Often we recieve donations for such benches that are odd and we find ways to make them work.
What are school gardens without a place to sit? As a school garden educator, seating is the first thing I tackle when I go into a new school garden setting. I have quickly learned that gardens that do not accommodate seating for the whole class run poorly. When classes come out to the garden they need the same kind of structure and routine as they do when they are indoors. Having a place to sit and center before starting garden related activities is an essential step to having a successful outdoor experience.
There are many options when it comes to outdoors seating as you see below. My favorite type by far is the one we make ourselves using stumps from forestry department. I like that it is easy and free to create but I mostly love it because it allows each student to have his or her stump. Crowding on a limited seating outdoors is often a problem and inadvertently leads students squabbling over something.
Picture from earlier this spring when we didn’t have much to garden we did lot of garden art. I love stumps but various seating options are important for this reason.
Someone placed this bench under the oak a few years ago at Bell and it’s been there since. These kids think it’s there to help them climb their beloved tree. They mostly use it as a ladder or a stage.
Shaw VPA got new picnic benches as part of their garden awards from Gateway Greening this spring. They have been well worn already for all the use they have seen already.
…and sometimes it looks like lady bugs. Art teacher at Shaw has done a fabulous job with embracing the garden and incorporating it into her art curriculum.
At Shaw VPA teachers ask cafetaria staff to brown bag students’ lunches so they can sit in the garden to eat. Did you know you can request this option for your students?
Found at Cote Brilliant Community Garden and it is this seat that has inspired me to write this blog post. I love Cote and keep it close to my heart for this reason.
The view you will have when you are sitting on this garden throne.
Summer is the time when educators have time to take a deep breath and evaluate what worked and how we can do things differently next year. This summer put outdoor classroom on your radar when doing such an evaluation. Be sure to ask yourself if your outdoor space has the kind of seating that will make you successful in your endeavor.
