Learn tips for gardening with youngsters

By Sequim Gazette Staff • May 15, 2024 1:30 am
Photo courtesy of Marva Holmes Find out why gardening is great for your young ones and how it can benefit them from Clallam County Master Gardener Marva Holmes at the Green Thumb Education Series presentation, “Gardening with Young Children,” held noon-1 p.m. on Thursday, May 23, at St. Andrews Episcopal Church in Port Angeles. Pictured is Holmes and Penelope Ray.
Photo courtesy of Marva Holmes Find out why gardening is great for your young ones and how it can benefit them from Clallam County Master Gardener Marva Holmes at the Green Thumb Education Series presentation, “Gardening with Young Children,” held noon-1 p.m. on Thursday, May 23, at St. Andrews Episcopal Church in Port Angeles. Pictured is Holmes and Penelope Ray.

Join Clallam County Master Gardener Marva Holmes for the Green Thumb Education Series presentation, “Gardening with Young Children,” set for noon-1 p.m. on Thursday, May 23, at St. Andrews Episcopal Church, 510 E. Park Ave., Port Angeles.

Young children who do can reap big benefits including better motor skills, healthy eating habits, appreciation for nature and an aptitude for science, local gardening experts say.

Holmes will discuss ways to engage children at their developmental level and how to use a child’s interests to get them excited about gardening. She will discuss fun books to help engage, excite and educate children about gardens and related topics.

She will also examine how to use gardening to encourage language development and vocabulary acquisition and how to engage children’s five senses through gardening, and present ways to make art in a garden by using materials found there and how to incorporate math and engineering.

Those interested can also attend the presentation online via Zoom; get the link at extension.wsu.edu/clallam (meeting ID 936 2989 8830, passcode 676224). Or join by phone by calling 253-215-8782.

An educator for more than 30 years, Holmes, began her career with Seattle Children’s Theater as an arts teacher and spent 15 years in early childhood education teaching preschool and prekindergarten. While teaching, she focused much of her curriculum on gardening that included plant science, entomology, pollination, art with natural materials and cooking lessons using what the students grew.

Her most recent job was as program coordinator and lead teacher for Seattle ReCreative where she taught workshops throughout King County using recycled materials for students from 18 months- to 94-years old.

Sponsored by WSU Clallam County Master Gardeners, the Green Thumbs Garden Tips education series is offered on the second and fourth Thursday each month through October (in November, December and January, one program is offered). Scheduled presentations are subject to change. Visit the WSU Extension Clallam County website calendar (extension.wsu.edu/clallam) for the latest information on upcoming presentations.

For more information, call 360-565-2679.