I don't think Betsy is thinking fun like whoopity doo, i think she
means like making it interesting, bringing out the wonder of nature
which is a different kind of fun than whoopity doo. When I was pre
first grade, my aunt had a huge vegetable garden with all kinds of
stuff from radishes to corn ..lots of corn.. and she would give me
several varieties of seeds and a small area near the fence and let me
plant them the way she did and to me it was a real miracal (my mind is
skipping a beat and can't spell tonite!!)the way the little sprouts
would come up from what looked like an insignificant bit of material.
Starting with her and my mother's support, I've had something growing
ever since no matter where i was/am. "Interesting" is a type of fun
that makes one delve deeper into a subject to learn more about it.
Children are people too, and all people need a break from the daily
sessions just like adults need a 15 minute break from their desks. So
a bit of fun at break i think is good...if the bullies are kept under
control.. we had them we i was little, tooG
Leo/lee




Auntie Em wrote in message . ..
On 28 Nov 2004 19:03:29 GMT, (Two x over) wrote:

hi everyone...
any suggestions for making gardening even more fun for kids? i remember
reading about doing a pole bean teepee, but can't remember where....can anyone
help??

thanks (delurking...)
betsey
"we do not inherit the earth, we caretake it for our children"

Call me a crumudgeon. But my grandmother used to have a saying in
Italian which I will translate roughly..... "When the fun begins, the
learning stops".

Basically, in today's "educational system" everything is based on fun.
Back in the era when America's great leaders were educated (in fact,
right up until the 1960s or so), school was designed as being anything
but FUN. Education was serious business. Today in the DOZENS of
countries which surpass the US in educational quality and achievement,
most particularly the Asian countries, fun is not particularly
important in the educational process. I seriously think that is where
the Americal educational system has gone very, very wrong. Insisting
that every learning experience be one big "whooptie hoo haaa".

I think you would benefit your children more by making it a learning
experience rather than a FUN one.

Em

Be careful what you wish for....