Today we would like to invite you to participate in the 2nd Annual HSV Garden Challenge.
The heart of The HSV Garden Challenge is to spend time with your children, not show off a successful produce stand. We love the idea of being outside, getting dirty, and spending quality time with our homeschoolers explaining God’s wonderful creation!
Participation Rules … since we are a homeschool community here to encourage homeschoolers we are asking that only current homeschooling families participate. Please always link your posts back to our site so your homeschool friends can participate too!
- TODAY sponsored by Master Books: link up a blog post and let us know what your plans are for your garden.
(we define “garden” as any space where you are breaking ground and planting. So if you have a few herbs, a tomato bucket, or an acre of beans – just let us know).
The fun part of gardening is planning where, when, and what you’ll plant. Do you have a lesson to go along with your garden? What books do you want to read together?
** Please know – your garden progresses when & how you want it to not by our schedule. **
Winner, The Full Circle Gardener - Thursday April 26th sponsored by Apologia. Link up & share your progress! Did you “break ground” or still growing starter plants? Are the kids excited, do you see any buds, or are you fighting army worms?
- Thursday May 31st sponsored by Maestro Classics. Link up & share more progress! Are the plants taller than your kids, are you harvesting, what do your kids like best/worst about gardening? What are you reading to go along with this lesson? What is/was your favorite recipe from your garden?
- Saturday June 30th sponsored by Apologia. Wrap up your experience!
Gardening is a Science! Thanks to Master Books for sponsoring today’s link up! One HSV Garden Challenge Participant will win World of Science.
“The World of Science explores God’s creation all around us, from the furthest star in the Universe to the smallest atom under our feet. Through six accessible sections, children will gain an understanding of the importance of science in our ever-changing world. This book brings a fresh and engaging approach to all aspects of the subject, while a final section of practical activities and experiments makes the application of science fun and enjoyable”.
Over 800 illustrations and photographs
Includes over 60 science experiments
81/2 x 11 • 256 Pages • Casebound
You do not have to participate each month to win. The link ups will remain open for one week. Winner will be chosen by random after one week – and winner’s blog will be announced on our facebook page and contacted via email. (please have correct email information listed when you link up).
*button designed by Relevant Designs
Happy Gardening!
Kim Sorgius
Kim is just a girl, crazy in love with Jesus. She's a single mother of 4, a passionate homeschooler and life-long student. After teaching 8 years in public school, she traded her M.A. in Early Childhood for sippy cups and homeschool co-ops. Kim blogs at Not Consumed where she encourages others to rest victoriously in the hands of God, rather than allowing life's difficult circumstances to consume.
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SO EXCITED! Looking forward to seeing all of the gardens this Spring =)
I am excited too – I wasn’t going to do it again, but we had received many emails about it! ENJOY!!
We are a homeschooling family and are doing a unit on gardening and The Secret Garden. My gardening update posts will be on our family blog, Taulman Times, with links to it on our homeschool blog, Journey to Excellence. Just wanted to clarify.
Nicole
no worries – love the rocks! Just have fun !!!
so can we participate if are using planters and pots? We don’t have a yard because we live in an apartment? kbalman@gmail.com
Kathy, I think it is okay. I participated last year and had several things in different containers.
Thanks Kathy for asking — You got my tweet? yes, buckets, window boxes – they count! The point is about sharing the time with your kids rather than a major farmer’s market success! HAVE FUN!
I did thank you. I will link up for the next ones. I actually already own the science book so I didn’t want to link up and win a book I already have.
It’s snowing here now, but we hope to participate, too. We have some of our seedlings started in anticipation of our last frost date near the end of May. I hope we have something in the ‘outdoor’ ground before this whole thing is over.
no worries – it’s one reason we go thru June so everyone can at least plant — but it’s all about your time with your kids rather than an overflowing veg basket! ENJOY !!
I can’t tell you how much that I LOVE that you are doing this again!
We were so blessed by participating last year. I really hope to encourage my friends, family, and readers to share some gardening adventures with their kids this summer and experience the blessings of time & learning together. Thanks again! 
I am very sad to see that you are only welcoming to homeschooling families for this challenge, but understand and respect your site’s choice. I strongly believe in the educational power and potential of gardening with kids and think that children that attend school during part of the day and come home to active teaching parents would also benefit from a challenge like this. Would love to see you include those of us who send rtheir kids to school but still believe in teaching our children at home in the future!!!! =) In the meantime, we garden a ton with our kids http://theeducatorsspinonit.blogspot.com/search/label/Kids%20in%20the%20Garden and have a year long link-up available to all families who garden with kids! I’d love to have any of you join in. http://theeducatorsspinonit.blogspot.com/p/gardening.html The more posts we have – the more we inspire others =)
thanks Amanda for your comment – the garden challenge is sponsored by homeschool companies who are offering resources as giveaways to use in the homeschool. And since we are a homeschool website with the focus of encouraging homeschool parents … we want to do something special for the people we write for on a regular basis. The link up is not to drive up our pageviews but rather a place where homeschoolers can meet other homeschoolers, learn from one another, support each other, and build friendships.
We believe all parents – public, private, or homeschool should spend intentional time with their children – growing them up in God’s Word.
=) Thanks for the sweet response! There is just not a lot online to support and encourage parents to encourage gardening with their kids and I think your challenge is fabulous. Keep up the fantastic work!