Parents who want to channel their kids’ natural affinity for getting dirty into something productive should consider today’s Boulder Home and Garden Fair.
In addition to dozens of home-improvement vendors ready to help with everything from basic maintenance issues to improving energy efficiency, children at the fair are encouraged to dig in at the Growing Gardens activity center.
“We try to get kids really connected to the food they eat,” says Annie Sweeney, director of the Children’s Peace Garden, one of several community gardens in Boulder managed by the nonprofit Growing Gardens. This one targets kids ages 4 to 10.
“We cover everything from pollinators to composting and personal nutrition,” Sweeney says.
Growing Gardens will host three activity stations at the Boulder Home and Garden Fair. Kids can learn about seed planting and care, and can plant a take-home pot with beans, flower or herb seeds. Another station offers instruction on beneficial and destructive insects, where kids can construct clay bug sculptures. And a beekeeping area includes an uninhabited demo hive, where kids can inspect the honeycombs, taste local honey and even try on a beekeeping suit.
“Kids have a general affinity for living things,” says Sweeney, who emphasizes the importance of balance and diversity among plants and insects in a garden. Of particular concern to her is encouraging gardeners to consider honeybees when planting and offer up bee- friendly spaces.
“Dandelions are one of the most important early food sources for bees in spring,” she says.
Sweeney also hopes that kids can learn to better appreciate their food sources and nutritional needs through gardening projects. Because getting kids to eat their vegetables is a common parental challenge, involving children in gardening projects can help form healthy eating habits.
“It’s amazing what a kid will eat if they pick it out of the garden,” Sweeney says. “Seeing a carrot come out of the ground or growing their own lettuce, suddenly it makes eating a salad a whole new experience.”
Although the Children’s Peace Garden — located in Boulder near the intersection of Iris Avenue and Broadway — is not open for drop- in visits, group field trips run March through October, and half- and full-day summer camps are offered through August. Kids can help in the strawberry and pumpkin patches, plant veggies and greens in the Salad Garden or even help with onions, garlic, tomatoes, peppers and basil in the Pizza Garden.
“So many kids think that food just comes from the supermarket,” Sweeney says. “This is a really rewarding experience, and it solidifies the concepts of lifelong healthy-eating choices.”
Gardening activities take place from 10 a.m to 4 p.m. today at the Growing Gardens community booth at the fourth annual Boulder Home and Garden Fair, along 29th Street between Canyon Boulevard and Walnut Street in Boulder. Details at . For more on Growing Gardens, visit or call 303-440-8409.
