Gardening With Young Children

Gardens are where children’s imaginations engage nature, and the result is joyful learning. Use this book to explore the unique and expansive learning opportunities offered by gardening with children—green thumb or the perfect plot of land not required. Packed with colorful photographs and updated to address many childhood issues and gardening trends that have erupted in recent years, it reflects the growing concerns for children’s nature deficit and the obesity epidemic, and it provides a wider variety of gardening projects, like vertical, green roof, and container gardens for limited-space or urban areas. It also contains more than thirty gardening activities for children of all ages—including experiences for infants and toddlers, because even the youngest children can and should be involved in gardening.

Sara Starbuck: Sara Starbuck, EdD, is an associate professor in the Department of Human Environmental Studies and administrative director of the Early Childhood Centers for Training, Research, and Education at Southeast Missouri State University. Dr. Starbuck has over thirty years of experience in the field of early childhood education as a teacher educator, administrator, and teacher of young children. She earned her EdD from Nova Southeastern University in child and youth studies with a specialization in management of programs. Her BS and MS degrees are from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, in early childhood education.

Marla Olthof: Marla Olthof has nearly a decade of experience teaching toddlers and preschoolers and has trained a variety of teachers in a multitude of settings, including undergraduate practicum experiences and student teaching, at Southern Illinois University and the Purdue University Calumet Head Start Resource Center. Marla also enjoys volunteering in the classroom as the parent of three elementary school-aged daughters.

Karen Midden: Karen Midden is a professor in plant, soil, and agricultural systems at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. She is a landscape architect working in Illinois and teaches landscape design, designing outdoor spaces, and sustainable landscape practices. Her current research and projects include urban agriculture, green roofs, and vertical gardening.