The Secret Garden

This year, our book group will be taking a trip around the world via classic literature. Our first stop was India and England through the book "The Secret Garden" by Francis Hodgson Burnette
After reading it for read-aloud as a family, we gathered together with others at the outdoor schoolroom of a park nearby and had some fun with projects and discussion about the book. The days activities were threatened by rain, however, we just dealt with mists and drizzle....just like the weather of a moor in England.

The parent who was leading the activities had the kids create their own "secret garden" on paper. If you could create the perfect place for you to go and hide; to ponder, think and enjoy life what would it be like? Delaney would have lots and lots of flowers. Cailin had paths, flowers, and trees within rock walls for her garden. Connor, who wasn't real thrilled about going,(the whole paper was covered in green crayon) had a meadow of green grass--great for lying on and gazing into the sky. (I'm sure that's what he was thinking! :)


Cailin was one of the child presentors this month. She drew pictures of the main charracters and then shared some excerpts from the book that she greatly enjoyed.

Finding the Garden--
Mary saw the robin land on some earth and he pecked at it. So Marry dug and found a key. "Oh man! I found the garden key!" She said "Now where is the door?" After a long and hard search she found the knob under some ivy. With both hands she unlocked the door and stepped in. "I'm in the secret garden."

Tantrum-- One day, Colin had a tantrum. A nurse told Mary to try to stop Colin. So Mary stormed in and yelled "You Stop!! You woke everyone up with you screaming! What's the matter?"
"I--I felt a lump on my back." Colin sobbed.
"Turn over and I'll check your back" So Colin showed his back "You'll see" he said.
"There's not one timy lump, not even as big as a pin!" said Mary
"Well I could have told him that." the nurse said.
"Tell me next time, Okay?" said Colin

The outdoor classroom was surrounded by a butterfly garden, so the kids helped it along and scattered more seeds for the next year.



The next fun activity, was to create a container garden. The kids had fun gathering supplies from the nearby creek--dirt, moss, sticks, flowers, rocks...whatever they wanted to make their special little garden a happy place for the plastic animals they would add later.


Ohhh, I found some moss on this rock, cool.


Although Connor didn't want to make a container garden of his own, he had fun helping others gather supplies from the creek.


So many animals to choose from....


Delaney and her finished garden.


Cailin's finished garden.