Early Childhood Gardening

I am garden educator, a new position for me, in a preschool serving 2-5 year olds. I have a lot of questions and wonder where you all have learned your stuff.

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Dana Ferrarelli
Kid Works, Long Beach, CA
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Dana, 
I was the volunteer gardening teach at my church's daycare for 15 years. I had to develop the program on my own with no gardens at first and no funds. Being in NJ our outdoor garden time was limited to Mid April (maybe) to Late September. I came up with a lot of environmental themes for the colder months that usually tied in with the classroom themes (birds, hibernation/migration, planning a garden, parts of a plant, climate change, carbon footprint, earth day.) Over the years these themes expanded into pollinators and a pollinator garden, we would raise butterflies and then release them.  This started in 2003 so a lot of my resources came from books.  I have attached some of my resource lists from over the years as well as ideas.

The first year I had 2 classes of 4 & 5 year olds. The program was so popular it expanded the 2nd year to all four age grades (2-5 yr olds) as well as a sibling summer camp (6-12 yr olds). I used Kids Gardening extensively when I found it, and still do. I still teach classes for children as a Master Gardener in Delaware and now have 3 granddaughters under the age of 7 I garden with.  I use a lot of craft ideas from Pinterest. Roots, Boots Buckets nad Shoots was one of my favorite books to get projects from.

I was one special teacher in a  five day rotation and I coordinated fairly closely with the art, cooking and librarian teacher to reinforce themes.  This worked especially well with the cooking teacher who also loved to use things from the garden and did a lot of international cooking.

I hope these files help you find some resources.  you are lucky to be in CA and have that longer growing season.  It is so much easier to keep the kids involved and excited when they can actually see things growing.

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Judy Pfister
Delaware Master Gardener
Millsboro, DE
Judy
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Original Message:
Sent: 10-13-2023 09:22:58 PM
From: Dana Ferrarelli
Subject: Anyone here involved in ECE school gardens?

I am garden educator, a new position for me, in a preschool serving 2-5 year olds. I have a lot of questions and wonder where you all have learned your stuff.

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Dana Ferrarelli
Kid Works, Long Beach, CA
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Judy!  I can't wait to view these over the weekend!

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Dana Ferrarelli
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Original Message:
Sent: 10-15-2023 07:38:08 PM
From: Judy Pfister
Subject: Anyone here involved in ECE school gardens?

Dana, 
I was the volunteer gardening teach at my church's daycare for 15 years. I had to develop the program on my own with no gardens at first and no funds. Being in NJ our outdoor garden time was limited to Mid April (maybe) to Late September. I came up with a lot of environmental themes for the colder months that usually tied in with the classroom themes (birds, hibernation/migration, planning a garden, parts of a plant, climate change, carbon footprint, earth day.) Over the years these themes expanded into pollinators and a pollinator garden, we would raise butterflies and then release them.  This started in 2003 so a lot of my resources came from books.  I have attached some of my resource lists from over the years as well as ideas.

The first year I had 2 classes of 4 & 5 year olds. The program was so popular it expanded the 2nd year to all four age grades (2-5 yr olds) as well as a sibling summer camp (6-12 yr olds). I used Kids Gardening extensively when I found it, and still do. I still teach classes for children as a Master Gardener in Delaware and now have 3 granddaughters under the age of 7 I garden with.  I use a lot of craft ideas from Pinterest. Roots, Boots Buckets nad Shoots was one of my favorite books to get projects from.

I was one special teacher in a  five day rotation and I coordinated fairly closely with the art, cooking and librarian teacher to reinforce themes.  This worked especially well with the cooking teacher who also loved to use things from the garden and did a lot of international cooking.

I hope these files help you find some resources.  you are lucky to be in CA and have that longer growing season.  It is so much easier to keep the kids involved and excited when they can actually see things growing.

------------------------------
Judy Pfister
Delaware Master Gardener
Millsboro, DE
Judy

Original Message:
Sent: 10-13-2023 09:22:58 PM
From: Dana Ferrarelli
Subject: Anyone here involved in ECE school gardens?

I am garden educator, a new position for me, in a preschool serving 2-5 year olds. I have a lot of questions and wonder where you all have learned your stuff.

------------------------------
Dana Ferrarelli
Kid Works, Long Beach, CA
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HI Dana,  Welcome to gardening with toddlers and preschoolers,  I have been gardening with this age group for over 20 years.  Most was learned through working with other gardeners, believe it or not, grandparents, and trial and error. Know that this age group will pick things. So plant things that will benefit from frequent "pruning". Try to get plants with texture, and give them lots of time to just explore the soil before you plant anything.  They love to water! so if you can invest in some rain barrels.  Weeding tip: sprinkle flour on the weeds, then teach them to only pull out what is "white".  It will save a lot of your " good" plants.  Good luck!  Feel free to send more questions. 

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Natalie Jackson
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Original Message:
Sent: 10-13-2023 09:22:58 PM
From: Dana Ferrarelli
Subject: Anyone here involved in ECE school gardens?

I am garden educator, a new position for me, in a preschool serving 2-5 year olds. I have a lot of questions and wonder where you all have learned your stuff.

------------------------------
Dana Ferrarelli
Kid Works, Long Beach, CA
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Hi Natalie, thanks for your reply.  You ain't kiddin about "they pick things".  We have not enjoyed even one red tomato.  As soon as fruit is noticed, it's picked.  I didn't want to, but I resorted to covering the plants with tulle to repel the avid harvesters.

I love the flour idea.  

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Dana Ferrarelli
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Original Message:
Sent: 10-16-2023 12:33:23 PM
From: Natalie Jackson
Subject: Anyone here involved in ECE school gardens?

HI Dana,  Welcome to gardening with toddlers and preschoolers,  I have been gardening with this age group for over 20 years.  Most was learned through working with other gardeners, believe it or not, grandparents, and trial and error. Know that this age group will pick things. So plant things that will benefit from frequent "pruning". Try to get plants with texture, and give them lots of time to just explore the soil before you plant anything.  They love to water! so if you can invest in some rain barrels.  Weeding tip: sprinkle flour on the weeds, then teach them to only pull out what is "white".  It will save a lot of your " good" plants.  Good luck!  Feel free to send more questions. 

------------------------------
Natalie Jackson

Original Message:
Sent: 10-13-2023 09:22:58 PM
From: Dana Ferrarelli
Subject: Anyone here involved in ECE school gardens?

I am garden educator, a new position for me, in a preschool serving 2-5 year olds. I have a lot of questions and wonder where you all have learned your stuff.

------------------------------
Dana Ferrarelli
Kid Works, Long Beach, CA
------------------------------

Hi Dana! Through our partnership with the National Head Start Association and Scotts Miracle Gro we pulled together links to some early childhood resources which you can find at: https://kidsgardening.org/ece-resources/.  A few of our past webinars (including one that provides an overview) are archived for viewing at: https://nhsa.org/resource/garden-webinar-series/

Hope this might help!

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Sarah Pounders
Senior Education Specialist
The Woodlands TX
8324186540
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Original Message:
Sent: 10-13-2023 09:22:58 PM
From: Dana Ferrarelli
Subject: Anyone here involved in ECE school gardens?

I am garden educator, a new position for me, in a preschool serving 2-5 year olds. I have a lot of questions and wonder where you all have learned your stuff.

------------------------------
Dana Ferrarelli
Kid Works, Long Beach, CA
------------------------------