Children Reap what they Sow: Preschool Class Gardens
- wlouviere
- 8 hours ago
- 5 min read
By Erin Haack, M.Ed., Williams Elementary School
Dr. Michelle Fazio-Brunson, Northwestern State University of Louisiana
Benefits of Class Gardens
As young children spend more time than ever indoors, it is important for early childhood educators to design outdoor learning experiences for preschool children (Alla, 2024). One strategy for developmentally appropriate outdoor exploration is creating class gardens. Planting gardens with preschool-aged children offers a wide range of developmental benefits. For example, children develop fine and gross motor skills by digging, planting, watering, and harvesting (Kids Care Club, n.d.; Raffel, 2021). Children can also develop healthy eating habits from gardening, as research suggests that children are more likely to taste and enjoy foods they helped grow (Monsur et al., 2024). Children strengthen social-emotional skills as they share tools and work together to tend the garden, helping the plants grow (Jacob, 2024). Additionally, children build cognitive and language skills as they learn scientific concepts and problem solve through group conversations (Key Point Academy, 2024). Finally, class gardens help young children understand first-hand ecological concepts and environmental responsibility (Wendy, n.d.).
Planting Class Gardens
While having a large, extravagant garden would be a dream for many early childhood teachers, young children are happy to take ownership of any area they can call their own. Creating a small garden with preschoolers helps them learn the planting/growing sequence, the differences between living and nonliving things, and how to take care of plants. Each of these is best taught in a natural setting, and when children can get their hands dirty in the garden, they are able to actively learn about the natural environment. See below for suggested gardening activities that can be modified to fit your preschoolers’ needs.
Learning about the Planting/Growing Sequence
Children naturally engage in problem solving while learning how to plan the garden layout and choose appropriate plants. As children cooperate to plant a garden and take care of the new plants, they can engage in natural observations and documentation activities to demonstrate their understanding of the planting/growing sequence. Depending on the children’s abilities, they could take pictures of the garden and sketch what they see each day, and these artifacts can be placed in a class garden book. Children can add their own text, or they can dictate text to the teacher, who can record the children’s words and thought processes. The children can add to the class book as they observe changes in the garden, and this is a meaningful way to build to a print-rich environment.
Learning about the planting/growing sequence offers a multitude of opportunities for children to learn real-world skills in context. For example, they develop eye-hand coordination and dexterity by handling the plants and tools such as shovels, rakes, and watering cans (American Montessori Society, 2022). They also build a rich working vocabulary, utilzing words such as seed, soil, root, flower, sprout, shade, etc. Children also learn to identify specific fruits and vegetables from working in class gardens (Monsur et al., 2024).
Learning about the Differences between Living and Non-Living Things
As children work in the garden and pick, wash, prepare, and eat the plants, they can explore differences between living and non-living things. They can take pictures of real objects or cut pictures from magazines to make books about living and nonliving things. They can also create class charts that compare characteristics of living and non-living things (e.g., living things need Oxygen, water, nutrients, etc.).
Learning about how to Take Care of Plants
While tending to a garden, young children learn how to take care of plants as they explore the importance of the necessary light, water, and nutrients needed to make their gardens thrive. While providing these necessities, children naturally engage in predicting, observing, counting, estimating, and measuring, all of which are necessary scientific skills. Through class conversations, class books, or individual garden journals, the children can predict how soon plants will sprout and then make tally marks on a chart to keep track of the days. They can also predict how tall plants will grow and then use non-standard measures to measure the plants and compare measurements with predictions. The children also might enjoy counting the plants as they sprout and documenting observations in their books/journals.
An added benefit of class gardening is the potential for social-emotional growth. Encouraging children to tend to and care for the plants independently enhances young children’s sense of self-worth and importance, strengthens their autonomy skills, and builds their responsibility taking skills, all while stimulating interest in the natural sciences. Children also develop patience as they wait for plants to grow.
Children’s Books about Gardening
Integrating children’s literature with class garden activities is a motivating way to help children build schema and make connections between print and their everyday lives. See below for suggested titles:
Ehlert, L. (1994). Eating the alphabet: Fruits & Vegetables from A to Z. Harcourt Brace.
McQuinn, A. (2017). Lola plants a garden. Charlesbridge.
Messner, K. (2017). Up in the garden and down in the dirt. Chronicle Books.
Henkes, K. (2010). My garden. Greenwillow Books.
Ehlert, L. (2003). Planting a rainbow. Clarion Books
Helpful Websites
See the Websites below for ideas that can be modified to meet your preschoolers’ needs:
https://www.farmtoschool.org/resources?resource-settings=preschool-early-care (Filter by Preschool/Early Care)
Summary
Introducing gardening during the preschool years provides children with rich opportunities to engage in sensory exploration that builds curiosity. Through these outdoor experiences, children develop language and cognitive skills, motor skills, and social-emotional skills as they build lifelong healthy habits and a true appreciation for nature. Perhaps the greatest benefit of class gardening are the many benefits children experience from being outdoors—elevated mood, decreased stress levels, and a stronger sense of well-being (Wendy, n.d.). Truly, class gardening supports holistic development in a developmentally appropriate environment.
References
Alla, K. (2024). Why are children spending more time indoors? Australian Institute of Family Studies. https://aifs.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-07/2406_Children_indoors_1.pdf
American Montessori Society. (2022). The benefits of gardening with preschoolers. https://amshq.org/blog/at-home-family/2022-07-25-the-benefits-of-gardening-with-preschoolers
Jacob. (2024). 10 amazing benefits of gardening with preschoolers: Unlocking a world of growth and learning! Community Gardening. https://www.community-gardening.org/what-are-the-benefits-of-gardening-with-preschool-children/
Key Point Academy. (2024). The many benefits of a gardening program at your Child’s Preschool.
Kids Care Club. (n.d.). Springtime gardening at KCC: 5 benefits of gardening with children. https://kidscareclub.com/gardening-with-preschoolers/
Monsur, M., Mansur, M., Trina, N. A., & Cosco, N. (2024). Hands-on gardening in childcare centers to advance preschool-age children’s fruit and vegetable liking in semi-arid climate zone. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21(11), 1485. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21111485
Raffel, C. (2021). Gardening with kids: Get those little hands in the dirt and embrace all the senses. Early Learning Nation. https://earlylearningnation.com/2021/05/gardening-with-kids-get-those-little-hands-in-the-dirt-and-embrace-all-the-senses/
Wendy. (n.d.). The importance of gardening in early childhood. Fun Gardening for Kids. https://fungardeningforkids.com/importance-of-gardening-in-early-childhood/
Erin Haack is an experienced educational leader with over 20 years of teaching and administrative experience. She currently serves as an assistant principal at an elementary school in Katy, Texas, where she supports students in grades prekindergarten through fifth grade. Erin is dedicated to creating positive, student-centered learning environments that help every child thrive. She can be contacted at erinshaack@gmail.com.
Dr. Michelle Brunson directs the graduate programs in Early Childhood Education at Northwestern State University of Louisiana. She is passionate about helping her husband, the Natchitoches District Defender, remap the Cradle to Prison Pipeline to a Cradle to College Pipeline in Louisiana. She can be contacted at faziom@nsula.edu.