Growing Together: Open Forum

Hello Everyone,

We will be hosting our annual Garden Teacher Training in April. Every year we get industry professionals and community members to come and discuss Tower Gardening, Seed Starting, Composting, Trauma Informed Garden Education, Garden Planning and design and the list goes on. Our Farm to School program operates entirely off a private grant. So we have funds available for gardening supplies each school year, currently. I am struggling to come up with appropriate door prizes for our training this year since we have the ability to purchase trays, potting soil, or a few grow lights for most of our gardens. 

Does anyone have a suggestion as to what I could use as a door prize for classroom teachers using school gardens? I wish I could give them gift cards and let them chose but the district prohibits it.  

Thanks!

If you are already going to supply planting trays, soil and grow lights some door prize gifts could include:

Heating mats

Boot trays to protect the floor

Timers for the lights and mats with an extension cord or power strip

Pot makers (https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/garden/planting/propagation/seed-starting/10566-potmaker?item=WP101)

Seed packets

Colored garden markers and grease pencils

Smaller watering cans with either long small spouts or dispersion heads on the end

Clipboards and a bin to keep them in

Wooden rulers with holes drilled for seed spacing

Seed planter tool for smaller seeds (https://www.walmart.com/ip/Plastic-Garden-Horticultural-Seed-Planter-Tool-Plant-Seed-Dispenser-Sower-Planter/180952660?classType=REGULAR&athbdg=L1700)

Seed tape making materials in a small box with instructions.

Black & white notebooks for journaling along with colored pencils.

I taught in a Preschool setting and all of these would have been appreciated. I did eventually buy all of them myself. It depends on the grade being taught and the avaiability of space, both indoors and outdoors.

Age appropriate books for the classroom on vegetables, pollinators, seeds, etc.

Hello Everyone,

We will be hosting our annual Garden Teacher Training in April. Every year we get industry professionals and community members to come and discuss Tower Gardening, Seed Starting, Composting, Trauma Informed Garden Education, Garden Planning and design and the list goes on. Our Farm to School program operates entirely off a private grant. So we have funds available for gardening supplies each school year, currently. I am struggling to come up with appropriate door prizes for our training this year since we have the ability to purchase trays, potting soil, or a few grow lights for most of our gardens. 

Does anyone have a suggestion as to what I could use as a door prize for classroom teachers using school gardens? I wish I could give them gift cards and let them chose but the district prohibits it.  

Thanks!

Hello Everyone,

We will be hosting our annual Garden Teacher Training in April. Every year we get industry professionals and community members to come and discuss Tower Gardening, Seed Starting, Composting, Trauma Informed Garden Education, Garden Planning and design and the list goes on. Our Farm to School program operates entirely off a private grant. So we have funds available for gardening supplies each school year, currently. I am struggling to come up with appropriate door prizes for our training this year since we have the ability to purchase trays, potting soil, or a few grow lights for most of our gardens. 

Does anyone have a suggestion as to what I could use as a door prize for classroom teachers using school gardens? I wish I could give them gift cards and let them chose but the district prohibits it.  

Thanks!

Hello Everyone,

We will be hosting our annual Garden Teacher Training in April. Every year we get industry professionals and community members to come and discuss Tower Gardening, Seed Starting, Composting, Trauma Informed Garden Education, Garden Planning and design and the list goes on. Our Farm to School program operates entirely off a private grant. So we have funds available for gardening supplies each school year, currently. I am struggling to come up with appropriate door prizes for our training this year since we have the ability to purchase trays, potting soil, or a few grow lights for most of our gardens. 

Does anyone have a suggestion as to what I could use as a door prize for classroom teachers using school gardens? I wish I could give them gift cards and let them chose but the district prohibits it.  

Thanks!

These are such thoughtful and practical gift ideas! I love how they cover everything from organization to hands-on planting tools. The wooden rulers for seed spacing and seed tape-making kit are especially clever! Plus, adding journals and age-appropriate books makes it a well-rounded learning experience. It's great that you've had firsthand experience in a preschool setting-these would definitely be appreciated by any teacher or classroom.

Hello Everyone,

We will be hosting our annual Garden Teacher Training in April. Every year we get industry professionals and community members to come and discuss Tower Gardening, Seed Starting, Composting, Trauma Informed Garden Education, Garden Planning and design and the list goes on. Our Farm to School program operates entirely off a private grant. So we have funds available for gardening supplies each school year, currently. I am struggling to come up with appropriate door prizes for our training this year since we have the ability to purchase trays, potting soil, or a few grow lights for most of our gardens. 

Does anyone have a suggestion as to what I could use as a door prize for classroom teachers using school gardens? I wish I could give them gift cards and let them chose but the district prohibits it.  

Thanks!