A learning garden serves as an outdoor classroom for kids to learn about the interconnected world around them in a hands-on, experiential way. Farms and gardens offer children (and adults too!) valuable lessons about nature, nutrition, ecology, responsibility, teamwork, delayed-gratification, stewardship, friendship, sharing, and much more.
Learning landscapes are a place where experiential learning blossoms and place-based education takes root. What is experiential education rooted in place? Here is a sampling:
When a child learns from doing rather than from a page.
When a student begins noticing the cycle of the sun and moon, the texture of the soil, the food-culture of their community, the story behind an heirloom seed.
Planting a seed and watching it grow.
Building a worm bin and watching their food scraps decompose into compost.
Counting the days on a calendar until their seeds sprout.
