December in the Early Childhood Program: Learning From a Resting Garden
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.
Harvesting Thankfulness in the Classroom Garden
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.
Garden to Classroom: Learning Through Harvest
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.
Classroom to Garden: Bringing August’s Harvest Indoors
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.
🍓June Blog: Things To Do with Early Learners in the Classroom
If you can’t take your early learners out to the farm or market, why not bring the farm experience into the classroom? Here are some great ways to introduce farm-to-table lessons this June.
Taste of the Farm: Planting Seeds of Learning with Farmer Shelia Daniels
On Earth Day, we had the joy of bringing the farm experience directly to the children of Kids of Character Learning Center, LLC in Livingston, Alabama. With 7 dedicated teachers and nearly 40 bright, energetic students, the day was filled with hands-on discovery, laughter, and learning—all led by local farmer Shelia Daniels of Sowing and Growing.
Little Garden Chefs: No-Cook Recipes with Kids in May
Springtime in Alabama brings a burst of life to garden space, and there’s no better time to bring young children into the garden to learn, explore, and create. For early childhood educators, gardening offers rich, hands-on experiences that nurture curiosity, responsibility, and healthy habits. And guess what? You don’t even need a kitchen to turn these garden moments into snack-time fun.
Growing Curiosity in the ECE Garden – May Adventures
May is a wonderful month for young children to explore the garden! The weather is warm, plants are blooming, and insects are busy doing their work. Gardening in the classroom or outdoor space helps children develop responsibility, observation skills, and a connection to the natural world.
Engaging Families in Your ECE Program with Farm to ECE Activities
Farm to ECE activities are successful with a team effort, especially when families are involved! Engaging families in your Farm to ECE activities, whether it is gardening, food and farm education, or local food purchasing, can be beneficial for your ECE program, as well as the families and children you serve. This blog post includes tips for involving families in your activities this spring!
Springtime in the Garden: Exploring Fresh Food in Early Childhood Classrooms
This month, let’s bring the farmers market and garden into the classroom with fun, hands-on activities that introduce children to fresh, seasonal foods while building important skills like observation, fine motor development, and curiosity about the world around them.
