Kids Garden Month: Enter the Dream Big Contest

April is Kids Garden Month. The folks at KidsGardening want to hear from children and teens about their dream gardens. In exchange for sharing their hopes when it comes to Mother Nature’s bounty, the organization is awarding a series of prizes.

Established 35 years ago, KidsGardening is a leading resource for garden-based educators throughout the country. The nonprofit organization is dedicated to helping young people become connected to their food and its origins. This encourages environmental stewardship and improves nutritional attitudes, as well as fosters the social and emotional learning that comes from tending the earth. “Kids are naturally curious and full of wonder,” says Maree Gaetani, director of strategic initiatives for KidsGardening. “Our organization creates opportunities for them to learn through gardening by providing inspiration, community know-how and resources. Partnering with educators nationwide, we reach more than 90,000 each month with curriculum and lesson plans, grant funding and inspirations to get kids involved in the garden.” Dream Big Contest Entry Details The Dream Big Contest is meant to spark the imagination of kids and drive creative expression and community engagement. The contest is open to gardeners from ages 0-18. Entries can be submitted by individuals, or by a group or class. Requirements: Submit a photo, song, video, artwork, essay or poem expressing the entrant’s dream garden. Cover topics such as what grows in the dream garden, who visits and why the child loves the garden. If the entrant is too young to write but wants to include words, an adult can caption the entry, although it’s not required. Entries can be submitted by tagging on social media at hashtag #KidsGardenMonth (KidsGardening.org); email to info@kidsgardening.org or snail mail at KidsGardening, 132 Intervale Rd., Burlington, VT 05401. Worldwide entries are welcome, but only U.S. entries are eligible for prizes. The contest runs until April 30, 2018. Each week KidsGardening will choose a favorite entry to receive a prize package of kids gardening gear. Those entries will also be eligible for the grand prizes. At the end of the month, KidsGardening will award two grand prize winners. Those will go to an individual and then to a class or group. The grand prizes are two $250 gift cards to Gardener’s Supply Company, so that the winners can make their dream gardens a reality. Weekly awardees will be announced via social media on Tuesdays: (4/9, 4/16, 4/23, 5/1). Julie Bawden-Davis is a garden writer and master gardener, who since 1985 has written for publications such as Organic Gardening, The American Gardener, Wildflower, Better Homes and Gardens and The Los Angeles Times. She is the author of 10 books, including Reader’s Digest Flower Gardening, Fairy Gardening, The Strawberry Story Series, and Indoor Gardening the Organic Way, and is the founder of HealthyHouseplants.com. Her backyard is a Certified Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation.