Kids, Plants, and Big Questions

It’s the peak of summer and everywhere we look, there are flowers and trees in full bloom, with vegetables and fruit stands overflowing. In a lot of places, this is about as green as it gets. There are so many opportunities to challenge a little thinker with big questions about our leafy, green friends, and about how we see nature in general.

Whether your kiddo loves to tend to a community garden, hike through the woods, or just stop and smell the roses, here are some great conversation starters:

·      If plants change so much over the growing season, and if some trees get all new leaves/flowers/fruit every year, then how do we know they’re the same? Can something change and grow that much, and still be the same in some ways?

·      Why do we some plants as food, some as friends, and some as scary? Is it the plants themselves, or just the way we think about them?

·      What do humans have in common with plants? Are we 100% different? How does this affect the way we treat our plants?

·      Do plants and trees have thoughts and feelings? Are they the same kinds of thoughts and feelings that people have? How can we tell?

·      If you could have a chat with a plant or tree (and you could understand each other), what would you want to tell it? What do you think it would say to you?

·      Why should we feel like we need to protect trees and plants? What would happen if we didn’t?

Even tiny wee kids have big thoughts about plants and trees, and there’s certainly no lack of inspiration to be found in their surroundings. Encourage your little thinker to branch out with their ideas, and you won’t be-leaf how your conversations with them will blossom.

Happy thinking!