Learning From Gardening continued from page 7 If you plant corn or sunflowers, chart their growth. Using carpenter’s tape, measure the plant each morning and record it. You can make it a little more interesting by predicting when you plant it how high it will reach when full grown. The Bountiful Harvest Nothing beats harvest time for the gardener. Having jewellike tomatoes line the kitchen window and bushels of beans waiting for the canner beats winning the lottery on our homestead. It also provides another crop of learning activities for the entire family to enjoy. One of the most enjoyable harvesting projects is doing up pumpkins. After washing and drying your seeds, count them. Count by two’s and place the seeds in piles of ten on the table. Arrange the piles in straight rows of ten piles in each row. That will make 100 seeds per row. Set up ten rows. That will take 1,000 seeds. When you get to this point, stop and explain that you reached 1,000. Then have them count them by tens and by hundreds. Since they are in straight rows, you can visually see that 10x4=40 or that 10x8=80. Rent a booth at your farmers’ market and sell your excess produce, crafts, eggs, or whatever they allow. Have your oldest child keep records so that he knows how much money you made (or lost) for the season. Ask your market officials; many markets are implementing young entrepreneur programs to encourage youth participation. Donate excess produce to the food pantry. Take your children with you for a tour of the facilities. If you do not have one, gift a less fortunate family in your community. If you know of someone who can use it, can or freeze the produce and gift that person with the already-processed food. Learning to garden is enjoyable in its own right. The other things that children can learn from the process are like icing on the cake. Once you start trying a few of these suggestions, your creativity will take over and you will discover more ways to have a great time making memories as a family. Freelance writer Carol J. Alexander grows children, food, and stories—naturally. She lives with her husband, four of her six children, two dogs, one cat, four goats, rabbit, scads of chickens, and a hive of honeybees on their modest homestead in the Shenandoah Valley. Camps and Aquatics Programs 2013 SUMMER CAMPS Robotics Mini -Camp at Taylor MS, July 8 -26 and the Mini8Bealeton Depot, Aug 5 -9 5Adventure Camp at Vint Hill, Aug 5 -9 5Varsity Sports Camp at Vint Hill, July 22 -26 22Cheer Camp at Crockett Park, Aug 12 -16 12Fishing Discovery Camp at Crockett Park, June 24 -26, 24July 22-24 and Aug 5 -7 225Tennis Camp at Marshall MS, July 15 -19 15Theatre Lab Camp at Marshall Community Center, July 22-26 and July 29-Aug 2 2229Art Camps at the Warrenton Community Center, July 29- Aug 8 29This is just a selection of many camps happening this summer! For more camps, pick up a copy of Good Times! To register for programs online go to recreation.fauquiercounty.gov and click on the AQUATICS PROGRAMS Larry Weeks Community Pool opens Memorial Day Weekend! May 25-27, 11 a.m.-7p.m. Go to 25a.m.recreation.fauquiercounty.gov for the complete summer schedule. Offering Parent & Me, Preschool Lessons and American Red Cross Learn to Swim Classes Sessions June 17 through August 2 \ Morning and Evening Sessions For Additional Information call: Warrenton Community Center - (540) 422-8560 Vint Hill Community Center- (540) 347-6894 Marshall Community Center- (540) 422-8580 CM Crockett Park - (540) 788-4867 FASTLINK link. 8 Piedmont Family Magazine 2013 • Issue 3