Scarecrows Dressed for Halloween?
Who would have thought that last year’s costumes could become this year’s scarecrow clothing? The junior gardeners at Marblehead Elementary School think this form of recycle-reduce-reuse is not only fun and creative, it also helps protect their garden from unwanted visitors!
Students worked in groups with teachers and volunteers to engineer scarecrows out of PVC pipe for their monthly after school garden workday. After putting them together, they decorated them in re-used costumes, topped them with pumpkin heads, and then discussed why gardens need scarecrows. In their school garden, Kinder through 5th grade 
students grow veggies for eating, discover nature through butterflies and life cycles, and learn about plant adaptations through native plants.
Making a PVC scarecrow is a fun and simple project that can be done at school or at home with kids and grandkids. It takes just a couple of hours and when you involve children in the process of planning and construction it is a great opportunity to engage them in growing and caring for the garden throughout the year. Dressing scarecrows in a theme and changing clothes with the seasons can help to sustain their interest, especially during times that little is happening.
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