December invites a gentle shift in the rhythm of early childhood classrooms. The air becomes cooler, the daylight fades earlier, and many outdoor gardens begin their winter rest. Yet even as the soil quiets, children’s natural curiosity remains wide awake. Farm to Early Care and Education (Farm to ECE) continues during the winter months, it simply takes on a new, more reflective form.
In our Farm-to-ECE work, we often focus on planting and harvesting, but this month I’d like to pause and celebrate thankfulness in the garden. Even with our youngest learners, infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, the lesson of gratitude can be taught through simple experiences: touching soil, watering a plant, or feeding a worm to the compost pile.
The farmer’s market is one of my favorite classrooms. Not the kind with walls or desks, but one filled with color, sound, and discovery. When small children visit the market, something amazing happens. Every sense comes alive!
October is the season of crisp mornings, falling leaves, and colorful harvests. In the early childhood setting, this is a wonderful time to connect children to the rhythms of the farm. Pumpkins, sweet potatoes, apples, and leafy greens are filling gardens and farmers markets, giving teachers and caregivers endless opportunities to spark curiosity and learning.
Few summer activities create as many memories as a family trip to the farmers market. September is the season of abundance, and markets are brimming with peaches, melons, peppers, okra, freshly baked breads, and jars of local honey. For children, a visit to the farmers market is an adventure filled with colors, smells, and friendly faces.
In early childhood classrooms, September is a month filled with wonder. Gardens that children planted in spring or early summer are now bursting with produce, colors, and textures that spark curiosity. For young learners, this is the moment when they see that their care such as watering, weeding, and observing truly makes a difference.
Little Angels Home Daycare in Atmore, Alabama, originally participated in the Farm to ECE Learning Collaborative in 2021 and has received Farm to ECE Sustainability Funding to continue their activities since 2022. Amber Harrison of Little Angels Home Daycare recently shared their spring garden journey with us!
The Alabama Foods from A to Z Toolkit can be used in various early childhood settings, including child care centers, family child care homes, Head Start programs, Pre-K classrooms, and more. This toolkit is a collection of resources and information for providing food and farming education to young children.
A visit to the farmers market is full of excitement, colors, smells, and people bustling about. For young children, it’s more than a field trip, it’s a lesson in community, food, and culture.
August gardens are awash in color: deep reds of tomatoes, golden kernels of corn, and the dark green of okra pods. In the ECE classroom, we can harness that bounty to spark curiosity, fine-motor skills, and early science exploration.
