, yet they also teach important gardening lessons. Even our catchy songs give gardening tips!
You might say my son sowed the first seeds of GardenBuddy.com. But my hope is that children from all walks of life will reap the benefits.
Happy planting!
- John Williams,
Founder
Copyright 2009, GardenBuddy.com