Farm to Early Childhood Education: Summer Harvest Experiences for Little Ones
The warm months of summer are a time of abundance and growth, especially on farms and in programs that offer gardening experiences in Alabama. For children, this season offers a unique opportunity to learn about where their food comes from and to experience the joys of harvesting fresh produce.
Discovering the Sensory Benefits of Gardening for Young Children
As a Boots on the Farm consultant, Alicia Jordan has the privilege of seeing firsthand how nature can positively impact children. Gardening is not just about planting seeds and harvesting vegetables; it’s a powerful tool for sensory exploration and learning.
Little Sprouts: A Step-by-Step Guide for Planting Seeds with Young Children
Planting seeds with young children can be a fun and educational experience that introduces them to the wonders of nature and growing plants. Here are some tips to make the process engaging and safe for young children.
Learning and Growing Together: Auburn University of Montgomery Early Learning Center’s Farm to ECE Success Story
This past fall, Auburn University of Montgomery (AUM)’s Early Learning Center took part in the Farm to ECE Learning Collaborative! Being involved in the Learning Collaborative has sparked a love for gardening among them, especially for Lead Teacher Chelsea. Chelsea now shares what she learns every day about gardening with the children in her classroom.
Little Chefs: Help from Little Hands in the Kitchen
March is National Nutrition Month, which means it’s a great time to talk to your kids about the importance of eating nutritious meals to promote strong growth, proper sleep, and a healthy lifestyle. A fun and interactive way to start the conversation would be to have kids get involved in the kitchen.
Purchasing Local Foods for Thanksgiving Celebrations
With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, it’s time to start planning for the holiday! A great way to celebrate with your program is by serving Thanksgiving-themed meals and snacks. Most of the traditional Thanksgiving staples can be made with fresh fruits and vegetables that can be sourced from your local farmers! We will share some ideas for foods to purchase at your local farmers market as you prepare for this month’s festivities.
Tips for Starting a Garden in an Early Childhood Setting
Gardening activities are a great way to get children involved with nature while teaching them about how things grow! Children can learn scientific concepts, cooperation skills, and more when taking part in gardening tasks and activities. It can be intimidating to start a garden if you have never done it before, so here are some tips for getting started!
Starting Seeds and Going on a Leaf Hunt: Array of Light Home Care’s Farm to ECE Success Story
Family child care homes across Alabama are starting gardens and introducing fresh local foods to the children in their care. Array of Light Home Care in Millbrook, AL has shown tremendous success in spreading the Farm to ECE movement across Alabama, and we are so excited to share their story in our newest success story video!
Sharing Lit’l Bit of Fun Child Development Center’s Farm to ECE Success
Farm to Early Care and Education (ECE) is always a joy to see in action. It is often difficult to convey the excitement and impact of getting children involved in gardening with words alone. For this reason, we are very excited to have the opportunity to film and create videos highlighting some of the amazing work that is being done in child care programs in Alabama while allowing providers to tell their own stories.
Introducing the Farm to ECE Monthly Newsletter!
We hope this newsletter serves as a useful resource for child care providers and those that work with child care providers.
