In her 32nd year teaching at the Giving Tree School, Merrilee Kane continues to enjoy the rhythms of nurturing young children in many ways, including through outdoor play, stories and songs, creative games and nutritious snacks.
When the school closed for four months last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Kane knew that one of the first things she’d do upon reopening was get into the school’s garden with her students, ages 2 through 5.
“Gardening is my normalizing activity in this challenging time,” Kane said. “To play in the dirt, dig in the garden, and spend time in the mud … that’s what centers me.”
She noticed the same seemed true for her young friends.
“When we reopened in July, it poured that whole first day. But we stayed outside, and the kids were great about it,” she said.
Kane and her colleagues noticed that if they led with calm and cheer, the children were happy to go along.
“We all wore masks inside the building, and the kids were totally fine with it. Instead of focusing on downsides, they talked about keeping each other safe.”
It worked.
“No one got sick the whole year,” Kane said. “Because of masks and significantly increased hand washing, we had no colds, no coughs or sniffles, and no stomach bugs. Zero.”
Giving Tree School community members ate meals outdoors through November, benefiting from a rented tent.
“Each child was given a hula hoop with a towel, and they created little nests for themselves,” Kane said. “They understood the need to play and to eat with physical space between people. I’m really proud of them.”
Despite global reports of spikes in anxiety and sadness among children of all ages, Kane and her colleagues did not see such spikes among their students.
“The kids did need to talk a lot about the virus, both with our teachers and with each other. But they approached it so creatively. They built models of the virus using Play-Doh and sticks. The topic of the virus worked its way into many conversations, including hopeful ones about COVID going away someday, making it possible to see grandparents and have birthday parties again.”
Extra time outdoors dovetailed nicely with Giving Tree School’s mission, and time in the school’s garden evoked excitement.
Simon, 4, noted that “peppers are even juicier than tomatoes. I feel as good as a pepper with peppers around. I love peppers this much … as long as my arms go.”
“I like carrots,” said classmate Colton, also 4. “Do you know vegetables make you strong? The tomatoes are almost ready. I found a medium-size one.”
Zelda, 5, chimed in. “Beans are so yummy!”
Olive, 5, added, “I like flowers because they’re pretty and there are so many colors.”
Kane was surprised that some of the children, who generally avoid foods with strong flavors, were willing to eat spicy offerings.
Ethan, 4, found that he likes radishes, “the super big red ones.”
Nina, 5, said, “I like nasturtiums, orange and red. I like the spice.”
But Ozzy, 5, demurred. “Nasturtiums are too spicy!”
Ezra, 4, noted that he has two gardens, “one at home and one at school.”
The Giving Tree School garden started 10 years ago after allergies among students led to a policy change regarding pets.
“We used to care for guinea pigs as a community,” Kane said, “but we pivoted to gardening in order to continue caring for living things after we stopped tending animals.”
School parents helped build four raised beds and shared in garden tasks.
“It’s a real community effort,” Kane said. “It’s truly magical.”
She also found it’s a great way to introduce kids to eating vegetables and trying new things.
“I saw them eat foods I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t have touched if they hadn’t participated in growing them,” she explained.
Gardening activities imbued Giving Tree School students with patience and wonder. The children also displayed an admirable ability to share. “When we harvested carrots, they made sure everyone got a taste.”
One project involved planting pumpkin seeds, tending the plants, harvesting and saving seeds for another season.
“We washed the seeds, froze them until planting time, and brought another generation of pumpkins to harvest,” Kane said.
Another life lesson was that “things don’t always turn out exactly how we planned,” Kane noted. “We made teepees for beans to climb, but found that pumpkin plants went up instead.”
In addition to planting, tending, harvesting and tasting, Giving Tree School students had a hand in composting — literally.
“They love our compost stirrer,” Kane said. “It helps to decompose our kitchen scraps more quickly, and there’s nothing like finding a banana peel from a snack eaten three weeks ago to generate excitement.”
As children are famous for enjoying poop-related topics, preparing the soil with cow manure and compost was a popular task. “We talked about how it would help us grow bigger carrots, and that being patient and not harvesting too early would also bring us bigger carrots,” Kane said.
During a time when “we had to assume that everyone was a potential COVID carrier,” Kane said, “we carried on, trying to keep our days as normal as possible. Gardening definitely helped with that.”
“When you garden with young children,” Kane said, “a lot of crops get pulled up along with the weeds. So we did lots and lots of planting.” The children checked garden beds regularly, watered when necessary, and did routine maintenance, “often while playing nearby,” Kane added.
Giving Tree School founder Betsy Evans, who lives up the road from the school, is delighted with the gardening project.
“When they spend time in our outdoor classroom, children become involved in making decisions about supporting life, including plants that are already naturally there, as well as plants that we plant and tend,” she said.
Lessons abound out of doors, Evans continued.
“Why should we protect earthworms in the garden? If we pull up a plant too soon, what will happen? Each morning upon arrival, children run to the garden to see what there is to eat. Are the carrots big enough? Are there beans yet? Cherry tomatoes? The level of excitement about these small changes illustrates the engagement, awareness and power of their impact on living things.”
Evans noted the ownership of what the children have created and the long-term attention required as the garden reveals itself.
“They’re the future stewards of our planet, the next decision-makers about science and climate change. They’re learning through experience and cause-and-effect thinking, with their hands plunged deep into dirt. Being active and getting dirty is the most effective way to support complex, thought-provoking learning.”
Giving Tree School teachers ponder what will extend children’s thinking in the outdoor realm.
“We take into account what to plant and what will be fun to eat, as well as related materials like books and stories,” Evans said. Teachers observe closely to see what inspires and interests the children.
Each spring, the Giving Tree School community presents a play, “The Root Children,” with Mother Earth watching over living beings who awaken and put on colorful capes.
“It’s joyful fun, noticing the subtle beginnings of how the Earth awakens each year,” Evans said. “Understanding and respecting life cycles is built in small steps, not through abstract experiences. That’s where the digging and planting comes in. After the seeds are placed gently into the ground, the children quietly sing to them.
“For 45 years, we’ve emphasized being outside,” Evans continued. “In addition to the gardens, there’s the excitement of finding bugs in rotting logs and small toads hiding in the grass. The children regularly walk to visit llamas and goats, and apple trees for picking.”
During their walks, the children find Monarch butterflies on milkweed and learn to identify local plants with great enthusiasm. “Identifying skunk cabbage poking through the ground as the first (smelly) sign of spring is super exciting,” Evans said. “Nature’s garden is always dynamic, continually changing. Seasonal observations provide the deepest, most effective learning for everyone.”
Evans also pointed out that as standard playgrounds are “made safer” by being covered over with pavement, cement and shredded tires, “children aren’t finding bugs, earthworms, or experiencing the simple joy of grass and dirt.”
The sensory experience of smells, tastes, and textures of herbs and vegetables help children expand their healthy food preferences, Evans added.
“It’s wondrous to behold children choosing to munch on kale, carrots, beans, nasturtiums and tomatoes they’ve found in the garden at 9 o’clock in the morning.”
Eveline MacDougall is the author of “Fiery Hope” and an artist, musician, teacher and mom. She welcomes readers’ feedback and ideas for columns: eveline@amandlachorus.org.