Gilpin observer., 1900-10-04
CHILDREN'S GARDENS.
PUEBLO PEOPLE TRY AN Ex-
PERTINENT.
Flowers and Vegetables Take tho Place of
Books with Little Folks-Popuiar and
Successful

Pueblo this summer has had kinder
gartens that are real child gardens.
Plots of ground for the cultivation of
flowers and vegetables have taken the
place of school rooms and hoes and
rakes have served as educational ap-
paratus. The idea is novel, although
direct application of the teachings of
Froebel, and it has been a complete
success.
The plan originated with Superin-
tendent J. Il. Keating. Among the ad-
vantages that led to its adoption are
the following: The gardens afford an
excellent opportunity for bringing city
children into close touch with nature
during the growing season of the year.
BY this plan the long vacation is put in
the winter months when it is difficult
for very young children to get to the
school buildings. In the summer gar
dens, too, the children are kept under
the watchful eyes of their teachers
ut period of the year when many of
them are usually allowed to run wild
and entirely without the restraint of
home or school influences.
Summer kindergartens have been
conducted this year at three schools in
Pueblo. Near each there is n small
garden where flowers and vegetables
direction of their teachers. In most
cases each child had an individual plot
in addition to general space in which
all We're interested. Work in the gar
dens took up the childrens time be-
tween and II 80 o'clock in the morn
Ing, when 1t was cool. Games and light
work indoors occupied the afternoons.
For the individual plots each child was
given two or three vegetables, such as
corn, beans and cabbages. They
were provided with watering cans and
taught how to use garden tools in keep
ing the ground in condition. Their at
tention was also called to the stages
in the life of n plant from seed to seed
again. They made drawings of leaves.
trees and birds and the best of these
drawing they were allowed as a spe-
cial reward to color with water colors.
In the plots cultivated in common there
was wide variety Of plant life-let-
tuce, radishes, potatoes, squash. cab
bage, watermeloGs, canteloupes and
peanuts, besides the flowers. In the
latter part of the summer the lunches
or the children were provided in Il
large measure from the produce of the
gardens and in some instances the veg
etables We're sold for their common
benefit. Excursions to large farms near
the city were arranged from time to
time during the summer and the chill
dren were delighted to see their little
operations repeated on more consid-
cradle scale.
At first the idea of garden school
was not well received. especially by
the foreigners, who make up large
part of the population at the steel
works and smelters. but these people
gradually became its most enthusiastic
supporters. The benefits of these sum-
mer kindergartens have so plainly
demonstrated themselves that they
have passed beyond the experimental
stage and 1t has been decided by the
school board to make them n regular
thing each year. The plan has attract
ed the attention of educators in other
parts of the country and it is believed
will meet with general adoption.