What value does gardening have to the elementary child?  It’s an experience that helps them to build the classroom community.  Working alongside their peers toward a common goal does wonders for the culture of the class.  It also gives them the chance to mingle in a casual way.  A garden’s elemental atmosphere connects children to the earth through an ancestral activity.  It’s also a great way for them to experience a plant’s trajectory from seed to plant to food.  In the garden, they are challenged to consider some of the concepts they’ve learned about in biology, like how the sun’s energy gets used by the plant, and how in turn the vegetables they produce get used by us.  The garden takes planning and thought, and in addition to these skills, it helps the elementary children develop their abilities in organization and discussion.  To all of those Children’s House children peering through the window, they are given the chance to model good behavior and how to work with others to create something beautiful.